What's goin' on?

Busy busy busy week.

I arrived at Fairy Godmother Julia's house Thursday evening to find a really sick Short Round. He was rockin' a 103.5 degree fever and a nasty nose. I spent Friday home with Alex, wiping his nose with one hand and answering tons of of work emails with the other.

The weekend was better. Alex was still a bit poopy, but we got lots of work done around the house. Sunday was awesome! I asked for light therapy, and I spent hours Sunday afternoon reading on my front porch. We had such a productive day working on laundry, the yard, and the boys' lofts.

Work has been so rough, and its only Wednesday. I have been in our department's annual meeting with at least 40 people from across the Southeast. I have a unique position, and most of the time I had no idea why I was sitting through the meetings. My to-do list is out of control, so tomorrow is going to be hectic.

Oh--and Jackson busted his head for like the third or fourth time last night. He tripped and hit the corner of the coffee table.

Hopefully I will have something a bit more interesting to post tomorrow.

I need light therapy.

I am suffering from seasonal affective disorder. Basically, I am bummed out because it is January, cold, dreary, and it gets dark at 5pm. Really, without some stimulation from my children or my husband, I would be ready to go to bed every night around 6pm.

I check my 10-day forecast every day on the www.weather.com for some ray of sunshine, 65 degree or warmer weather, or maybe even one of those freaky South Carolina winter days that hits the mid-80s.

According to my research, people who suffer depression or fatigue in the winter often experience hypomania in the summer. Hmmm. That could be cool. And productive.

Currently Reading...

The Punishment of Virtue...Inside Afghanistan After the Taliban, by Sarah Chayes.

And my fiction choice this week:

People of the Book, by Geraldine Brooks.

So, do people and dogs count as clutter??

I purged more junk this weekend. Clothes and toys, plastic water bottles and extra travel mugs, dusty picture frames and other knickknacks. My house is still a DISASTER!

Oh, I know why. Michael started building the boys' loftbeds this weekend, and all of their furniture is packed into our spare room. The boys are sleeping on air mattresses for the next few weeks. In the hallway. Outside my room. More piles of STUFF for me to have to step over. Plus, they tend to ignore the shoe basket by the door and I tripped over Crocks this morning, only to find my footing on a sock, which sent me skidding to the floor. Once again, its freezing outside, and I could not find their hats or gloves because they refuse to put them in their storage bins. Why do I bother to organize??

Zeus and Athena don't like cold weather, and they have been underfoot for the past few weeks. Like I can't go to the bathroom without a black labrador retriever staring at me from a few inches away. Zeus and Athena were never properly trained regarding doggy boundaries...so our furniture is covered with folding chairs, ottomans, etc. to keep Z & A from sleeping on them during the day. Zeus also likes to show that he is the dominant force in our home, and he likes to break down the baby gates we have in certain doorways for fun.

Argh. I feel like a real MOMSTER, but I feel horribly out of sorts and out of control when my home is a disaster. How can I find peace with the status quo around here? I have been complaining, moaning, and bitching about this issue for at least 6months now, and its not getting any better.

***On an exciting note, I am really lucky to have such a crafty, handy husband. Pics of the lofts to be posted soon. They are going to be amazing, cargo-style lofts with built-in armoires and book shelves. I can't wait to see the finished products.

Ouch.

Last night after dinner I gave Jackson 3 oreos for cleaning his plate. He did not even ask. His very surprised reaction: "Wow Mom, you are being very nice tonight!"

I am not sure why, but that comment made me feel like a Momster.

Friday Eve

I love Thursdays. It was the biggest party night of the week in college. Sadly I have outgrown that aspect of Thursday, but this glorious day is still my green light to the weekend. Fridays are pretty relaxed around my workplace, and I often have an an adult playdate scheduled for coffee, crafting, or Goodwill shopping on Thursday evenings. I also get paid every other Thursday!

I am especially happy this Thursday because I really need the weekend. On top of all the clutter and chaos in my house, I have had a really rough week at work. I can't wait for NFL playoffs, lazy mornings, relaxed cooking (rather than the fastfood restaurant style slopping that goes on during the week), and a trip to see Beckie at Pia & Steves for a haircut. I might even tackle some of the clutter!

The only bummer for this weekend is the chilly weather. Since JBO and Short Round love to play outside all day on Saturdays and Sundays, Michael and I are going to have to think of some creative ways the boys can get some physical activity. We usually hit the play area at Richland Fashion Mall on bad weather days, and we recently joined Edventure, so they can have a few hours of Eddie too.

Clutter makes me crazy!!!

I purged our home of a room full of furniture and almost 20 large rubbermaid storage bins back in September. It's back! Few things make me crabbier than clutter. Too many clothes. Too many toys. Too many travel mugs we don't use that fall on my head when I open the cabinet. Too many sets of china. Too many bath products. Too many knick knacks and old power cords and paper and NOW I AM CRABBY JUST BLOGGING ABOUT IT!

I almost had another temper tantrum of the thermostat-variety this morning...but this time it was with the my closet door. I did beat on it a little when it would not shut, but I did not break anything.

It's time for another yard sale for clothes, toys and knick knacks, and an ebay store for unwanted china. Any other suggestions for getting rid of STUFF? I have thought about leaving my door unlocked and a "Burglars Wanted" sign on the front door.

Accountability

Today I met with my driver trainer and we set deadline dates for obtaining my commercial driver's license. I am assistant general counsel at a trucking company, a girly girl in a man's world. My goal is not only to be able to drive an 18-wheeler, but I want credibility and respect.

I also want to be held accountable for my deadlines, so I am posting them on my blog.

January 25, 2008. I will take the written test and obtain my CDL permit.

May 31, 2008. I will obtain my CDL NO LATER than this date.

Very exciting, and very scary.

Currently Reading...

Rumspringa: to be or not to be Amish, by Tom Schachtman.

***Hooray for Girl Power. All is right with the world today.

Jacket Tyrant

Why do my boys always make me feel like a dictator? Or maybe a nazi? Or perhaps just a wicked witch?

Is it so evil and authoritarian to require my 5 year old to wear a jacket when it is 50 degrees, damp, and foggy outside?

Jackson and I went in circles this morning over his jacket. I don't know why this kind of stuff stresses me out so much, but I am a big ball of stress at my desk this morning. I hate fighting with my kids--especially in the mornings before they go to school. I don't want their days to begin with a stressful argument with Mom.

I respect my boys' opinions, and I encourage them to tell me exactly what they think and feel. Yet, it is so tempting sometimes to declare "because I say so". This ends all discussion, all debate, and puts your child in his or her place.

My boys used to take advantage of our liberal household by bargaining over everything--bedtimes, food, books, playtime, etc. I put an end to the bargaining, but I still want them to tell me what they think and how they feel...but I think I want the 6:45am exception that allows me to say "Put on your jacket NOW...because I say so!!!"

***I guess I need to admit why I am so stressed out right now, several hours post-argument, so maybe my Mommmy Guilt will ebb a bit. Jackson eventually stumbled the mumble to the car, griping over this offensive jacket, threatening to spill crocodile tears. I turned the tables on him in a really evil and sneaky way. I managed to produce tears. I told him how much he had hurt my feelings. I do everything I can to make him happy and he just complains and fusses at me. I REALLY poured it on thick. Mommy wins! But I feel crappy about it.

***I feel even crappier. I just got a call from the nurse at his school. Jackson bumped his cheek on the pencil sharpener and its swollen and bruised. Not at all related to the War of the Jacket, but I still feel crappy. Being a parent is so hard.

Long Overdue Christmas Pictures

Boys win! Boys win!

Family meals. Why do I bother?

We took the boys to the zoo this morning, and then I lovingly spent 30 minutes in the kitchen making sloppy joes for my family. Verdict? "DISCUSTIN!!" declared Judge Jackson. Yep. My sloppy joes sucked. At least Jackson and Alex thought so. Michael and I found them to be yummy. I bribed Alex to eat his with promises of Cheez-its. Jackson just whined and complained. I made the mistake of telling them there was celery in the sloppy joes. Attention Parents: NEVER TELL YOUR KID THERE IS CELERY IN HIS FOOD!!!

We spent the afternoon with the boys. We took them to the park, let them ride their Big Wheels around the neighborhood, and let them play in the backyard for hours. Once again, I spent almost an hour in the kitchen, and lovingly created red, yellow, green and orange stuffed peppers for dinner. I let the boys pick out a color, and promised them their was only ketchup (tomato sauce), hamburger, and rice in the pepper. No, I did NOT tell them about the onion...We also promised them they would not have to eat the pepper.

Dinner was a disaster. Once again, Jackson declared that dinner was "discustin". Alex whined and complained, but he ate about half the meat and rice with the promise of a fudge brownie. Jackson bawled and acted like I was feeding him doodoo. Eventually we got a few bites in him, along with half a banana and a brownie. I don't know if I even tasted my meal.

So, family meals. Tomorrow night we are having cheese and chicken quesidillas...and they plan to dip them in ketchup. Less discustin that way.

Temper Tantrums

I busted our thermostat today. Like, I punched it. Shame on me.

The morning started out great. I got up at 5:15, I exercised, cooked myself yummy fried banana french toast (weight watchers--low fat), and hopped in the shower. Things always seem to go downhill once JBO and Short Round get up. First they started complaining about the clothes I selected for them to wear. Then Alex started screaming because he could not button his jeans...then he started whining because he could not get the velcro on his shoes tight enough...then he pitched a fit because he could not get his gloves on correctly. This always puts me in a great mood. After all of this Alex Drama, we had to rush to feed the dogs and get breakfast on the table.

While the boys ate, I got in a big fight with the underwire in my new bra. It would not lay flat against my chest. Big pisser.

Its 22 degrees in Columbia, South Carolina. For us warm-blooded Southerners, that is damn cold. I could not find Jackson's coat. I had to scrounge up something for him to wear so he would not freeze. Mind you, I should have left 5 minutes ago to get to school before the carpool line got out of control.

Finally, I punched the thermostat. We have had this particular unit for 3 1/2 years, and we were too lazy to call Midlands Heating and Air for 3 1/2 years to report the messed-up thermostat. When we run the heat, it tends to "stick"--the digital reading will not move up or down and the heat gets stuck running continuously. It takes a lot of wiggling, taking on and off, and button-pushing to get it going again. Today, I tried another strategy. I punched it. Hmmm. Good idea?

We are meeting the technician at our house today at 4pm.

I suck?

Michael informed me yesterday that my last post was lame. I think he actually claimed that it sucked. Why would anybody care about what I am currently reading?

OK, lots of pics from Christmas to be uploaded tonight. And, just maybe, I can think of something interesting to write about.

Currently Reading...

The Venetian Betrayal, by Steve Berry.