Ouch. I have a stye. For those who've never had one, it's essentially a pimple on the edge of your eyelid. (oops, hope you're not eating lunch right now). I've had a few in my life - this is by far the worst. It doesn't really look gross, it's just red and a little swollen, but it hurts and itches like H-E-Double-Hockey-Sticks. They usually go away in a few days, but in the meantime I'm not supposed to wear eye makeup or contacts.
Yeah, right. Like that's going to happen.
For one thing - no eye makeup? Maybe. I'm not quite that vain that I will self-destruct without my daily dose of Covergirl. But no contacts? I have a 9 month old - I will be wrestling glasses out of her little fingers about every 3 minutes. Plus, I HATE wearing glasses at orchestra. I have these teeny rimless specs which provide no peripheral vision - I can't see the music and the conductor in the same field, so I wind up bobbing my head up and down like a chicken. Perhaps I should get a pair of big, round 80's glasses just for these circumstances?
In happier news, I am the proud owner of a new cello case, about which I couldn't be more thrilled. Not exactly great times to be dropping cash on things, but my last cello case weighed a whopping 17.5 lbs and this one a mere 7.5. Even with my cello in it it weights noticeably less than my old one does empty! My back and shoulder are rejoicing!
Now I just have to line up some gigs to help pay for it!
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Thursday, February 12, 2009
And not a moment too soon
Twice this week, Kate has gotten up in the morning, taken off her PJ pants and diaper, and peed on the potty.
We still have a long way to go, but at least we're headed in the right direction!
HEE HAW!!
We still have a long way to go, but at least we're headed in the right direction!
HEE HAW!!
Completely unsolicited product placements
A couple of weeks ago Beth Fish did a "Meme" and invited all who read her to participate. Now, with my pathetic blogging track record, answering 5 whole questions seemed a bit much for me. But I was struck by this question: "What's the best thing since sliced bread?"
I have a few things in my life that I sing praises for every time I use them - most of which have been discovered since I became a parent. So I'm going to tell you about some of them. I think it goes without saying that no funds were exchanged to compel these endorsements. :-)
1. Razors with built-in "shave gel", namely the Gillette Venus Breeze or the Shick Intuition.
When I first saw the ads for these, I figured they were a gimmick. That such a small amount of "gel" could hardly compensate for a good soap and a high quality razor. I was wrong. They each have their pros and cons but I just rejoice every time I use them. I know, I know - you wonder how long it really takes to suds up your legs in the shower. Longer than you think! I have not used a "plain" razor since the first time I tried one (shaving my calves with a bottle of water sitting on a curb in a parking lot). The only downside is that they are pretty expensive. But it's a great time-saver. I never get razor burn and very rarely nick myself. They are worth every penny.
2. The Clorox Toilet Wand.
When I first had Kate crawling around and getting into everything like a rabid Tasmanian devil, I realized something had to be done about the toilet brushes. There wasn't much I could think of that would be grosser than her getting ahold of one of those (except perhaps the plunger). Plus, I tried to find ways to not have as many toxic cleaning chemicals in liquid form around. These work great, and then you toss the little cleaning pad and just have this easily hidden, innocuous little stick.
3. The 4 Bag Laundry Sorter.
Laundry is the bane of my existance. With E in the picture now, I just couldn't possibly get it all done in one day, so we'd wind up with these sorted piles all over the floor until I actually managed to get through it all. Now we don't have baskets in the closets anymore. We just have this one hamper and all clothes go directly into it - pre-sorted! Not only do I no longer have the drudgery of marathon laundry sorting/washing sessions (I do one load a day), but since I keep up with the laundry now we need fewer clothes!!! Seriously! My mom is horrified that I have this hamper out in my bedroom but I don't really care. It's awesome!
4. My beloved label maker.
Nothing wastes time like having to hunt for things when you want to use them. I use my label maker ALL the time!!
So, there's my list. I realize they might be seen as expensive and certainly not too "green", but for now they're helping me manage my life.
How about you? What are your timesaving finds??
I have a few things in my life that I sing praises for every time I use them - most of which have been discovered since I became a parent. So I'm going to tell you about some of them. I think it goes without saying that no funds were exchanged to compel these endorsements. :-)
1. Razors with built-in "shave gel", namely the Gillette Venus Breeze or the Shick Intuition.
When I first saw the ads for these, I figured they were a gimmick. That such a small amount of "gel" could hardly compensate for a good soap and a high quality razor. I was wrong. They each have their pros and cons but I just rejoice every time I use them. I know, I know - you wonder how long it really takes to suds up your legs in the shower. Longer than you think! I have not used a "plain" razor since the first time I tried one (shaving my calves with a bottle of water sitting on a curb in a parking lot). The only downside is that they are pretty expensive. But it's a great time-saver. I never get razor burn and very rarely nick myself. They are worth every penny.
2. The Clorox Toilet Wand.
When I first had Kate crawling around and getting into everything like a rabid Tasmanian devil, I realized something had to be done about the toilet brushes. There wasn't much I could think of that would be grosser than her getting ahold of one of those (except perhaps the plunger). Plus, I tried to find ways to not have as many toxic cleaning chemicals in liquid form around. These work great, and then you toss the little cleaning pad and just have this easily hidden, innocuous little stick.
3. The 4 Bag Laundry Sorter.
Laundry is the bane of my existance. With E in the picture now, I just couldn't possibly get it all done in one day, so we'd wind up with these sorted piles all over the floor until I actually managed to get through it all. Now we don't have baskets in the closets anymore. We just have this one hamper and all clothes go directly into it - pre-sorted! Not only do I no longer have the drudgery of marathon laundry sorting/washing sessions (I do one load a day), but since I keep up with the laundry now we need fewer clothes!!! Seriously! My mom is horrified that I have this hamper out in my bedroom but I don't really care. It's awesome!
4. My beloved label maker.
Nothing wastes time like having to hunt for things when you want to use them. I use my label maker ALL the time!!
So, there's my list. I realize they might be seen as expensive and certainly not too "green", but for now they're helping me manage my life.
How about you? What are your timesaving finds??
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
I am so over myself
Hey, all. Sorry about the self-absorbed maudlin twist to this blog lately - that is, when I could be bothered to write. We've been sick a lot in this house this winter and there has been far too much navel-gazing than is good for me. As Simon Cowell would say, it's total "self-indulgent nonsense" and it's time for it to stop!
For example, what the heck?! about me getting so worked up about some of my neighbors. These are nice women who are just going about their lives. If I am totally honest, I highly doubt they are trying to exclude me. They just aren't worrying about including me. Can I blame them? They are busy moms of lots of kids - I think they have better things to do. And I could certainly make a few moves myself instead of waiting around. Those of you who've known me a long time know that I'm a bit of a homebody and while I like to do things, am rarely a social planner. Time to change that or quit my bitching!
Speaking of Simon Cowell, any other American Idol watchers out there? I enjoy the show, but if Tatiana gets through tonight I may have to boycott until she's gone. I just can't take another minute of her screen time. I think she is a no-talent hack and one of the most annoying people I've ever seen. If she makes it through tonight that screaming you hear will be me....
Oh! I've been reading again! For years now, the only books I've read have been "classics" that I had already read a bunch of times - Jane Austen, Tolkein, Harry Potter, Wheel of Time. Now I do love to re-read books but this was getting excessive. So my one sort of unofficial resolution was to start reading books I'd never read before. If you count fiction and non-fiction, I've read 7 books this year. Some have been good, some not so much. Perhaps some book reports will be forthcoming.
Other exciting news from the homefront - after (counting....counting....) THIRTY-ONE years of playing the cello, I am the proud new owner of a Wenger Cellist Chair. It's a special chair that tilts down a tiny bit in the front to help get a good position for playing. I am very excited. It helps, too, because it's actually quite a bit harder to play with the extra weight I'm carrying right now. My posture is off and all that belly fat pushes the instrument out at a funny angle. So this actually helps that a bit. Now it's time to start practicing more again.
It's time to start doing a lot of stuff again. Exercising, eating right, knitting, sewing, practicing, etc. That "new baby" excuse has worn pretty thin, seeing that she's 8 1/2 months old now! So hopefully I will start doing more. And do Facebook less. And actually have something to blog about!
For example, what the heck?! about me getting so worked up about some of my neighbors. These are nice women who are just going about their lives. If I am totally honest, I highly doubt they are trying to exclude me. They just aren't worrying about including me. Can I blame them? They are busy moms of lots of kids - I think they have better things to do. And I could certainly make a few moves myself instead of waiting around. Those of you who've known me a long time know that I'm a bit of a homebody and while I like to do things, am rarely a social planner. Time to change that or quit my bitching!
Speaking of Simon Cowell, any other American Idol watchers out there? I enjoy the show, but if Tatiana gets through tonight I may have to boycott until she's gone. I just can't take another minute of her screen time. I think she is a no-talent hack and one of the most annoying people I've ever seen. If she makes it through tonight that screaming you hear will be me....
Oh! I've been reading again! For years now, the only books I've read have been "classics" that I had already read a bunch of times - Jane Austen, Tolkein, Harry Potter, Wheel of Time. Now I do love to re-read books but this was getting excessive. So my one sort of unofficial resolution was to start reading books I'd never read before. If you count fiction and non-fiction, I've read 7 books this year. Some have been good, some not so much. Perhaps some book reports will be forthcoming.
Other exciting news from the homefront - after (counting....counting....) THIRTY-ONE years of playing the cello, I am the proud new owner of a Wenger Cellist Chair. It's a special chair that tilts down a tiny bit in the front to help get a good position for playing. I am very excited. It helps, too, because it's actually quite a bit harder to play with the extra weight I'm carrying right now. My posture is off and all that belly fat pushes the instrument out at a funny angle. So this actually helps that a bit. Now it's time to start practicing more again.
It's time to start doing a lot of stuff again. Exercising, eating right, knitting, sewing, practicing, etc. That "new baby" excuse has worn pretty thin, seeing that she's 8 1/2 months old now! So hopefully I will start doing more. And do Facebook less. And actually have something to blog about!
Friday, February 6, 2009
On the plus side
Kate just spelled her name out on the floor with the little plastic magnetic letters. No coaching, no prodding. I was sitting here blogging and she came to get me so I could see it.How cool is that?
(Oh... and clearly, Elizabeth is screwed. We need a nickname.)
I think I'll go eat worms
One of the more surprising things I've discovered about being a SAHM in a rather private neighborhood is that it's a LOT like high school...
...except for the big group of friends I had.
There are two other girls Kate's age in the neighborhood. A couple weeks ago one of their moms emailed me and said they were going to trade off at their houses each week for playdates (drop-your-kid-off playdates, not come-in-for-a-cuppa playdates). She said Kate was welcome to stop in whenever we wanted. Kindof a backhanded invite, but I thought I'd take it, for Kate's sake. Kate has swimming lessons which would keep her from being able to stay the whole time, but I said I'd be happy to join in on the hosting rotation once those were done. Kind of got brushed off, but didn't let it get to me.
Yesterday, I dropped Kate off there for a little bit and mentioned to the other mom that I'd be happy to reciprocate on a rotation. Blank stare. Followed by some mumbling and a sort of "well, we can see about that." I know a brush off when I get one.
I must admit myself a bit stung. I mean, do they not trust me with their kids? True, I don't know them super well, but I've lived 4 houses away for 7 years. If I was truly psycho, perhaps they'd have figured that out by now? I haven't screwed Kate up too much yet, doesn't that indicate that maybe I'm an OK mom?
Then today, I drive by one of their houses (since I'm on a cul-de-sac, I can't help but drive past everyone) and see the cars of pretty much ALL the SAHMs in the neighborhood in front of her house. Now, true, perhaps there was some perfectly sensible reason they were all together and I was not included. But that's far too forgiving an attitude for how I'm feeling this week.
I give up. I am SO OVER trying to "fit in" with these women, when I clearly do not. Most of them seem very nice on their own, but I am pretty obviously the square peg, as I have almost always been in my life. So I'm done. I won't avoid them, I'll be happy to see them and chat with them, but I'm letting go of caring whether or not they like me.
I feel so liberated.
...except for the big group of friends I had.
There are two other girls Kate's age in the neighborhood. A couple weeks ago one of their moms emailed me and said they were going to trade off at their houses each week for playdates (drop-your-kid-off playdates, not come-in-for-a-cuppa playdates). She said Kate was welcome to stop in whenever we wanted. Kindof a backhanded invite, but I thought I'd take it, for Kate's sake. Kate has swimming lessons which would keep her from being able to stay the whole time, but I said I'd be happy to join in on the hosting rotation once those were done. Kind of got brushed off, but didn't let it get to me.
Yesterday, I dropped Kate off there for a little bit and mentioned to the other mom that I'd be happy to reciprocate on a rotation. Blank stare. Followed by some mumbling and a sort of "well, we can see about that." I know a brush off when I get one.
I must admit myself a bit stung. I mean, do they not trust me with their kids? True, I don't know them super well, but I've lived 4 houses away for 7 years. If I was truly psycho, perhaps they'd have figured that out by now? I haven't screwed Kate up too much yet, doesn't that indicate that maybe I'm an OK mom?
Then today, I drive by one of their houses (since I'm on a cul-de-sac, I can't help but drive past everyone) and see the cars of pretty much ALL the SAHMs in the neighborhood in front of her house. Now, true, perhaps there was some perfectly sensible reason they were all together and I was not included. But that's far too forgiving an attitude for how I'm feeling this week.
I give up. I am SO OVER trying to "fit in" with these women, when I clearly do not. Most of them seem very nice on their own, but I am pretty obviously the square peg, as I have almost always been in my life. So I'm done. I won't avoid them, I'll be happy to see them and chat with them, but I'm letting go of caring whether or not they like me.
I feel so liberated.
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