DH went for a run tonight and I went along on his bike. It was dark when we left (because it was 99 here today). Of course I can cover a lot more ground on a bike than he can on foot, so every once in a while I would loop around a block and then catch back up with him.
So he was running down a long road, and I did a loop and then did not see him when I came back to the road. Finally I caught a glimpse of his iPod bouncing along a couple hundred feet away. He had turned at the end of the road and was headed back toward me. So I looped around behind him and caught up even to him while he puffed along. I was kind of surprised he didn't say anything, and I sustained my trash talking (ahem, personal training) because there were a couple of walkers just a few feet away. So I just kept pace with him for a couple of minutes, moving so slowly on the bike I was barely staying upright.
Then he looked over at me. And I realized that the guy in the white shirt and black shorts with an iPod in an armband was not my husband. Oh crap! I took off pedaling as fast as I could without saying a word! I was mortified, and the poor guy probably thinks I'm some crazy stalker-biker lady.
And then I could not find my real DH after that. I rolled around the neighborhood for a while (praying I didn't run into the DH doppelganger again) eventually just headed home so I could call DH and explain why I abandoned him.
9/28/11
9/26/11
Teenagers
I'm having trouble believing that I am now the mom of a teenager. I don't feel old enough to have a teenager.
As much as I would like to get away from the birthday parties, the benefit is that it gives me the opportunity to spend some time with the kids' friends. I really like the group of friends that she has developed over the last couple of years. There were only a couple of carry-overs from elementary school--most were newly found when she started middle school last year.And there were definitely a couple from elementary school that I wasn't sad to see drift away. But the girls she hangs out with now all seem like genuinely good kids (and I guess they are, every single one of them was inducted into the National Junior Honor Society along with PS tonight). There was no drama or over-the-top craziness at her party. Everyone got along and seemed to have a really good time.
But even among her friends, PS is different. They are all still giggly girls who squeal and hug and play with each other's hair and smush together like puppies on the sofa. That is so not PS. No squealing, no smushing, definitely no hair touching (last year, when she was in cheer, she often complained, "Mom, the cheerleaders keep trying to fix my hair.") She is physically smaller than the rest of them--several inches shorter than most. And they have all started developing while she is not. At all. She doesn't wear make-up or flat iron her hair like the rest. (Is all this because I let her skip a grade and she is the youngest? Maybe. But I think she would still be among the smallest. And I had no hint of boobs until I turned 16.) But she seems to be doing ok socially, even if she is the most restrained and self-conscious in her group. And I am a-ok with her looking younger if it keeps the boy issues at bay for a while. (Although we did have a boy at the party! Just one--a friend of the entire group. Definitely no romance issues that I could detect.)
But boy, when I see other kids her age, I start to freak out a little. At the NJHS induction tonight, several of her classmates looked and dressed like college students. A few had on skin-tight skirts that barely covered their naughty bits and left me wondering what on earth their mothers were thinking. Several more were wearing heels (that they did not know how to walk in.) They just all looked to grown up. And then there was tiny PS.
It will be interesting to see how she changes over the next couple of years. Will she always be one of those girls who's just not into hair and makeup--or will she grown into it? And how different will her sisters be? They are definitely more the huggy, squealy, puppy piling types.
As much as I would like to get away from the birthday parties, the benefit is that it gives me the opportunity to spend some time with the kids' friends. I really like the group of friends that she has developed over the last couple of years. There were only a couple of carry-overs from elementary school--most were newly found when she started middle school last year.And there were definitely a couple from elementary school that I wasn't sad to see drift away. But the girls she hangs out with now all seem like genuinely good kids (and I guess they are, every single one of them was inducted into the National Junior Honor Society along with PS tonight). There was no drama or over-the-top craziness at her party. Everyone got along and seemed to have a really good time.
But even among her friends, PS is different. They are all still giggly girls who squeal and hug and play with each other's hair and smush together like puppies on the sofa. That is so not PS. No squealing, no smushing, definitely no hair touching (last year, when she was in cheer, she often complained, "Mom, the cheerleaders keep trying to fix my hair.") She is physically smaller than the rest of them--several inches shorter than most. And they have all started developing while she is not. At all. She doesn't wear make-up or flat iron her hair like the rest. (Is all this because I let her skip a grade and she is the youngest? Maybe. But I think she would still be among the smallest. And I had no hint of boobs until I turned 16.) But she seems to be doing ok socially, even if she is the most restrained and self-conscious in her group. And I am a-ok with her looking younger if it keeps the boy issues at bay for a while. (Although we did have a boy at the party! Just one--a friend of the entire group. Definitely no romance issues that I could detect.)
But boy, when I see other kids her age, I start to freak out a little. At the NJHS induction tonight, several of her classmates looked and dressed like college students. A few had on skin-tight skirts that barely covered their naughty bits and left me wondering what on earth their mothers were thinking. Several more were wearing heels (that they did not know how to walk in.) They just all looked to grown up. And then there was tiny PS.
It will be interesting to see how she changes over the next couple of years. Will she always be one of those girls who's just not into hair and makeup--or will she grown into it? And how different will her sisters be? They are definitely more the huggy, squealy, puppy piling types.
9/25/11
Today I Don't Feel Like Doing Anything...
This was an exceptionally busy week. I had a hearing on Tuesday and a mediation of Friday (my first solo!) and in between my bosses were demanding deadlines on new projects by the end of the week--which made for some very late nights for me. Everyone in the office was swamped and the Big Bosses were becoming visibly agitated at having to compete with one another for assistance with their matters.
On Tuesday the moved my mother, which was definitely a positive thing, but I had to work in a couple of trips to bring her new things that she needed, which added to the chaos.
And then there was PS's birthday and the party. Lesson learned: never try to plan a murder mystery party in two weeks. Especially when you have an unpredictable job that could explode at any moment. I had gone shopping the weekend before, but I had to do pretty much everything else on Friday night and Saturday morning. It was A LOT of work.
I had originally planned to try to make a cake, or, more specifically cake pops, in a shore fit of lunacy in which I forgot that I am completely incapable of decorating anything. My test batch of cake pops last weekend were too wet so they wouldn't stay on the stick and looked like delicious little balls of bird gak.
By Friday it was crystal clear that there was no way in heck I was going to be baking anything, and I had resigned myself to picking up a cake from Costco. But then a friend called and I was venting about how much I had to do and she said, "I can help! Just let me know what you need. I can come over, I can do food, I can do the cake." (I have given this friend a lot of free legal services lately, and I think she really wanted a way to pay me back.)
And so I said, "Can you make a Jack Skellington cake?" Thinking something like this:
And she made the most awesome Jack Skellington cake I have ever seen that must have taken more hours than I can possibly imagine:
Yay! She was a huge life saver!
And then about 5:00 Friday night, my brother called to tell me he decided to come down. He was originally coming this weekend, and then he called last week to say he couldn't and then he called Friday night to say he changed his mind again. So that added to the chaos a bit more.
Saturday morning, DH drove PS to a robotics competition 45 miles away, so I didn't have them to help out. My brother went to see my mom, but at least he took all of the other kids with him, so they weren't underfoot while I was cooking and cleaning and decorating and costume making and murder mystery clue assembling.
I don't know how we managed, but somehow we pulled it all off. The house looked hauntingly awesome, the kids managed their own make-up for their costumes, the food came together, and all of the kids claimed to have a great time.
Since it was a murder mystery party, DH made a backdrop for mug shots to take all of the kids pics as they arrived. We had prints made while the mystery was being unraveled and gave all of the kids a book of their mug shots as party favors:
The party was a success, and I am exhausted. I swear I'm going to spend the entire day in my PJ's catching up on the new television shows that start this week. Definitely time to recharge.
On Tuesday the moved my mother, which was definitely a positive thing, but I had to work in a couple of trips to bring her new things that she needed, which added to the chaos.
And then there was PS's birthday and the party. Lesson learned: never try to plan a murder mystery party in two weeks. Especially when you have an unpredictable job that could explode at any moment. I had gone shopping the weekend before, but I had to do pretty much everything else on Friday night and Saturday morning. It was A LOT of work.
I had originally planned to try to make a cake, or, more specifically cake pops, in a shore fit of lunacy in which I forgot that I am completely incapable of decorating anything. My test batch of cake pops last weekend were too wet so they wouldn't stay on the stick and looked like delicious little balls of bird gak.
By Friday it was crystal clear that there was no way in heck I was going to be baking anything, and I had resigned myself to picking up a cake from Costco. But then a friend called and I was venting about how much I had to do and she said, "I can help! Just let me know what you need. I can come over, I can do food, I can do the cake." (I have given this friend a lot of free legal services lately, and I think she really wanted a way to pay me back.)
And so I said, "Can you make a Jack Skellington cake?" Thinking something like this:
And she made the most awesome Jack Skellington cake I have ever seen that must have taken more hours than I can possibly imagine:
Yay! She was a huge life saver!
And then about 5:00 Friday night, my brother called to tell me he decided to come down. He was originally coming this weekend, and then he called last week to say he couldn't and then he called Friday night to say he changed his mind again. So that added to the chaos a bit more.
Saturday morning, DH drove PS to a robotics competition 45 miles away, so I didn't have them to help out. My brother went to see my mom, but at least he took all of the other kids with him, so they weren't underfoot while I was cooking and cleaning and decorating and costume making and murder mystery clue assembling.
I don't know how we managed, but somehow we pulled it all off. The house looked hauntingly awesome, the kids managed their own make-up for their costumes, the food came together, and all of the kids claimed to have a great time.
Since it was a murder mystery party, DH made a backdrop for mug shots to take all of the kids pics as they arrived. We had prints made while the mystery was being unraveled and gave all of the kids a book of their mug shots as party favors:
The party was a success, and I am exhausted. I swear I'm going to spend the entire day in my PJ's catching up on the new television shows that start this week. Definitely time to recharge.
9/20/11
Slutty Sailors and Mad Scientists
So, I totally spoke too soon with my last post. Being away from the office for a day put me behind on everything, and all hell broke loose as soon as I returned.
Advice for young attorneys: don't count your settlements before they hatch. Cases I though were all wrapped up started unraveling, parties started defaulting on already settled cases, clients I haven't heard from in months suddenly needed me, and Big Boss started bringing me in on a big case that is suddenly moving very fast. And I had two deadlines that I had uncharacteristically procrastinated on meeting to deal with.
Oh yes, and in the middle of it all, my mother's case manager informed me that they were planning to move her this week to another care facility. It's a long, convoluted explanation about insurance. The new facility is a lower level of care (not acute care, where she has been), which is where I wanted to put her in the first place, but was told she could not for a multitude of reasons that do not appear to me to have been resolved. But it seems like change will be a good thing, so I didn't really fight it.
They also decided, without consulting me, that the move would be today. I had a hearing today*, so she was on her own for the move.
We visited last weekend so that we could un-decorate and bring back all of the stuff that she had accumulated in anticipation of the move. My aunt stopped in while we were there and told me that she thinks my mother is taking advantage of me because she is suddenly getting my attention after we have barely spoken for 5 years. It was nice feel validated by someone who knows our history. And hopefully it will make me feel less guilty when I don't have time to visit.
And, of course, in the middle of everything else, I am frantically trying to pull together PS's party. Her character in the murder mystery is a mad scientist, and we have been looking everywhere for a reasonably-priced lab coat (I don't have time to order online without paying ridiculous expedited shipping charges). The ones at the costume shop that just opened all have "clever" names on the breast pocket like "Dr. Howie Feltersnatch" and "Dr. Seymore Bush." Totally appropriate for a bunch of 13-year olds.
But I eventually found a slutty sailor costume on clearance (a short white dress with buttons) that I decided I could hack into a lab coat by shortening the sleeves and hem and repositioning the buttons. We'll just splatter it with a little blood and be all set.
*The hearing totally sucked. It was an administrative hearing--where a government agency gets to make up its own rules, not publish them anywhere, and apply them as it sees fit. The agency had taken a default after failing to provide notice of a previous hearing. Their position was that the agency is not required to provide notice of a hearing. Um, seriously? Thankfully, we are entitled to appeal and get a trial de novo in a real court.
Advice for young attorneys: don't count your settlements before they hatch. Cases I though were all wrapped up started unraveling, parties started defaulting on already settled cases, clients I haven't heard from in months suddenly needed me, and Big Boss started bringing me in on a big case that is suddenly moving very fast. And I had two deadlines that I had uncharacteristically procrastinated on meeting to deal with.
Oh yes, and in the middle of it all, my mother's case manager informed me that they were planning to move her this week to another care facility. It's a long, convoluted explanation about insurance. The new facility is a lower level of care (not acute care, where she has been), which is where I wanted to put her in the first place, but was told she could not for a multitude of reasons that do not appear to me to have been resolved. But it seems like change will be a good thing, so I didn't really fight it.
They also decided, without consulting me, that the move would be today. I had a hearing today*, so she was on her own for the move.
We visited last weekend so that we could un-decorate and bring back all of the stuff that she had accumulated in anticipation of the move. My aunt stopped in while we were there and told me that she thinks my mother is taking advantage of me because she is suddenly getting my attention after we have barely spoken for 5 years. It was nice feel validated by someone who knows our history. And hopefully it will make me feel less guilty when I don't have time to visit.
And, of course, in the middle of everything else, I am frantically trying to pull together PS's party. Her character in the murder mystery is a mad scientist, and we have been looking everywhere for a reasonably-priced lab coat (I don't have time to order online without paying ridiculous expedited shipping charges). The ones at the costume shop that just opened all have "clever" names on the breast pocket like "Dr. Howie Feltersnatch" and "Dr. Seymore Bush." Totally appropriate for a bunch of 13-year olds.
But I eventually found a slutty sailor costume on clearance (a short white dress with buttons) that I decided I could hack into a lab coat by shortening the sleeves and hem and repositioning the buttons. We'll just splatter it with a little blood and be all set.
*The hearing totally sucked. It was an administrative hearing--where a government agency gets to make up its own rules, not publish them anywhere, and apply them as it sees fit. The agency had taken a default after failing to provide notice of a previous hearing. Their position was that the agency is not required to provide notice of a hearing. Um, seriously? Thankfully, we are entitled to appeal and get a trial de novo in a real court.
9/13/11
Sickness and Murder
I am home with a sick kid today. It's amazing how the child, who with tears in her eyes insisted that her throat hurt too much and she felt too bad to go to school, was miraculously healed enough to go play Mario Kart the moment I told her she didn't have to go to school. And she just scarfed down the omelet I made for her and rewarded me with an enthusiastic "this is delicious!"
So in hindsight, it seems like she could have made it through school, but I guess we'll get a mommy/daughter day instead. Fortunately, today is a convenient day to be out of the office. The summer was painfully slow at work, and this month has picked up only a slightly steadier pace. The extended slowness is always a concern, but it is well timed for the crises in my personal life.
The issues with my mother are holding. She is settled into the long-term care facility where, hopefully, she will stay until her next surgery. It is literally a two-minute drive from my office. The case manager mentioned that they would like to move her to another facility with a lower level of care (not acute) for insurance purposes, but I don't see that really happening as she is still completely bedridden.
She has made comments to my brother that she doesn't see very much of me. But I have been there nearly every day since she was admitted. On the days I wasn't there, someone else visited. There have only been one or two days that she has had no visitors. And I have taken her every, single thing she has asked for (with little thanks for it). Fortunately, I have moved past the point in my life where I need her approval.
In other news, plans for PS's murder mystery party are well under way. We are having lots of fun planning menus and decorations. Our murder mystery is set in a haunted house, so we can go all Halloweeney. (Yes, it is a little early for a Halloween theme, but PS is a bit goth and somehow always manages to bring a bit of Halloween into her birthday parties.)
And my brother is planning to come down the same weekend to visit our mother. PS is super excited that her cousins may get to attend her party. I am too, but also a bit overwhelmed at hosting a party and house guests at the same time.
So in hindsight, it seems like she could have made it through school, but I guess we'll get a mommy/daughter day instead. Fortunately, today is a convenient day to be out of the office. The summer was painfully slow at work, and this month has picked up only a slightly steadier pace. The extended slowness is always a concern, but it is well timed for the crises in my personal life.
The issues with my mother are holding. She is settled into the long-term care facility where, hopefully, she will stay until her next surgery. It is literally a two-minute drive from my office. The case manager mentioned that they would like to move her to another facility with a lower level of care (not acute) for insurance purposes, but I don't see that really happening as she is still completely bedridden.
She has made comments to my brother that she doesn't see very much of me. But I have been there nearly every day since she was admitted. On the days I wasn't there, someone else visited. There have only been one or two days that she has had no visitors. And I have taken her every, single thing she has asked for (with little thanks for it). Fortunately, I have moved past the point in my life where I need her approval.
In other news, plans for PS's murder mystery party are well under way. We are having lots of fun planning menus and decorations. Our murder mystery is set in a haunted house, so we can go all Halloweeney. (Yes, it is a little early for a Halloween theme, but PS is a bit goth and somehow always manages to bring a bit of Halloween into her birthday parties.)
And my brother is planning to come down the same weekend to visit our mother. PS is super excited that her cousins may get to attend her party. I am too, but also a bit overwhelmed at hosting a party and house guests at the same time.
9/11/11
Where I Was on 9/11
The twins were about 6 weeks old. DH had left for work and I was dozing with the babies when he called and said, "Turn on the tv. They are saying on the radio that a plane just hit the World Trade Center."
And I said, "You must have misheard. That isn't possible." It was just so preposterous.
I turned on the television in our bedroom and confirmed that DH had not misheard. I was watching as the second plane hit the second tower and was glued to the television for the rest of the day as the whole horrible scenario unfolded.
PS was not-quite three, and I remember putting the living room television on Blue's Clues and being oh so thankful that Nickelodeon was not interrupting its programming. I stayed huddled in my bedroom with my infant twins, crying and wondering what kind of world I had just brought these babies into.
PS was surprisingly content to watch tv all day--maybe because we had strict limitations on how much television she was allowed to watch, or maybe because she sensed that something was wrong. The twins also seemed particularly easy to deal with that day.
Watching the memorial coverage this morning is hard. Especially when they showed the segments about the kids who lost their parents. And the kids who never knew their fathers. Those kids are about the age of my twins and I can't imagine how different their lives would be if they never knew their dad.
And I said, "You must have misheard. That isn't possible." It was just so preposterous.
I turned on the television in our bedroom and confirmed that DH had not misheard. I was watching as the second plane hit the second tower and was glued to the television for the rest of the day as the whole horrible scenario unfolded.
PS was not-quite three, and I remember putting the living room television on Blue's Clues and being oh so thankful that Nickelodeon was not interrupting its programming. I stayed huddled in my bedroom with my infant twins, crying and wondering what kind of world I had just brought these babies into.
PS was surprisingly content to watch tv all day--maybe because we had strict limitations on how much television she was allowed to watch, or maybe because she sensed that something was wrong. The twins also seemed particularly easy to deal with that day.
Watching the memorial coverage this morning is hard. Especially when they showed the segments about the kids who lost their parents. And the kids who never knew their fathers. Those kids are about the age of my twins and I can't imagine how different their lives would be if they never knew their dad.
9/8/11
Party Time
PS's birthday is three weeks away and her friends have started asking if she's going to have a party because last year's party was so much fun. One of them said that it would be really tough to top last year's scavenger hunt party, and I think she's right, so PS and I have been brainstorming for another awesome party idea.
I think we've decided upon a murder mystery party. When she floated the idea to her friends today they agreed that it sounded "awesome." I've never been to a murder mystery party before, but it always sounded like lots of fun.
Now our challenge is just to find one that is teen appropriate. There are a ton of places online to download kits, but they are all on websites that look like they were made in someone's basement in 1995, so I'm a bit hesitant to order.
So readers, has anyone bought a downloadable murder-mystery kit that you recommend? Or have you played one of the boxed games? Any party tips?
I think we've decided upon a murder mystery party. When she floated the idea to her friends today they agreed that it sounded "awesome." I've never been to a murder mystery party before, but it always sounded like lots of fun.
Now our challenge is just to find one that is teen appropriate. There are a ton of places online to download kits, but they are all on websites that look like they were made in someone's basement in 1995, so I'm a bit hesitant to order.
So readers, has anyone bought a downloadable murder-mystery kit that you recommend? Or have you played one of the boxed games? Any party tips?
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