Monday, June 29, 2009

Hooray For Dishwashers!

I fully appreciated the wonder that is a dishwasher today. Washing dishes is a chore that I don't really mind doing. It's just DH and I so we don't create a lot of dishes, and it feels productive and makes my hands all nice and clean. It's a nice quiet way to wrap up the day and I really don't mind it

Today however I found a good dozen containers in DH's car that needed to be washed. They were full of weeks old pasta salad and my weak stomach couldn't handle the smell. That's when I fully appreciated my dishwasher. I could just load those stinky puppies in there and not deal with them until they were lemon fresh. Ahhhhhhhhh

Hooray for dishwashers! And just so my other favorite appliances don't feel left out, hooray for washing machines too! (I've always loved those and hope to open a laundromat when I retire from teaching... ahhhh the smell of clean laundry and dryer sheets!) :-) The rainy weather is really forcing me to entertain myself unconventionally!

Friday, June 26, 2009

Love Affair

Shhhhh don't tell DH but I may be in love with two other men... Ben and Jerry. Their only issue is that they are a little cold but besides that, I really enjoy them. Seriously, what's not to love? Cherry Garcia- Good, Heath Bar Crunch (both vanilla and coffee)- Good, Half-Baked- Good, Cookie Dough- Good, Chubby Hubby- Good... I think you get the idea. Oh and I am hoping to try the new Marzipan flavor soon, just like my wedding cake. YUM.

Seriously, what flavor do they make that I do not enjoy? And enjoyment has only been cheaper this summer as my supermarket had all flavors on sale for $1.99!!! There was a limit of 4.... but how many times do I go to the grocery store in a week?! Limit 4... yeah right.

Actually I think DH has a love affair with the boys as well, he's next to me enjoying his own pint of ice cream. Mmmmmmmm Ben and Jerry.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Sunshine and Yoga

The sun has made a brief but appreciated appearance today. I was able to get out of the house and take Bella for a nice long walk, something we've both been needing. I couldn't start the lawnmower but just getting outside was helpful to improving my mood this week. The forecast is for scattered thunder showers over the next 2 days then back to steady rain again. PHEW What a crappy start to the summer.

In other news I am beginning a yoga class tonight. It is a prenatal yoga class and I am hoping this is going to give me both physical and mental exercise. It's been a couple years since my last yoga class and we will see how it goes. I did warn my instructor that I am less than coordinated and she didn't seem concerned. It is a small class and we are all around the same point in our journeys... I am looking forward to connecting with other women. New and unknown things are a little intimidating to me, but I am going to try my best to be brave, friendly, and flexible!

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Rain, rain go away

Don't come back until I go back to work please.

I am not one of those take the summers off teachers.... I work all summer. Hopefully this will be my last summer but DH makes a good point, my summer schedule is 8-12 and amazing money so it seems foolish not to keep it up. I have one week between when school ended and when I begin my summer job and the forecast each day has been rain and thus far, the weather has lived up to the prediction. BLAH

The rainy weather has forced me to relax and read, knit and catch up on the DVR but now I am bored. There is only so much laundry, internet surfing, and going to coffee one person can handle. I want to play outside! I haven't even been able to blog much because my stinking internet isn't connecting to blogger reliably.... weird.

Anyway, I am off to settle in for another day of reading and knitting. I will appreciate this later in the summer when I am busy but for now, I want some sun so I can go out and play!!

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

The Religion Delima

I thought I was all done worrying about religion and this baby but a whole new set of issues have cropped up. These are not the moral dilemmas I was wrestling with a few months ago about how far we'd let God handle the baby issue and how far we'd let science intervene but it is an issue at this point in our lives....

No one we know is really Catholic anymore. In our day to day world this is not an issue but raising our child in the church is something extremely important to me. Our sisters have all chosen other spiritual paths down which to walk, we have Christian friends but few Catholic friends (none of whom are particularly close). Both of our parents are but they're our parents not Godparents. People at church are nice.... but it's just not the same.

When I was growing up EVERYONE was involved with the church and that was a center of our social world. The irony is that all ended when I entered Catholic High School.... our community church played a lesser role and school served as the main focus of religion from then out.

Perhaps I am making too big a deal of this but it is important to me that our child is baptized and raised with religion. DH and I are both Catholic and I thank my stars for that because I do believe religion shapes who you become and your views. Having similar (actually it turns out we went to the same church growing up) backgrounds helps us to understand where we're coming from in some instances.... I want a strong foundation and relationship with God for our child... it just seems to be more of a challenge than we had anticipated. I know it will come together but I was sort of surprised when I looked around my little world and found very few Catholics where once there were many.

Friday, June 19, 2009

I'm FREE!!!

For a week anyway!

School ended yesterday and I could not be more relieved. This has been one of the most challenging years ever. My class had its challenges but it was tough due to the personal stuff we were going through. First worrying about TTC, then DH getting sick, trying to finish up my National Board certification, and now beginning the family we have dreamed about... it's a wonder I made it some days!

I am only taking a week off this month and then going back to teach summer school. I am really excited about my summer program this year, my principal has allowed me to design a kindergarten boot camp of sorts to help at risk incoming kindergarten students. I am going to be doing lots of preschool things and hands on activities. I am really looking forward to not just the teaching of the program but to the difference it will hopefully make for these students when they enter the regular classroom.

I vowed not to go into school for the entire week and got my first week of summer school all planned and prepped. Next week I plan to see friends, get my next US (no we are not finding out the sex), get some legwork done on a business venture for DH and I, and to relax!! I have had no time to relax since February break with all that's been going on with DH and I am looking forward to it. He's doing MUCH better by the way. Healing nicely from his surgery and is no longer in the pain he had been in for so long. YEA!! Summer is shaping up... Now if the weather would just cooperate a little.... either that or I need to get flippers to walk around with. YEA for a week of freedom. :-)

Saturday, June 13, 2009

The aging process

I remember when I found my first gray hair. I was beyond excited. It felt like such a major milestone. I found it when I was 23 and getting ready for a date with a guy who was a few years older. I saved it and put it in my scrapbook because, like I said, it was one of those milestone moments. I made the mistake of telling the guy I was dating about it and he thought I was slightly crazy. (That's ok- fast forward, turns out he was crazy and it didn't work out)

Since Friday (yesterday folks) 3 people have remarked on the number of gray hairs upon my head. I KNOW I am going gray. I am no longer enchanted with my gray hairs, I almost wish they'd just disappear but then I'd be bald... I do think that would be worse at this point.

I never minded aging, I have usually been the youngest of my friends and it never really struck me until now when it's so plainly obvious that I am growing older. I know, there are bigger issues in life and perhaps I should spend some time focusing on them, but what if my kid's kindergarten teacher thinks I am his grandmother?!

Monday, June 8, 2009

Ex Boyfriends

First of all, I am pregnant, I do not have the plague but that was how I felt thanks to the reaction I got from an ex boyfriend of mine this weekend. Now we haven't dated in gosh, 5 or 6 years but we've remained friendly. There's a long family history between us and we've always been chummy.

He found out this weekend at a BBQ that I am expecting. I ran into him at said BBQ and he acted like I didn't exist. I thought to myself, "well maybe he doesn't recognize me." But who am I kidding? Of course he does! We still talk a few times a year, get together when he's in the area, and we're facebook friends for goodness sakes. He knew exactly who I was.

Well I stewed over that for a minute and then marched right up to him and tried to start a conversation. Seriously, you'd have thought I had worms coming out my eyes the way he was inching away and looking just over my shoulder. I finally got fed up and walked off. The rest of the BBQ he avoided me when possible but his uncle (bless him) kept bringing him over to catch up. The whole thing was quite comical from my POV but I have that luxury being happily married, in a great career, and with a settled life.... Maybe it wasn't so much the Goober but more the difference in where we are. That may not matter so much on the old Facebook but when it comes to face to face... that's a whole other story entirely!

Good questions!

I posted this weeked abotu graduation parties and Misfit had some interesting questions that I wanted to address...
I think they asked if I was happy (perhaps assuming I wouldn't be.... or maybe I am just assuming something not there) because some of these people were less than thrilled with some of their pregnacies.... not planned and the such. For them I think they viewed the LOs as a speed bump or a barrier to things they may have wanted... Maybe I am just being asumptuous again but that was kind of the feeling I got. They are also notoriously negative people (while I am more on the positive side of things) and I think they just assume the worst in most situations.

The question she asked me that was my favorite though was "Also, what would make that their business?" LOL I laughed so hard at this question because it seems in the last year people with even the littlest bit of information about our TTC journey have made all sorts of things their business which just isn't. Me being a rather private person (Blogging excluded) I would never ask a question of someone that I didn't want asked of me. Unfortunately the same does not apply to most of the population. So what would make it their business? In my mind, nothing (although I am happy to share our joy and just how thilled were are with everything) but in their minds, a little information gives them free reign to ask away. I find other women who have children of their own are the most brazen in their question asking and snooping.... that just seems to be with the people I know.

But good questions, you got me thinking! :-)

Sunday, June 7, 2009

Weekend Update (NOT SNL and probably not funny)

This weekend was full of graduation parties and the further coming out of our pregnancy. DH didn't go to many of the parties as he's still recovering from surgery but I made appearances, usually with my mother.

It was nice to catch up with old friends and to make some new ones. I know we're all grown up but I still think of these graduates as kids even though many of them can drink and they're all driving. What bothered me the most was when people would ask "was the pregnancy planned?" or "are you glad?" or worse, would say something like "Oh no, there goes the rest of your life..."

First of all I am 28 years old and married, it's not as if I am 18 and single. Of course we are glad (did you not get that when I clapped as I told you?!), of course we understand our lives will change but we are confident it will be for the better. After I got done being offended at these blase comments, I got to thinking about how sad it would be if I ever answered no to them or agreed that all my fun would be over. And how tragic (yes I do mean tragic) it is that there are some parents who feel this way...

Saturday, June 6, 2009

Feel so old!

This weekend is a multitude of graduation parties for children (they're 18 so can I call them children?!) I babysat for when I was younger. One family (whose I went to today) I spent quite a bit of my high school years with them and now they are going off to college. Tomorrow I am going to another grad party but this "kid" I sat for is graduating from COLLEGE! I feel like I just graduated from college then remember it was 7 years ago now. How did time go by so fast?!

I know that I've been teaching for 7 years but it just blew by! Amazing how quickly time flies. This is helping me with my "just say no" to obligations campaign and is reminding me to slow down and appreciate each day for what it is instead of wishing and waiting for the next thing.

Friday, June 5, 2009

Back to work today

Went back to work today for a full day. I had taken off T, W, and only went in for a meeting Th so I could be with DH though his surgery and his recovery period. Last week I also ended up being out 3 days, one was Memorial day, one day I had to do K screening and one day I was sent to a curriculum development meeting. These last few weeks have been so busy out of the classroom and I was SO glad to be back at school today. Turns out, I SUCK at being a nurse.

This has been a really tough school year both personally and professionally and it was surprising and weird that school became my salvation today. Perhaps I needed to be reminded that I am doing the job that I was meant to do.

While I was out the sub had the kids write me letters. They were all nice but you could tell which kiddos wrote what she suggested and which ones wrote their own letters. One of my little guys wrote "I miss you. I think about you all the time. I bet you think about me too. I can't wait for you to come back." Of course I read these while their slide show was playing in the background and it was all I could do to not turn into t puddly mess!

I have to say it was a really nice day in the classroom, we got lots done and had some Friday fun to boot! Only 9 school days left and while I am looking forward to the summer, I am going to miss this class quite a bit! Now I am refreshed and back home to help DH recover and relax for the weekend.

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Surgery

DH had his surgery Tuesday. Stupidly I thought that meant that I'd have this whole week off to catch up on things while he recovered. Obviously I'd never been with anyone post surgery before.

The operation itself went fine. They repaired the hernia they knew about, explored the other side of his abdomen and repaired a second hernia and removed a lipoma. He was discharged a mere 3 hours later. Recovery has been a process between giving him meds on a regular basis, changing his ice packs, and trying to sneak in naps for those brief moments he was sleeping. Unfortunately he ended up being in so much pain that he hasn't slept the last two nights.

When I asked him if he can still feel that area of pain that arrived March 4 (3 months in pain!!) he says no but can feel his inscisions. *Hopefully* by the end of next week we will know if the surgery worked, no idea what our next step is if it didn't. Luckily though this seems to have been a wake-up call for DH and he has vowed to get in shape and be healthy from now on out. To his credit he's begun already requesting salads last night and tonight for dinner... Hopefully I'll have my DH back in new and improved condition soon!