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| From my creepy creatures to yours! |
10/31/11
10/27/11
Listamania: Rules for Life
1) Always be nice to everyone. Especially the people who seem to need it the most. You never know what someone else is going through.
2) Always convert to pdf, unless you are making a conscientious decision not to. It just makes life easier on everybody.
3) If you have to qualify your statement(e.g. not to be rude, but...) you probably need to rethink whether that statement really needs to be made.
4) Never let a man hit you. The first time should be the last time.
5) Never depend on a man to take care of you. Be able to take care of yourself. (This one came from my 80 year old great-grandmother when I was in high school.)
2) Always convert to pdf, unless you are making a conscientious decision not to. It just makes life easier on everybody.
3) If you have to qualify your statement(e.g. not to be rude, but...) you probably need to rethink whether that statement really needs to be made.
4) Never let a man hit you. The first time should be the last time.
5) Never depend on a man to take care of you. Be able to take care of yourself. (This one came from my 80 year old great-grandmother when I was in high school.)
The Most Dreaded Word an Associate Can Hear from a Partner
"I know there's a case..."
And thus begins the chase for the ethereal case that may or may not actually exist and definitely will not exist in the jurisdiction that the partner is certain it hails from.
And thus begins the chase for the ethereal case that may or may not actually exist and definitely will not exist in the jurisdiction that the partner is certain it hails from.
10/24/11
Oh boy
Thank goodness I had a nice, relaxing weekend to prepare for today.
My day started with an emergency research project that I was happy to get. I like research and haven't done much lately.
And then my mother's doctor's office called to let us know that her surgery is indefinitely postponed because the custom implant that is being made for her is not ready yet. What??? Nobody told us this two weeks ago when you scheduled her surgery and then sent us to the hospital for pre-admission where they dropped her and broke her femur. (It turned out that the fracture was not a cause to delay the surgery, but she had a urinary tract infection that delayed it for a week-or so we thought.) Apparently there is a backlog on custom hip implants right now, and hers was especially complicated.
It could be another month before the implant is ready. Which means another month in rehab. And it also puts the scheduling of the next surgery in a very hairy time for me. I have about a zillion depositions and a couple of hearings in November. And my firm has a huge trial starting January 3rd--I'm not on that trial team, but because we are a small firm I am definitely feeling the effects.
And as soon as I got off the phone with the doc, I saw about 5 missed calls on my cell. Apparently SS started running a fever at school, and DH had to go get her. Looks like strep. She will be out again tomorrow, so DH and I will have to paper-scissors-rock to see who gets to stay home. But I loaded up all of my research, just in case. This week, at least, I don't have a lot going on and research projects are pretty portable.
And I talked to my brother, who is coming in down in 2 weeks when DH and I go to Vegas. This trip was planned months ago--long before my mother's surgeries. He is being sent to a convention by his employer. We decided to take advantage of the subsidized airfare and hotel and fly in the weekend before for a quick getaway. But right now this getaway is just causing more stress.
I kind of thought I would have to cancel when my mother's issues popped up--but then my brother mentioned that he was thinking of coming down that weekend. I talked him into watching my kids in exchange for gas and groceries, and it seemed too perfect not to go forward. Someone will be here if anything comes with out mother, and I still get to take my already paid for trip.
But he will have his 4 plus my 3 girls to deal with--ages 15, 14, 13(2), 10(2) and 8. The good news is that he teaches middle school, so he is used to dealing with lots of screaming teenagers--and all of out kids are pretty easy to deal with. But I may have to send him on his own trip to Vegas after that!
My day started with an emergency research project that I was happy to get. I like research and haven't done much lately.
And then my mother's doctor's office called to let us know that her surgery is indefinitely postponed because the custom implant that is being made for her is not ready yet. What??? Nobody told us this two weeks ago when you scheduled her surgery and then sent us to the hospital for pre-admission where they dropped her and broke her femur. (It turned out that the fracture was not a cause to delay the surgery, but she had a urinary tract infection that delayed it for a week-or so we thought.) Apparently there is a backlog on custom hip implants right now, and hers was especially complicated.
It could be another month before the implant is ready. Which means another month in rehab. And it also puts the scheduling of the next surgery in a very hairy time for me. I have about a zillion depositions and a couple of hearings in November. And my firm has a huge trial starting January 3rd--I'm not on that trial team, but because we are a small firm I am definitely feeling the effects.
And as soon as I got off the phone with the doc, I saw about 5 missed calls on my cell. Apparently SS started running a fever at school, and DH had to go get her. Looks like strep. She will be out again tomorrow, so DH and I will have to paper-scissors-rock to see who gets to stay home. But I loaded up all of my research, just in case. This week, at least, I don't have a lot going on and research projects are pretty portable.
And I talked to my brother, who is coming in down in 2 weeks when DH and I go to Vegas. This trip was planned months ago--long before my mother's surgeries. He is being sent to a convention by his employer. We decided to take advantage of the subsidized airfare and hotel and fly in the weekend before for a quick getaway. But right now this getaway is just causing more stress.
I kind of thought I would have to cancel when my mother's issues popped up--but then my brother mentioned that he was thinking of coming down that weekend. I talked him into watching my kids in exchange for gas and groceries, and it seemed too perfect not to go forward. Someone will be here if anything comes with out mother, and I still get to take my already paid for trip.
But he will have his 4 plus my 3 girls to deal with--ages 15, 14, 13(2), 10(2) and 8. The good news is that he teaches middle school, so he is used to dealing with lots of screaming teenagers--and all of out kids are pretty easy to deal with. But I may have to send him on his own trip to Vegas after that!
10/23/11
Nice Weekend
This was the most stress-less weekend we have had in a while, and it was nice. I feel so much more ready for Monday than I usually do.
Saturday I interviewed a housekeeper, and I plan to offer her the position as long as her references come back ok. She is already working part-time for another attorney, so she would just alternate days working for the two of us. I really liked her, and I really hope this works out. I think controlling the chaos in my house is a big step toward controlling the feeling of constant chaos in my life.
After I finished up the interview we went to the library and the pumpkin patch where we loaded up on way too many books and picked out a family of pumpkins to carve next weekend. And (bonus!) the worker there was incredulous that DH and I could be old enough to be the parents of out kids.
That evening, out former nanny came by for a visit. She left for college in the fall, and we were so sad to see her go. The kids were thrilled to see her again, and it was a really nice visit.
We ended the day watching baseball, while I sewed Girl Scout patches. 56 badges and patches, to be exact. PS said, "well, maybe now you will keep up with sewing the badges on." Thanks a lot! But I have been a slacker--we've had most of these for a long time. However, I did find it ironic that I was sewing on the twins' sewing badges. (But the badges are all circular and the invisible thread was a PITA to work with, so I don't think they could have handled it.)
Today I slept in until 9--that never, ever happens. It is almost physically impossible for me to sleep past 7. I arose to find DH and the twins sprawled out all over the living room reading books. And so I joined them, and that is where we stayed for the next couple of hours.
We eventually wandered upstairs, where I continued with the badge sewing while watching the old and new versions of Charlie/Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. We all just kind of hung out in the game room, watching movies we've all seen about a thousand times and playing on our computers. It was nice.
We totally skipped visiting my mother this weekend. She called on Friday and offered a "free pass" for the weekend. I didn't really think she meant it, and wasn't really planning on taking her up on it, but it was so nice to not have to go anywhere today.
Now I'm ready for another week.
Saturday I interviewed a housekeeper, and I plan to offer her the position as long as her references come back ok. She is already working part-time for another attorney, so she would just alternate days working for the two of us. I really liked her, and I really hope this works out. I think controlling the chaos in my house is a big step toward controlling the feeling of constant chaos in my life.
After I finished up the interview we went to the library and the pumpkin patch where we loaded up on way too many books and picked out a family of pumpkins to carve next weekend. And (bonus!) the worker there was incredulous that DH and I could be old enough to be the parents of out kids.
That evening, out former nanny came by for a visit. She left for college in the fall, and we were so sad to see her go. The kids were thrilled to see her again, and it was a really nice visit.
We ended the day watching baseball, while I sewed Girl Scout patches. 56 badges and patches, to be exact. PS said, "well, maybe now you will keep up with sewing the badges on." Thanks a lot! But I have been a slacker--we've had most of these for a long time. However, I did find it ironic that I was sewing on the twins' sewing badges. (But the badges are all circular and the invisible thread was a PITA to work with, so I don't think they could have handled it.)
Today I slept in until 9--that never, ever happens. It is almost physically impossible for me to sleep past 7. I arose to find DH and the twins sprawled out all over the living room reading books. And so I joined them, and that is where we stayed for the next couple of hours.
We eventually wandered upstairs, where I continued with the badge sewing while watching the old and new versions of Charlie/Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. We all just kind of hung out in the game room, watching movies we've all seen about a thousand times and playing on our computers. It was nice.
We totally skipped visiting my mother this weekend. She called on Friday and offered a "free pass" for the weekend. I didn't really think she meant it, and wasn't really planning on taking her up on it, but it was so nice to not have to go anywhere today.
Now I'm ready for another week.
10/19/11
Lawyer Happiness
I spent all morning in a difficult, technical deposition of a professional expert. The expert is an engineer and the questions involved complex mathematical concepts well-beyond my remedial math capabilities. I insisted that my client, also an engineer, be present for this deposition so that he could assist if the deponent got too technical with his answers. Which also means that the client was present to critique my skill as a lawyer and my understanding of these technical concepts.
So it really made my day when I got home and found an email from my client telling me that I did a great job today. Compliments are few and far between from paying clients, and this one in particular is the curmudgeonly sort. Plus, when he hired me he told me that he was deciding between our firm and another lawyer who is also an engineer. I assured him that even though I wasn't an engineer I could handle the job, and it was nice to be able to prove it.
So it really made my day when I got home and found an email from my client telling me that I did a great job today. Compliments are few and far between from paying clients, and this one in particular is the curmudgeonly sort. Plus, when he hired me he told me that he was deciding between our firm and another lawyer who is also an engineer. I assured him that even though I wasn't an engineer I could handle the job, and it was nice to be able to prove it.
10/13/11
Seriously???
My mother is still wheelchair bound and still in rehab. She cannot stand at all. The only way she can transfer from her bed to the wheelchair is by sliding on a board. Getting her from one place to another is no easy task. Neither are bathroom activities. There is no way that someone who is not properly trained can move her at all.
Yesterday I accompanied my mother to visit her doctor for a check up and to schedule her surgery. Of course, they wanted to take a take an x-ray. It was a major ordeal that took three nurses to move her from the wheelchair to the x-ray table and back again.
The x-ray revealed that the temporary spacer was out of socket. This seemed like not a good thing, but the PA didn't seem too concerned since it was only a temporary part and she wasn't supposed to be putting weight on it anyway.
So we scheduled her surgery for next Tuesday, which made us both happy. (Yes, she is driving me crazy, but that's another post.) She should be able to go home a couple of weeks after the surgery.
Today we went to the hospital for pre-registration and to get her labs done. One of the labs ordered was a urinalysis. This presented a problem, because she cannot transfer from her wheelchair to a toilet. I asked if the urinalysis was really necessary. The nurse called the doctor's office, which confirmed that they needed the urinalysis. The nurses discussed how they were going to get this sample. A catheter was discussed, but they didn't have an order for a catheter. So they asked my mother if she thought she could transfer onto a toilet with help. She said she would rather try that than a catheter.
And so the two nurses carried her into another room, and I waited right outside. After a few minutes I heard her scream. And a couple minutes later they brought her out crying. She said that they had shifted all of her weight onto her bad leg and that it really hurt. I had no doubt that it hurt since the hip wasn't in the socket. But they were done with her, so I took her outside to be picked up by the transport service. She seemed ok by the time she left, and I headed on to the office.
She called a couple of hours later in tears, saying that the pain was excruciating and the nurse at the rehab facility wanted to talk to me. The nurse asked me to come in and sign a statement about what happened at the hospital. I refused--it was clear they were in CYA mode, and I felt no obligation to help them--particularly since she was in their care when her hip was knocked out of socket.
She called again mid-afternoon to tell me her pain meds had kicked in and she was feeling better. But the rehab facility had done x-rays and her femur is broken. WTF? I did not see this coming. I was sure the pain was because the hip was out of socket. The damn hip replacement that she is supposed to have installed on Tuesday is attached to the femur!!! I have no idea what this means for her surgery. Of course, the rehab facility couldn't reach her doctor by the time they figured all of this out, but they are going to try to get her an appointment first thing in the morning.
And , of course, she is looking to me for answers. But I told her that if I go lawyer on the doctor and hospital there is no way they're going to touch her again, and she really needs this surgery. Her doctor is supposed to be the best in this area at this specialized hip replacement--that's why she's here, she couldn't find anybody in Hometown who would do the surgery.
I'm not sure how to proceed at this point. First, I want to hear from her doctor. But if her surgery is delayed, I think the hospital sure as hell needs to be picking up the tab for the extra days in rehab. With some mental anguish thrown in. And I think the doctor bears some responsibility for demanding a probably unnecessary test without properly considering her mobility issues.
I guess we'll just see what tomorrow brings. But I'm anticipating that the surgeon won't do the hip replacement until the femur heals, which could mean several extra weeks in rehab. We might be needing a plaintiff's lawyer--although with the tort reform laws in my state, it's hard to find someone who will take a med mal case.
Yesterday I accompanied my mother to visit her doctor for a check up and to schedule her surgery. Of course, they wanted to take a take an x-ray. It was a major ordeal that took three nurses to move her from the wheelchair to the x-ray table and back again.
The x-ray revealed that the temporary spacer was out of socket. This seemed like not a good thing, but the PA didn't seem too concerned since it was only a temporary part and she wasn't supposed to be putting weight on it anyway.
So we scheduled her surgery for next Tuesday, which made us both happy. (Yes, she is driving me crazy, but that's another post.) She should be able to go home a couple of weeks after the surgery.
Today we went to the hospital for pre-registration and to get her labs done. One of the labs ordered was a urinalysis. This presented a problem, because she cannot transfer from her wheelchair to a toilet. I asked if the urinalysis was really necessary. The nurse called the doctor's office, which confirmed that they needed the urinalysis. The nurses discussed how they were going to get this sample. A catheter was discussed, but they didn't have an order for a catheter. So they asked my mother if she thought she could transfer onto a toilet with help. She said she would rather try that than a catheter.
And so the two nurses carried her into another room, and I waited right outside. After a few minutes I heard her scream. And a couple minutes later they brought her out crying. She said that they had shifted all of her weight onto her bad leg and that it really hurt. I had no doubt that it hurt since the hip wasn't in the socket. But they were done with her, so I took her outside to be picked up by the transport service. She seemed ok by the time she left, and I headed on to the office.
She called a couple of hours later in tears, saying that the pain was excruciating and the nurse at the rehab facility wanted to talk to me. The nurse asked me to come in and sign a statement about what happened at the hospital. I refused--it was clear they were in CYA mode, and I felt no obligation to help them--particularly since she was in their care when her hip was knocked out of socket.
She called again mid-afternoon to tell me her pain meds had kicked in and she was feeling better. But the rehab facility had done x-rays and her femur is broken. WTF? I did not see this coming. I was sure the pain was because the hip was out of socket. The damn hip replacement that she is supposed to have installed on Tuesday is attached to the femur!!! I have no idea what this means for her surgery. Of course, the rehab facility couldn't reach her doctor by the time they figured all of this out, but they are going to try to get her an appointment first thing in the morning.
And , of course, she is looking to me for answers. But I told her that if I go lawyer on the doctor and hospital there is no way they're going to touch her again, and she really needs this surgery. Her doctor is supposed to be the best in this area at this specialized hip replacement--that's why she's here, she couldn't find anybody in Hometown who would do the surgery.
I'm not sure how to proceed at this point. First, I want to hear from her doctor. But if her surgery is delayed, I think the hospital sure as hell needs to be picking up the tab for the extra days in rehab. With some mental anguish thrown in. And I think the doctor bears some responsibility for demanding a probably unnecessary test without properly considering her mobility issues.
I guess we'll just see what tomorrow brings. But I'm anticipating that the surgeon won't do the hip replacement until the femur heals, which could mean several extra weeks in rehab. We might be needing a plaintiff's lawyer--although with the tort reform laws in my state, it's hard to find someone who will take a med mal case.
Listamania: Things that irritate me
1) Smokers. Especially those who throw their butts out their car windows. And the ones who smoke in the car with their kids. And the ones who smoke in places that force me to walk through their cloud of carcinogens to get wherever I am going.
2) Left Lane Squatters. The left lane is for passing. If you're not passing anybody, get the Hell out of the way.
3) Able-bodied people who take the elevator up one level. Really, you probably need the exercise anyway.
4) Able-bodied people who block the flow of traffic in a parking lot so that they can park 10 feet from the door. See No. 3, above.
5) Costco. I love Costco, but the fact that you have to have a card to get into their super-secret club is stupid. And when you go to check out and they ask you if you have your card. What the hell do they think? I had to have the damn card to get in the damn door. And when receipt checker comments on the things in my cart. What if I have something embarrassing in there? I would really prefer she act ambivalent about what's in my cart. Today, the receipt-checker felt up the super-soft blanket that I bought. Don't feel up my blankie--it's creepy!
2) Left Lane Squatters. The left lane is for passing. If you're not passing anybody, get the Hell out of the way.
3) Able-bodied people who take the elevator up one level. Really, you probably need the exercise anyway.
4) Able-bodied people who block the flow of traffic in a parking lot so that they can park 10 feet from the door. See No. 3, above.
5) Costco. I love Costco, but the fact that you have to have a card to get into their super-secret club is stupid. And when you go to check out and they ask you if you have your card. What the hell do they think? I had to have the damn card to get in the damn door. And when receipt checker comments on the things in my cart. What if I have something embarrassing in there? I would really prefer she act ambivalent about what's in my cart. Today, the receipt-checker felt up the super-soft blanket that I bought. Don't feel up my blankie--it's creepy!
10/9/11
The Tooth Fairy
This morning a very sad TT came downstairs to tell us that the Tooth Fairy did not come last night. She still had her tooth and she didn't have any money. Oops. DH and I both completely forgot. She lost the tooth while at PS's robotics competition yesterday afternoon, so there was a lot going on, and she didn't say much more about it the rest of the day. But still, parent fail.
And my kids are too old and too smart to believe in the Tooth Fairy. I told TT this morning that maybe the Tooth Fairy hid the money in her room and she needed to clean her room to find her money. She replied that I was just trying to trick her into cleaning her room.
I am 100% sure that they do not actually believe in the Tooth Fairy. But we still pretend that they do. TT was bummed this morning, and I really just wanted to hand over a dollar and tell her to move on. But I didn't--instead I made up excuses for the Tooth Fairy. I'm not sure why. I guess because I felt like we sold out Santa too early with PS. When she was about 7 she asked point blank about Santa. I didn't want to lie to her, so I told her. I really wish I had fibbed and let her hold onto the Santa magic a little bit longer.
I have no intention about coming clean about Santa to the twins. (Yeah, I know they've figured him out, too--but Santa make Christmas fun, and he brings gifts that mom would never buy.). But the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny--I would be ok if they would hop on along their merry way.
And my kids are too old and too smart to believe in the Tooth Fairy. I told TT this morning that maybe the Tooth Fairy hid the money in her room and she needed to clean her room to find her money. She replied that I was just trying to trick her into cleaning her room.
I am 100% sure that they do not actually believe in the Tooth Fairy. But we still pretend that they do. TT was bummed this morning, and I really just wanted to hand over a dollar and tell her to move on. But I didn't--instead I made up excuses for the Tooth Fairy. I'm not sure why. I guess because I felt like we sold out Santa too early with PS. When she was about 7 she asked point blank about Santa. I didn't want to lie to her, so I told her. I really wish I had fibbed and let her hold onto the Santa magic a little bit longer.
I have no intention about coming clean about Santa to the twins. (Yeah, I know they've figured him out, too--but Santa make Christmas fun, and he brings gifts that mom would never buy.). But the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny--I would be ok if they would hop on along their merry way.
10/7/11
Sickie McSickerson
So the school called yesterday to inform me that TT had vomited and that I needed to retrieve her. The nurse said that there was a virus going around ad it looked like TT had it. She looked terrible when I picked her up, but there was no more vomiting and she perked up within a couple of hours. But the rule is that you can't return to school for 24 hours after you barf, so despite the fact that TT is exhibiting no evidence of yesterday's ailment, we are home again today.
And SS awoke complaining of a headache and a stomachache. She wasn't acting very sick, but I erred on the side of not exposing anyone else to the alleged virus and allowed her to stay home, too.
Now they are both acting perfectly fine and making demands under the guise of being sick. "Mommy, will you make me pancakes?" "Mommy, will you bring me a glass of water." "Mommy, will you turn the light on?" "Mommy, can you find the remote?" And I am accommodating them and appreciating this bit of stolen time with my girlies.
But I am going to make them do their homework in a little bit.
And SS awoke complaining of a headache and a stomachache. She wasn't acting very sick, but I erred on the side of not exposing anyone else to the alleged virus and allowed her to stay home, too.
Now they are both acting perfectly fine and making demands under the guise of being sick. "Mommy, will you make me pancakes?" "Mommy, will you bring me a glass of water." "Mommy, will you turn the light on?" "Mommy, can you find the remote?" And I am accommodating them and appreciating this bit of stolen time with my girlies.
But I am going to make them do their homework in a little bit.
10/6/11
Listamania: Things I love about fall
I'm trying something new and different--a weekly post called Listamania. It will be a list (duh) based on whatever topic pops into my head.
1) Cooler weather
2) Carving Pumpkins
3) Roasting pumpkin seeds
4) Thanksgiving--the best holiday!
5) Wearing sweaters and boots
6) Football (but only my teams and preferably live)
7) Cooking big pots of soup, pot roasts and chicken pot pie (I am very seasonal with food and don't eat any of these things when it's hot outside)
8) Snuggling under the covers during cool fall nights
9) Honeycrisp apples
1) Cooler weather
2) Carving Pumpkins
3) Roasting pumpkin seeds
4) Thanksgiving--the best holiday!
5) Wearing sweaters and boots
6) Football (but only my teams and preferably live)
7) Cooking big pots of soup, pot roasts and chicken pot pie (I am very seasonal with food and don't eat any of these things when it's hot outside)
8) Snuggling under the covers during cool fall nights
9) Honeycrisp apples
10/4/11
Listamania: Things I want
In no particular order and with no deep, meaningful issues (like world peace) considered:
1) A custom header for my blog.
2) This skirt. Oh yes, in pink.
3) A tummy tuck. I've given birth to twins--enough said.
4) Less chaos in my life.
5) My job, but where I get home in time to pick my girls up from school and cook dinner. And where I have time to take all the vacations I want. But I don't want to be a mommy-tracker or a part-timer.
6) Magical cleaning fairies. I'm trying to hire a housekeeper, but so far the hunt isn't going very well.
7) For all of my student loans to be paid off.
8) The new iphone--kinda. I need a new phone, but I'm waiting to see the consensus on the 4S before ordering.
9) To lose 20 (cough30cough) pounds.
10) A shorter commute. 25 miles of city traffic each way sucks--but I have no choice if I want affordable housing and good schools. But I swear, when my kids grow up I'm going to live in a loft in the city.
1) A custom header for my blog.
2) This skirt. Oh yes, in pink.
3) A tummy tuck. I've given birth to twins--enough said.
4) Less chaos in my life.
5) My job, but where I get home in time to pick my girls up from school and cook dinner. And where I have time to take all the vacations I want. But I don't want to be a mommy-tracker or a part-timer.
6) Magical cleaning fairies. I'm trying to hire a housekeeper, but so far the hunt isn't going very well.
7) For all of my student loans to be paid off.
8) The new iphone--kinda. I need a new phone, but I'm waiting to see the consensus on the 4S before ordering.
9) To lose 20 (cough30cough) pounds.
10) A shorter commute. 25 miles of city traffic each way sucks--but I have no choice if I want affordable housing and good schools. But I swear, when my kids grow up I'm going to live in a loft in the city.
10/3/11
Zombies
At PS's request we visited the temporary Halloween shop that recently opened. We visited when we were shopping for PS's part, but it had just opened and wasn't really set up yet. On this visit, they were all ready for Halloween. The store was fully stocked and there were creepy scenes set up everywhere. The centerpiece was a merry-go-round filled with zombie babies. At the back of the store were plenty of full-size zombies that moved and made noise and lit up. And then there was a half-body being eaten by a giant rat with accompanying sounds and movement. Yeah, it was disgusting.
But it was all pretend in a well-lit store full of people in the middle of the day. So we laughed at the zombies and moved along.
And then last night TT came into our room twice because she couldn't sleep. She can't stop thinking about the zombies. And tonight she has been out of bed three times and is currently in my bed. Oh boy.
TT is our most sensitive kid. The movie Coraline also gave her nightmares (one of PS's favorites!), so we are careful about what she is allowed to watch. And she frequently had night terrors when she was very young. But I did not realize that visiting the Halloween store was going to freak her out. I was more worried about her seeing the giant penis costume than the zombies.
Not sure how to fix this one.
But it was all pretend in a well-lit store full of people in the middle of the day. So we laughed at the zombies and moved along.
And then last night TT came into our room twice because she couldn't sleep. She can't stop thinking about the zombies. And tonight she has been out of bed three times and is currently in my bed. Oh boy.
TT is our most sensitive kid. The movie Coraline also gave her nightmares (one of PS's favorites!), so we are careful about what she is allowed to watch. And she frequently had night terrors when she was very young. But I did not realize that visiting the Halloween store was going to freak her out. I was more worried about her seeing the giant penis costume than the zombies.
Not sure how to fix this one.
10/2/11
Fatness
I seem to be getting fatter. I am not happy about this. Last winter I started gaining weight when I was exceptionally busy at work. I was working lots of late nights, and eating crappy fast food on the way home from work. After gaining 10 pounds, I brought those bad habits to a screeching halt. I did nutrisystem for about 6 weeks, lost the weight I had gained, and reformed my eating habits.
I pretty much gave up soft drinks--down from a daily habit to maybe once a week. I drink water or iced tea. I pretty much gave up french fries. They are now an occasional treat (although I met DH for lunch on Friday at a place that has fries drizzled with olive oil and rosemary, O.M.G!) I no longer eat fast food at 9:00 at night--I keep food at work for late nights or I wait until I get home. My freezer is stocked with food, so that our eating out in general is greatly reduced. I make sure I have protein for breakfast, which makes me feel fuller so I don't eat bad carby crap. I take fruit to work every day for a mid-afternoon snack instead of relying on the carby crap that is stocked in our kitchen.
And yet, I am getting fatter again. WTF? So much for small lifestyle changes making a difference. I guess I need to start keeping a food diary, but it is so much work. Grumble.
I pretty much gave up soft drinks--down from a daily habit to maybe once a week. I drink water or iced tea. I pretty much gave up french fries. They are now an occasional treat (although I met DH for lunch on Friday at a place that has fries drizzled with olive oil and rosemary, O.M.G!) I no longer eat fast food at 9:00 at night--I keep food at work for late nights or I wait until I get home. My freezer is stocked with food, so that our eating out in general is greatly reduced. I make sure I have protein for breakfast, which makes me feel fuller so I don't eat bad carby crap. I take fruit to work every day for a mid-afternoon snack instead of relying on the carby crap that is stocked in our kitchen.
And yet, I am getting fatter again. WTF? So much for small lifestyle changes making a difference. I guess I need to start keeping a food diary, but it is so much work. Grumble.
9/28/11
I Am the Queen of Cool
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.
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.
9/26/11
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.
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