I have a cold, and when I have a cold I have strange dreams. Okay, I have really strange dreams all the time, but even stranger when I am sick. This tidbit of dream isn't all that weird, its just a small part of a big whole, most of which I can't even remember, but it has stuck with me. There was a something going on, a garage sale maybe....and there was a whole bunch of newly hatched chicks, soft yellow fluffy. Then someone brought a boxful of kittens, cute soft fuzzy. Well, my concern had been immediately the safety of the chicks from these kittens, no one was worried. For the rest of the dream I watched as the chicks wandered from their safe little box and as the kittens got more adventurous. Eventually one of the kittens spotted a chick and signaled to his buddies, "hey, easy tasty prey over here". Then I woke up.
So dream interpreters, what does that mean?
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Penguins?
There is a mug that I have had for years with Naughty Penguins doing all sorts of things to each other. The weird Scandinavian claymation cartoon that Miles seems to love although I can't fully see the humour in it. And then of course the rash of recent movies and shows starting with March of the Penguins, which I have yet to see. One I did see was that Happy Feet movie, it was weird and disturbing. I really didn't like it, I think it is strange on a level that really doesn't need to be understood by anyone. I like penguins, at least I have never had a problem with them....but why penguins? Why not Hippopotamus (hippopotamus's?). They are cute, just not quite as small. I suppose penguin is easier to say and spell.
Monday, January 28, 2008
no such luck
He won't go, I am not surprised. Sad, disappointed, maybe a little pissed off yes. Surprised, not at all.
12 steps....
But first you have to get to the door.
My father is supposed to be checking into rehab for alcoholism today. I haven't heard yet whether he actually did or not. It has been months since he and I have talked. I don't know what to say to him anymore, letting him know that I would like him to be around long enough to see Miles grow can only be done so many times before it loses meaning. Apparently the two places he normally goes to drink have both told him they are happy to have him there but they will not serve him alcohol, you know its bad when the place you give most of your monthly income too has permanently cut you off. Unfortunately there are many other bars in good ol' Kenai that don't have the same scruples and would only be sad when he has succeeded in drinking himself to death and they no longer have that source of income.
I can only hope that he actually does this.
My father is supposed to be checking into rehab for alcoholism today. I haven't heard yet whether he actually did or not. It has been months since he and I have talked. I don't know what to say to him anymore, letting him know that I would like him to be around long enough to see Miles grow can only be done so many times before it loses meaning. Apparently the two places he normally goes to drink have both told him they are happy to have him there but they will not serve him alcohol, you know its bad when the place you give most of your monthly income too has permanently cut you off. Unfortunately there are many other bars in good ol' Kenai that don't have the same scruples and would only be sad when he has succeeded in drinking himself to death and they no longer have that source of income.
I can only hope that he actually does this.
Friday, January 25, 2008
I am employed!
Yay!! I have a job (dependent on background check). Now I feel like crying. I am so weird.
I am going to be working as a teller for a bank, big huge chain, has a good reputation. The pay is lower than I would like, but I think the benefits of the job will outweigh that. Plus there is a lot of room to grow. And as soon as I make lead teller the pay goes up by a couple of dollars, so I will just have to rock their world and make lead teller asap. It will be really good to have health benefits again, I have been feeling really nervous about not having coverage.
Anyways, I am excited and nervous and all that wonderful stuff. Don't know when I start yet, they have to get my background check done and then whenever the new training class starts. I will most likely train in Portland depending on when they can actually start me.
A paycheck, no matter what the size, will be good.
I am going to be working as a teller for a bank, big huge chain, has a good reputation. The pay is lower than I would like, but I think the benefits of the job will outweigh that. Plus there is a lot of room to grow. And as soon as I make lead teller the pay goes up by a couple of dollars, so I will just have to rock their world and make lead teller asap. It will be really good to have health benefits again, I have been feeling really nervous about not having coverage.
Anyways, I am excited and nervous and all that wonderful stuff. Don't know when I start yet, they have to get my background check done and then whenever the new training class starts. I will most likely train in Portland depending on when they can actually start me.
A paycheck, no matter what the size, will be good.
TGIF?
The day of the week has started to lose meaning for me. It doesn't matter to me whether it is Tuesday or Thursday. Today is Friday, to most working people this is the day they look forward to, the end of the week, the beginning of the weekend. To me it just means that I get more time with my husband for the next couple of days.
I had a second interview with the bank yesterday. I think it went well, they seemed to really like me. The hours are not my ideal, but I can't afford to be too picky right now. If they make me an offer I will probably take it, unless the pay is just way too low. We'll see.
I did however put in an application with the city today, working in the HR department as a Benefits Consultant. Its a job I know I would be good at, lets see if I can get an interview.
Today is a day to clean the house and get caught up on random tasks I really need to get done. So I think I will finish the book I am reading first and then get to work.
Oh, and for dinner tonight: Pasta with a cream sauce and shrimp - mushrooms, peas, little onions.....mmmmm, yummy.
I had a second interview with the bank yesterday. I think it went well, they seemed to really like me. The hours are not my ideal, but I can't afford to be too picky right now. If they make me an offer I will probably take it, unless the pay is just way too low. We'll see.
I did however put in an application with the city today, working in the HR department as a Benefits Consultant. Its a job I know I would be good at, lets see if I can get an interview.
Today is a day to clean the house and get caught up on random tasks I really need to get done. So I think I will finish the book I am reading first and then get to work.
Oh, and for dinner tonight: Pasta with a cream sauce and shrimp - mushrooms, peas, little onions.....mmmmm, yummy.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
I am the wrong person today
I am hoping this is not an omen, but today I am apparently the wrong person.
First my doorbell rings and standing there when I open it is a man from the city with a clipboard and official city truck at the curb. He says to me, "I am here for your mechanical inspection". The things that went through my mind: "mechanical inspection, whats that?", "is this a scam?", "Is he a themed stripper sent by some insane friend?" - So I just looked at him and asked, "Mechanical Inspection?". "for a furnace, maybe a fireplace?" - "no", I replied. He looks at his clip board and reads the address outloud. He has the numbers right, but the wrong street. I tell him so, he is off by one block. This isn't this first time this has happened, last time it was the pizza delivery guy, that one was tempting to keep.
Then a little bit later my phone rings. "this is it", I think, "the job". I mute the Price is Right and answer the phone with my most pleasant hello. I hear a very thick accent say, "molly?". "Yes", I say. Then, "Is this the mental hospital?" I must have misheard her first question. "no, this is not the mental hospital" She apologizes and then hangs up.
Hmm.....like I said, I hope its not an omen.....When you question most days who you are and what you are doing with your life being a mistake two times in a row can be rather deflating.
First my doorbell rings and standing there when I open it is a man from the city with a clipboard and official city truck at the curb. He says to me, "I am here for your mechanical inspection". The things that went through my mind: "mechanical inspection, whats that?", "is this a scam?", "Is he a themed stripper sent by some insane friend?" - So I just looked at him and asked, "Mechanical Inspection?". "for a furnace, maybe a fireplace?" - "no", I replied. He looks at his clip board and reads the address outloud. He has the numbers right, but the wrong street. I tell him so, he is off by one block. This isn't this first time this has happened, last time it was the pizza delivery guy, that one was tempting to keep.
Then a little bit later my phone rings. "this is it", I think, "the job". I mute the Price is Right and answer the phone with my most pleasant hello. I hear a very thick accent say, "molly?". "Yes", I say. Then, "Is this the mental hospital?" I must have misheard her first question. "no, this is not the mental hospital" She apologizes and then hangs up.
Hmm.....like I said, I hope its not an omen.....When you question most days who you are and what you are doing with your life being a mistake two times in a row can be rather deflating.
Hurry up and wait
In the interview last week the recruiter guy said we would hear Monday, or possibly by Friday on whether or not we get a second interview. I realized later that Monday was a holiday so had hoped to maybe hear by Friday. No call on Friday (no email saying no thanks either...), and of course nothing yesterday being the aforementioned holiday. So here is it Tuesday and I am sitting here trying to not be on edge waiting for the phone to ring. I hate that.
I have tons to do, maybe I can use this nervous energy to be tremendously productive.
I have tons to do, maybe I can use this nervous energy to be tremendously productive.
Friday, January 18, 2008
I love being a mom, I love being a mom...
Miles is two, and everyday he proves it more and more. This morning he was actually being very cute and snuggly and got dressed and put his shoes on without fuss or bother. And then, mean ol' me insisted that he wear his warm jacket rather than his favorite blue sweatshirt. You would think I was killing him, the screaming, the crying, the wrestling to keep him in the coat, unlock the garage door, get him into the car seat and then to daycare. Lets just say I am now tired, and feel like I have fought some life or death battle with a wild cat. And to top it off when we got to daycare he refused to take the coat off. I think that his logic tells him that if he is wearing his coat that I will take him home sooner. He doesn't hate it there, he is always happily playing when I pick him up, he eats well, he paints pictures. The friends from daycare are often talked about at home. I don't get it. I guess he just wants his mommy, I am his favorite person, I suppose it is supposed to be that way.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Time Management & Loneliness
I am finding myself challenged in two very specific ways right now. See above.
Something about not having a specific schedule to my day is really hurting me in the ability to get any quality work completed. I have a ton of stuff that I need to do, want to do and would like to accomplish but I have such a hard time actually sitting down and doing it. Part of the issue seems to be prioritizing. I have so many things between looking for work, the house, Sorelle and personal fun projects that I can't decide what really should get done first. The amount of time needed for all these activities has been hard to gauge as well. I suppose now that I have identified it, I need to find a solution........
As for the loneliness factor. I find I obsessively check my email and phone 50 billion times a day to see if anyone has wanted to talk to me. Its not that I don't ever talk to anyone, but I do feel that I spend the majority of my days alone and in my own head, thus the journaling on this blog, I need to talk to someone. My poor husband gets random emails and phone calls from me all the time simply because I want to talk to someone. And of course he is trying to work so all I end up doing is disrupting his day. There needs to be a support group for unemployeds so we can have some sort of interaction with other adults that are in the same boat as we are.
Anywho.
blah blah blah
Something about not having a specific schedule to my day is really hurting me in the ability to get any quality work completed. I have a ton of stuff that I need to do, want to do and would like to accomplish but I have such a hard time actually sitting down and doing it. Part of the issue seems to be prioritizing. I have so many things between looking for work, the house, Sorelle and personal fun projects that I can't decide what really should get done first. The amount of time needed for all these activities has been hard to gauge as well. I suppose now that I have identified it, I need to find a solution........
As for the loneliness factor. I find I obsessively check my email and phone 50 billion times a day to see if anyone has wanted to talk to me. Its not that I don't ever talk to anyone, but I do feel that I spend the majority of my days alone and in my own head, thus the journaling on this blog, I need to talk to someone. My poor husband gets random emails and phone calls from me all the time simply because I want to talk to someone. And of course he is trying to work so all I end up doing is disrupting his day. There needs to be a support group for unemployeds so we can have some sort of interaction with other adults that are in the same boat as we are.
Anywho.
blah blah blah
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
The After-Interview
It was interesting. There were about 7 of us and basically we all took turns answering the questions. It was very structured in how the questions were asked and in the format that they wanted them answered, yet loose in feel. We didn't have to go in line to answer, whoever was ready to go went next. I think I did well, was careful to not be the one to always go first, but also to never go last. I felt old, most of the others were quite young, relating a lot of their experiences from high school or very recent college. But I think I did okay. If called for a second interview I should hear from them on Friday, Monday at the latest. The manager of the branch I want to work at was there, she was a kick, I think I would really enjoy working for her. The Service manager was there as well, she was also very nice and seemed very with it and together, I was impressed by them. So, we'll see. I will just do my best to not dwell on it all week and worry myself to pieces.
Interview
So, not long after posting my oh so eloquent post this morning I got a phone call from one of the jobs I applied for. This one is a bank teller position, listed as a lead teller and it is at the branch very close to home. I have an interview this afternoon. I am nervous. Its a group interview and they said to expect to be there about 2 hours. I am really curious as to what this thing will entail. I am in the midst of preparation, not only running possible interview questions through my head but also the primping, cleaning and plucking that is involved in looking professional, and to wear nylons. yuck. But this will be good. If I get the job it will be full time and have benefits, and should be work that not only would I be good at, but that I would also enjoy. If I don't get it, I will have valuable practice at interviewing. I will definitely update after I get home....I am sure there will be purging to do.
Wish me luck!
Wish me luck!
Monday, January 14, 2008
Rehabilitation
Last week I attended a workshop that was aimed at helping me find a new job. It was interesting and good. I learned a lot about resumes and such, and where to look for jobs. As I described to a friend I felt as if I were being rehabilitated for re-release into the wild. There is this feeling, like an injured wild animal, of not having the proper tools to survive out there. I get so scared whenever I think about applying for jobs, interviewing for jobs, being turned down for jobs......I lie awake at night thinking through all the possible questions I could be asked. Which only serves me in lack of sleep and doesn't actually help me as I forget the oh so clever answers I came up with at 2:13 in the morning.
I go this week to an orientation that will allow me to start subbing in the school district as an instructional assistant or in the office. This will be good. It will be money. It will also force me into new and unfamiliar situations on a daily basis. That scares the crap out of me. On a practical rational level I know I will be fine, I have worked in schools before, there should be nothing to worry about. But on an emotional level I am nervous that I won't be able to find the office, that the people will be mean to me, that I will have to work for some horrible teacher. Silly senseless stuff that I just need to get over. Which is why the new day new school thing will be good for me, it will push me out of my little comfort zone and toughen me up.
Although I don't really feel as though I am ready for re-release, off I go.
Beware the Wild Molly's in their natural habitat.
What is my natural habitat?
I go this week to an orientation that will allow me to start subbing in the school district as an instructional assistant or in the office. This will be good. It will be money. It will also force me into new and unfamiliar situations on a daily basis. That scares the crap out of me. On a practical rational level I know I will be fine, I have worked in schools before, there should be nothing to worry about. But on an emotional level I am nervous that I won't be able to find the office, that the people will be mean to me, that I will have to work for some horrible teacher. Silly senseless stuff that I just need to get over. Which is why the new day new school thing will be good for me, it will push me out of my little comfort zone and toughen me up.
Although I don't really feel as though I am ready for re-release, off I go.
Beware the Wild Molly's in their natural habitat.
What is my natural habitat?
Friday, January 11, 2008
Sad news, followed by some good
My Great Aunt Mary Jane passed away yesterday morning. I am sad, but I am consoled that she did live a good life and had lots of people in her life that loved her. My Grammie is sad to lose her sister and her good friend.
Also yesterday good friends gave birth to a baby girl. Lola is her name. 6 lbs 10 oz (I think). Poor mama was in labor for three days before they gave her pitosin to get things moving. Everyone is doing well but sound tired, as you can imagine after 3 days.
As they say, one door closes and another opens.....perhaps Ol' Mary Jane had a new Guardian Angel job to report too......she would be a good one.
Also yesterday good friends gave birth to a baby girl. Lola is her name. 6 lbs 10 oz (I think). Poor mama was in labor for three days before they gave her pitosin to get things moving. Everyone is doing well but sound tired, as you can imagine after 3 days.
As they say, one door closes and another opens.....perhaps Ol' Mary Jane had a new Guardian Angel job to report too......she would be a good one.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Not bright and shiny
My great Aunt Mary Jane is dying. She is my Grammie's sister and although I haven't seen her in a long time, I will miss her. She and my Grammie have such a strong friendship and have been there for each other more than any of the sisters in the family (4 in total). The sad thing is, she is dying because of negligence. She went into the hospital with a broken hip, when they moved her to a rehab center they discovered very bad bed sores which indicated poor care from the hospital. The sores became infected and now she is dying because of it.
makes me sad, very very sad
makes me sad, very very sad
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Post Holiday Hurrah!!
Normally folks talk about the post holiday blues.......not me, not this year. I am so glad they are over. Not that I didn't have a good time, I just wasn't really in the mood for it this year. I've got the gettin' through the day blues, why would I want to subject myself to a big forced happiness time that although can be a lot of fun, usually just ends up costing me more money than I intended to spend? Anyways.......the recap......
thursday 12.20.07: My Grammie arrives from Montana. Thank god she was flying into Salem directly, a snow storm delayed her in SLC so she arrived very late. But safe and she and my mom slept very soundly that night.
A note about my Grammie - she is great and I love her dearly. She is also 87 and deaf with hearing aids that only seem to work when you say something you actually don't want her to hear. She also talks a lot, and I mean a lot and has very strong opinions which take an act of god and the republican party to change......so you see that although I enjoy my time with her, I am also exhausted by the time I leave her.
saturday 12.22.07: Tree Trimming Party at Christina's........so, I made several mistakes the night of this party.......#1: I started with a glass of wine.....then moved onto the rum drinks....oops #2: I let Carter mix my drinks. To be fair this wasn't really a mistake as Carter makes very good drinks, the mistake was not really thinking about the fact that it was Carter mixing, and that his drinks are maybe 2 to 3x's stronger than normal drinks. Mistake #3: Drinking said carter rum & cokes way too fast. I had three. And I was feeling good. But then.....I wasn't. I did end up giving back...which I did very quietly and politely apparently and then went to bed. I woke up for the first time in my life with a hangover. Now I know I am old. Normally I either don't drink enough to get a hangover, or I give back enough to not have a hangover. Not so lucky this time. the bright side though was that I was in no way the drunkest person there. C's brother in law was wayyyyyy more trashed than I and everyone remembers him as the party drunk and not me. The party was a good one though with fabulous food (I missed the ravioli though....sad) and fun ornament making activities and a not so traditional and annoying gift exchange. What did I get in the exchange you ask? Alcohol of course.
sunday 12.23.07: Mostly a nice quiet day at home....only holiday activity being the visit of the father in law with Mitch's two younger half sisters. I like Mitch's family, and I really like Allie and Charlotte, but I don't get to see them much and don't really know them very well these days. Allie is turning 16 this year, and she has gone from somewhat snotty tween to a rather pleasant and very adorable teenager. Charlotte is now in that tween stage - she is still sweet as she has always been, but is slightly more demanding and unfathomable as girls that age are. With them came their mom - who is my father in laws wife, maybe. We aren't quite sure - they have been separated for a long time and live in different houses, but seem to spend a lot of time together. It is all rather confusing. The verdict is also out on whether we like her or not. At times she is great and we have no problem chatting and getting along, she is charmed by Miles so she has some taste at least. But other times she has been that annoying stepmom too. Other than making the stepmother tear up when I talked about my oldest bro-in-laws wife leaving and how it really is a good thing, I think the visit went well.
12.24.07: Christmas Eve. Traditional brunch at McGrath's with my mom and Grammie. The food as always was very very good and we had a great server. Afterwards Mitch and I did some last minute shopping and spent most of the day at home. Miles took a very long and much needed nap. After he woke up we decided to go to the carousel and called the mother in law to see if she wanted to join us. She got there first and they were closed (the bastards). We had checked the website and nothing indicated a closure - but a sign on the door stated an early closing for the holiday. We were bummed. Did take a walk through the park and look at the Willamette Queen (not the drag kind, a big paddle boat) before heading to a store to look for gloves for Miles. When we got home we loaded up the wagon with a well bundled toddler and took a walk in the neighborhood to look at lights. That was a nice way to spend our evening and I hope we always live in a neighborhood where that is possible.
12.25.07: CHRISTMAS!! Miles made out like a bandit this year. His favorites are his "Cars" toys and his trains. We opened most of the tree presents and then headed over to Grandma's where luckily we didn't have a ton more to open but just got to eat some good food and spend some family time. This is the first Christmas without the evil sister in law and both tyler and Toby seemed to do pretty well. It was much more relaxed and we were able to be somewhat chaotic and just relax. ( I will explain more about her in another post, she isn't really evil, but I am not very happy with her...)
Home for a nap and then off to my mom's house for more presents and dinner. Miles really got it good here - his favorite is his Lighting McQueen shirt that lights up when he moves. He also got a great little rocking chair and some more buildings for his train set. Dinner was mexican and we not only ate too much but had my mom's fabulous margaritas. This is a weird recipe so I have to put it in....1 can frozen limeade concentrate, then fill can with tequila, and another time with beer. Light cheap beer usually works best. Basically equal parts of all three into a blender with some ice and there you go.....they are incredibly delicious.
12.26.07: The day after. Mitch took Miles to the mountain with Christina and some other friends to sled while I went shopping with my Mom and Grammie. We all came home exhausted, but we all had a good day I think. Grammie likes to buy christmas presents in the sales so we always go shopping. She got Mitch and I a new food processor which we are very excited about since I broke out last one.
12.27.07: Not much on this day except going to see "P.S. I love you" with mom and grammie. Saddest Movie Ever!! well done, but sad. I cried through pretty much the whole thing. The ads talk about how funny it is and what a great date movie, etc...but even though I did laugh at times, I cried more. Basically the main character loses her husband to a brain tumor in the first ten minutes and it goes from there. It had to be a brain tumor didn't it? Sheesh
12.28.07: Grammie left bright and early. I think my mom slept in the blissful quiet of her apartment for the rest of the day. I can't really remember what we did....oh yeah. Mitch spent the night before in Vancouver with Carter and I basically took Miles to daycare and then goofed off all day. I did start to slog through the disaster that was our house though, that was good. Oh, and I dyed my hair. Egyptian Plum...not as dramatic as it sounds, but I like it.
12.29.07 to 12.30.07: Quiet and lazy. Just the way I like it. Our big outing was to take Miles to the newish indoor playground. He was timid at first and then discovered the huge sandbox and had a lot of fun. We will definitely take him there again. I really want to take both he and Loki so that Loki will be the fearless leader that he is and get Miles to try out the bounce house. Although then we might never get them out again......Mom in law came over in the evening with Toby so that the boys could play. One word: Wii
12.31.07: We took Miles to his Grandmas where his cousin Toby also was, Loki to join them later. The crazy woman that she is offered to keep all three boys while we had a party at Tyler's place. Mitch and I went to Portland early so we could head to the mall and shop the Fredericks sale, I got the coolest corset for 50% off. Its blue and is fairly simple with the eyelets up the front and the lacing in the back. I love it. The coolest part is that in a corset all that extra fat can be arranged pretty much however you like and I can look like I have much bigger boobs than I actually do. The party was awesome. I chose to not drink this time and I remember it all that much more clearly. We basically just had tons of food and hung out and talked and played games and all that. Our friend Charles was injured (a ski lift bit him) so Christina led the girls in a round of body shots to entertain him. Carter got a great picture of Christina taking a lime from my mouth, if he ever chooses to sell it he said he would give us the cash :0) Around 1am Mitch and I drove home to Salem - there was surprisingly little traffic and we slept soundly in our own bed with no toddler to wake us.
01.01.08: New Years Day. Getting tired of reading yet? I am posting all this mainly so that I will have a record of the holidays, otherwise I will forget it all.
New years day is traditionally spent at the O'Mara's - the parents of our friend Heather. A very laid back gathering with homemade meatballs and the closest of our group of college friends. This ear was the first time that we had all three little boys there. Grayson, Loki and Miles are so close in age, its fun to have them all so close to each other. Unfortunately though Miles wasn't feeling well. We thought he was just tired but by late afternoon he was feeling feverish. We took him home early and not only did he spike a temp of 103.5 that night but also had a bit of a vomiting spell. Poor little guy.
That basically brings us to today. Kept Miles home yesterday since he still had a fever. He just woke up this morning and is fine, so I will be taking him to daycare...yay!!! Mommy needs a break.
thursday 12.20.07: My Grammie arrives from Montana. Thank god she was flying into Salem directly, a snow storm delayed her in SLC so she arrived very late. But safe and she and my mom slept very soundly that night.
A note about my Grammie - she is great and I love her dearly. She is also 87 and deaf with hearing aids that only seem to work when you say something you actually don't want her to hear. She also talks a lot, and I mean a lot and has very strong opinions which take an act of god and the republican party to change......so you see that although I enjoy my time with her, I am also exhausted by the time I leave her.
saturday 12.22.07: Tree Trimming Party at Christina's........so, I made several mistakes the night of this party.......#1: I started with a glass of wine.....then moved onto the rum drinks....oops #2: I let Carter mix my drinks. To be fair this wasn't really a mistake as Carter makes very good drinks, the mistake was not really thinking about the fact that it was Carter mixing, and that his drinks are maybe 2 to 3x's stronger than normal drinks. Mistake #3: Drinking said carter rum & cokes way too fast. I had three. And I was feeling good. But then.....I wasn't. I did end up giving back...which I did very quietly and politely apparently and then went to bed. I woke up for the first time in my life with a hangover. Now I know I am old. Normally I either don't drink enough to get a hangover, or I give back enough to not have a hangover. Not so lucky this time. the bright side though was that I was in no way the drunkest person there. C's brother in law was wayyyyyy more trashed than I and everyone remembers him as the party drunk and not me. The party was a good one though with fabulous food (I missed the ravioli though....sad) and fun ornament making activities and a not so traditional and annoying gift exchange. What did I get in the exchange you ask? Alcohol of course.
sunday 12.23.07: Mostly a nice quiet day at home....only holiday activity being the visit of the father in law with Mitch's two younger half sisters. I like Mitch's family, and I really like Allie and Charlotte, but I don't get to see them much and don't really know them very well these days. Allie is turning 16 this year, and she has gone from somewhat snotty tween to a rather pleasant and very adorable teenager. Charlotte is now in that tween stage - she is still sweet as she has always been, but is slightly more demanding and unfathomable as girls that age are. With them came their mom - who is my father in laws wife, maybe. We aren't quite sure - they have been separated for a long time and live in different houses, but seem to spend a lot of time together. It is all rather confusing. The verdict is also out on whether we like her or not. At times she is great and we have no problem chatting and getting along, she is charmed by Miles so she has some taste at least. But other times she has been that annoying stepmom too. Other than making the stepmother tear up when I talked about my oldest bro-in-laws wife leaving and how it really is a good thing, I think the visit went well.
12.24.07: Christmas Eve. Traditional brunch at McGrath's with my mom and Grammie. The food as always was very very good and we had a great server. Afterwards Mitch and I did some last minute shopping and spent most of the day at home. Miles took a very long and much needed nap. After he woke up we decided to go to the carousel and called the mother in law to see if she wanted to join us. She got there first and they were closed (the bastards). We had checked the website and nothing indicated a closure - but a sign on the door stated an early closing for the holiday. We were bummed. Did take a walk through the park and look at the Willamette Queen (not the drag kind, a big paddle boat) before heading to a store to look for gloves for Miles. When we got home we loaded up the wagon with a well bundled toddler and took a walk in the neighborhood to look at lights. That was a nice way to spend our evening and I hope we always live in a neighborhood where that is possible.
12.25.07: CHRISTMAS!! Miles made out like a bandit this year. His favorites are his "Cars" toys and his trains. We opened most of the tree presents and then headed over to Grandma's where luckily we didn't have a ton more to open but just got to eat some good food and spend some family time. This is the first Christmas without the evil sister in law and both tyler and Toby seemed to do pretty well. It was much more relaxed and we were able to be somewhat chaotic and just relax. ( I will explain more about her in another post, she isn't really evil, but I am not very happy with her...)
Home for a nap and then off to my mom's house for more presents and dinner. Miles really got it good here - his favorite is his Lighting McQueen shirt that lights up when he moves. He also got a great little rocking chair and some more buildings for his train set. Dinner was mexican and we not only ate too much but had my mom's fabulous margaritas. This is a weird recipe so I have to put it in....1 can frozen limeade concentrate, then fill can with tequila, and another time with beer. Light cheap beer usually works best. Basically equal parts of all three into a blender with some ice and there you go.....they are incredibly delicious.
12.26.07: The day after. Mitch took Miles to the mountain with Christina and some other friends to sled while I went shopping with my Mom and Grammie. We all came home exhausted, but we all had a good day I think. Grammie likes to buy christmas presents in the sales so we always go shopping. She got Mitch and I a new food processor which we are very excited about since I broke out last one.
12.27.07: Not much on this day except going to see "P.S. I love you" with mom and grammie. Saddest Movie Ever!! well done, but sad. I cried through pretty much the whole thing. The ads talk about how funny it is and what a great date movie, etc...but even though I did laugh at times, I cried more. Basically the main character loses her husband to a brain tumor in the first ten minutes and it goes from there. It had to be a brain tumor didn't it? Sheesh
12.28.07: Grammie left bright and early. I think my mom slept in the blissful quiet of her apartment for the rest of the day. I can't really remember what we did....oh yeah. Mitch spent the night before in Vancouver with Carter and I basically took Miles to daycare and then goofed off all day. I did start to slog through the disaster that was our house though, that was good. Oh, and I dyed my hair. Egyptian Plum...not as dramatic as it sounds, but I like it.
12.29.07 to 12.30.07: Quiet and lazy. Just the way I like it. Our big outing was to take Miles to the newish indoor playground. He was timid at first and then discovered the huge sandbox and had a lot of fun. We will definitely take him there again. I really want to take both he and Loki so that Loki will be the fearless leader that he is and get Miles to try out the bounce house. Although then we might never get them out again......Mom in law came over in the evening with Toby so that the boys could play. One word: Wii
12.31.07: We took Miles to his Grandmas where his cousin Toby also was, Loki to join them later. The crazy woman that she is offered to keep all three boys while we had a party at Tyler's place. Mitch and I went to Portland early so we could head to the mall and shop the Fredericks sale, I got the coolest corset for 50% off. Its blue and is fairly simple with the eyelets up the front and the lacing in the back. I love it. The coolest part is that in a corset all that extra fat can be arranged pretty much however you like and I can look like I have much bigger boobs than I actually do. The party was awesome. I chose to not drink this time and I remember it all that much more clearly. We basically just had tons of food and hung out and talked and played games and all that. Our friend Charles was injured (a ski lift bit him) so Christina led the girls in a round of body shots to entertain him. Carter got a great picture of Christina taking a lime from my mouth, if he ever chooses to sell it he said he would give us the cash :0) Around 1am Mitch and I drove home to Salem - there was surprisingly little traffic and we slept soundly in our own bed with no toddler to wake us.
01.01.08: New Years Day. Getting tired of reading yet? I am posting all this mainly so that I will have a record of the holidays, otherwise I will forget it all.
New years day is traditionally spent at the O'Mara's - the parents of our friend Heather. A very laid back gathering with homemade meatballs and the closest of our group of college friends. This ear was the first time that we had all three little boys there. Grayson, Loki and Miles are so close in age, its fun to have them all so close to each other. Unfortunately though Miles wasn't feeling well. We thought he was just tired but by late afternoon he was feeling feverish. We took him home early and not only did he spike a temp of 103.5 that night but also had a bit of a vomiting spell. Poor little guy.
That basically brings us to today. Kept Miles home yesterday since he still had a fever. He just woke up this morning and is fine, so I will be taking him to daycare...yay!!! Mommy needs a break.
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