Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Pieces of Life {Not Forgotten}

As the three of us all snuggled in bed
baby poking me on the inside
one tickling my chin with fluffy hair on the outside
your hand entwined in mine
I realized we were about to get even better



Reason number 7,254,006 that I love you:
you look like Jimmy Neutron when you wake up
That makes me love Jimmy Neutron
but not as much as I love you



History: I gave Paul a Jimmy Neutron sticker for his server book when we first met and were working at Kee Grill a hundred years ago....before he liked me. I showed my love my giving him little tokens, stickers and small stuffed creatures, lost by children that I found on my runs and throughout my days without him that reminded me of him. I guess it worked. Thanks Jimmy and Stuart Little.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Orals

I found out yesterday that I was invited to the Oral Assessment, the next step in the process of becoming a member of the Foreign Service. The Oral is an all-day interview in Washington, DC. The news couldn't have been more timely as I was suffering from an acute case of the 'Mondays'. Though I had an iced Venti blackeye in hand and had just that morning been on the receiving end of a pep talk from Elise regarding the excitement and promise a new week can bring, I was only just pulling myself out of the funk when the email arrived in my inbox. Though I don't sign up for my interview date until the last week in September, I will know by the end of the day whether or not I am placed on the hire list.

SHMI (Sam Hanna Mgmt., Inc.)





Making deals! I know...I know...my office is a sty. And that's Sam's sippy cup...not mine. Don't ask me why I have a roll of paper towels on my desk. It was my lumbar pillow in an act of desperation!

Saturday, September 5, 2009

Reentry Shields

On rare occasion, I have a reaction to my contacts which forces me to wear my glasses for a day. This is usually not a problem, since I work at a computer indoors. Unfortunately, it is nearly impossible to drive without sunglasses. See below....

It gives Elise an idea of what I might look like in another 50 years...!



Thursday, September 3, 2009

Our Babies as Stick People


I have to let Elise explain MOPS to you. In brief, it stands for Mothers Of Pre-Schoolers. I thought she was joking when she said they did a lot of 'crafting'! :)

ps #2's diaper is homemade. Let's just hope his/hers real diapers are a little sturdier!


eta:

!!!!!!!!Ok. let me just start by saying that this is a cult of moms that brainwashed me and sucked me in!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ok now that I got that out. I came to a little group when I was pregnant with Sam that my friend recommended, I was in need of a good education on what the 'typical' mom did, and I got it...but after returning for another year with babe in arms and a lot about motherhood to learn, I have learned much more. (I was even brainwashed into joining the leadership team as graphic design, creativity maven extraordinaire)

What I've learned:

1. There is no such thing as the 'typical' mom, all moms are different. We may parent the same or dress the same but no one does anything exactly identical and nobody should. All kids are different, families are different and different things work for different people. (except bringing your sick kid to a room of other healthy kids and for that you idiot mom, should be bitch-slapped)

2. Crafts are fun. I've always dug a good craft, ask Paul I have an entire walk-in-closet of craft supplies. All crafts are however not created equal and most of the crafts we do at this group should be done only in a closet where no one can see you. However, each craft when done with a loved one, a good friend, or stranger becomes much more than a craft, it becomes and experience. One that yields a silly stick doll that represents your babies, that you love because it is your mini Popsicle stick of your child/baby and because the women you made them with have the same love for their Popsicle sticks/children :) Seriously I almost cried when I made those stupid things today (hormonal much?) there is nothing like being able to hold a Popsicle stick replica of your toddler and the baby in your tummy in one hand. Sheesh.

3. You are never to good for anything, ever. You may think you are, but you will also be lonely with no one to blame but your goodness.

4. Fashion is very important to me. Still. Always. Forever. NO sweat pants, no mom-jeans, no bad hair.

5. I can learn a lot from other people, and I have. I've learned what I want to do and what I don't want to do as a mom. I'm sure I've taught others the same and that is good anyway you slice it.

I swore wholeheartedly I'd never join a moms group. It isn't my 'bag' but I'm glad I did, I'm better for it, humbled by it, inspired by other women and reminded that we are all working toward a common goal, love and peace and happiness and success for our families, for our children and for our marriages.

Case closed. Stop trying to out me from my moms group closet Paul!!!!!!!!!!!!! Gosh.
My facade is much to cool for that :)

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Our House

20 weeks Halfway There!



20 Weeks brought to you by Hanna Photography (Photographs by Paul, creative editing & styling by Elise)


I know if feels as though we have abandoned blog a bit lately...and well I have. I have been so busy (and blessed) with work that I've had to shift concentration a bit. Lord how I wish I could do it all, well I kind of do but somethings are a little half assed, I let that be my personal blog and not my parenting :)


This baby is growing and kicking, especially when one little Sam is near my belly. The sibling rivalry has started already! Oy! I feel great, a little exhausted as the first photo would suggest and still (again) baking up a storm. It thought these photos were apropos considering my love of baking turned pregnancy OBSESSION! I baked nearly everyday with Sam so much so that I wrote out a business plan to open a cupcake shop and if I had time and didn't already own a successful and budding business I might open up shop right here in my own kitchen, if only to get rid of all this fattening food so I don't eat it all!


Paul thinks from our ultrasound the other day that the baby looks like a boy. I asked why and this is what I heard: "It has a strong brow." It looked like a cat to me :) a cute cat!!!!!!! But, a strong brow? Seriously Paul!
More updates to come. ...
elise

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Sam's 1st Peepee in the Toity!

On our recent road trip to South Carolina and Maryland, we came into possession of an wooden stool that used to be Elise's dad's when he was a little boy. It was given to us by Elise's grandmother and we packed it into the trunk and brought it home. In our parenting zeal, we were eager to put Sam at the top of it and show him how to hold on and aim for the bowl, but, alas, he mostly tottered around and threatened to pitch head first into the water.

A few weeks ago, we made a trip (or two!) down to Ikea in Ft. Lauderdale to buy a new day bed. On a whim we threw in this $3 robin's egg blue plastic potty called Er Pupel or some Swedish word with lots of umlauts over it that probably means toliet or poop in Swedish.

I should probably backtrack and explain that Sam is obsessed with flushing toilets. I guess most toddlers his age are, but it is impossible to go to the bathroom in our house without Sam barging in after you to flush the toliet. At least now he waits for you to finish. I can only imagine him playing contentedly at his wooden Thomas train tracks or his Fischer Price parking garage until the sound of someone going to the bathroom reaches his ears, whereupon his ears perk and he launches himself full speed toward the bathroom door, lest he miss the coveted opportunity to work the flusher.

Well, this afternoon all that groundwork bore magical fruit in the form of a miniscule little puddle in the bottom of a $3 Ikea potty.

Elise, Sam and I were hanging out in his room. Elise and I were debriefing each other on the day's events. Sam was piling cars into the elevator shaft of the aforementioned parking garage, bumper to bumper. When we both noticed how.....flatulent (sorry!) Sam was. I carpe diemed and grabbed the potty, took Sam's diaper off and sat him on it, but he wouldn't sit still. Instead he hopped up and skipped to the big toliet.

I pulled the step stool out from under the sink and positioned Sam at the top of it. And he tried! He was pushing and pushing but nothing would come out. We gave up after a few moments, but Sam still seemed to be trying so we sat him back on the potty. He pushed and pushed. He even held on to the side of the cabinet. Finally, he stood up to survey the damage and, lo and behold, there was a tiny squirt of pee in the bottom of the potty!!!!

No one could have been more thrilled or happy than Sam himself. He gleefully poured the pee into the toliet and flushed. He was rewarded for his toil with a pink frosty cookie!