President Wifey:Blogtober14

If I were President...you know what?  I wouldn't ever be the President.  I don't need the stress or responsibility.  But you know, I kinda am the President of my household.  So going forth I declare these three things:

1)We shall eat dinner at the dining room table, every night (ok-maybe at least two times a week).  Baby asks every night if we can eat at the table as a family like it is some sort of treat.  Sadly-it almost is.  We aren't the best at cooking so we tend to all eat different meals for dinner and end up eating at different times. I need to take advantage of her requests before she is refusing to come out of her room, even for her favorite meals.

2)Going forth, you will pick up after yourself.  I'm probably the person who needs to hear this the most, but I feel like we can get everything clean and the moment the first person (me) leaves something laying around-every single other person just follows suit and it is chaotic.

3)When Mommy is sleeping-NO ONE WAKE HER UP.  Unless it is an emergency.  Or the Baby has to eat.  Or there is chocolate cake.

Blogging Surprises: Blogtober14

Even though this blog has been around for only four years-I have technically been blogging for 13 years now.  I started my blogging career over at LiveJournal, and in fact-I still have it but no one I know in real life  has access to it.  If you think I'm bad about updating on this blog from time to time-it is so much worse over there.  I still keep it (and update it) because I have met so many people who I consider friends, not just internet randoms.

My first userpic for my LJ-I was so proud of my paint skills.

I think that is what is so so surprising to me, that blogging has brought me real friends.  My husband used to be really creeped out by it.  I would say things to him like, "Oh one of my friends did this..." and he would have to ask me if it was a real friend or just an internet friend.  This was back in the very early 2000s so maybe it wasn't as mainstream as it is now.

Another way I have made friends was by applying to be a Dallas Moms Blog contributor.  If I hadn't already started publicly blogging, then I wouldn't have been selected.  I was feeling like I had a void in my life-having other moms I considered friends to turn to.  When I was selected, I was thrust into a community of supportive mothers who just got it.

I gain so much from blogging. For me it really isn't for the swag (though that is a really awesome perk) or for money but to be a part of a really awesome community that I just wouldn't be a part of if it weren't for blogging.

Halloween As A Parent: Blogtober14

Growing up, I was never all that into Halloween. Sure as a kid I was but once I hit middle school, I just wasn't into it. It isn't that I didn't like the idea of creating costumes-it was just that my boobs were so big that even when I wasn't trying to turn a costume sexy (sexy ketchup...sexy chair...sexy dog) it looked as if I was. Boyfriend still teases me to this day when we hosted a house party in college and all the girls were dressed cute (aka sexy) and I was dressed like someone from the 80s-but when they were ten. 

Now that I'm a mom though, it is so much more fun! Our first Halloween with a kid, Baby was a Dronkey (half donkey, half dragon from Shrek) and she was the cutest one you ever did see. 

This year is Pillow's first Halloween, we don't know what Baby will be. She initially said she wanted to be Elsa (duh) but she is already trying to impress her crush at daycare and said she wanted to be Spider Girl.  I'm not buying a costume until the weekend before-so not only will she not have time to change her mind, she also will have a VERY limited selection.

Last year was the first year that we truly went trick or treating.  My hood was a total bust-we walked two miles almost and only five houses were passing out candy!  Then again, I live in a neighborhood where the median age is 85 (Pillow brought it down from 90) so I suppose everyone was already in bed by dusk.

We will be going to another neighborhood this year to participate in trick or treating.  I'm really excited for the candy that "isn't safe to eat" so that I can eat it.  I'm also a really mean mom because another thing I can't wait to pull the Jimmy Kimmel Halloween Candy Prank on Baby.  I'll be sure to update with the video next month!

Dear Self in 10 Years: Blogtober14

Dear Wifey, 

Ten years ago you had a four year old (though if you said it around her, you had to be sure to include the "and a half") and a three month old.  And pretty much every single thought process revolved around sleep.  Or the lack of it.  I hope that as you read this, you woke after a full nights sleep and feel refreshed.  Though with a 14 year old (and a half) and a 10 year old-the odds are still unlikely.

But just as this time is a phase, the teen years will be too.  I hope that the last ten years have been filled with moments of love and happiness.  I pray that watching Baby and Pillows relationship develop from big/little sister to friends has been as fulfilling as you had hoped.

Boyfriend probably still drives you insane in all the same ways, but at this point-20 plus years into your relationship, you've figured it out.  And if you haven't learned the lesson yet-if he is grumpy, feed him.  He gets really hangry.

I hope that you have achieved your first set of career goals.  If you haven't yet and it is because you gave more to your family than your career, it is ok.  Don't be hard on yourself, having a young family is just another phase in life that will be over too soon and you will have the opportunity to put all of your focus on work.  Enjoy your family first.

I hope that as you read this, you feel as blessed as you do as I write this.  Life is good.  And it will be even more so when you finally sleep more than four hours at a time.

Best Vacation: Blogtober14

 

The day after my wedding I was fired from my job as a nanny.  It wasn't due to anything I had done-basically I had been placed with this family (Family T) through an agency that charges a hefty fee.  Family T had hired me six weeks prior to my wedding and since Boyfriend and I hadn't set our honeymoon in stone (we are deal seekers-we were just going to go with a last minute deal) I advised Family T I would postpone my honeymoon until August so that they didn't have to worry about trying to find childcare soon soon after her return from maternity leave.  The mom was insistent I didn't need to, but I felt like it was the right thing to do. 

There were a lot of signs looking back something was shady but I didn't realize it at the time.  For starters, during my contract negotiation, there was a clause about severance should they no longer need my services.  She was extremely hesitant and only agreed to that portion if she didn't have to pay one if my services were terminated due to my doing.  Family T also made a comment to me, "Well if we have to terminate your services I will be sure to do so before my six week guarantee with the agency so I can get my placement fee back."

Another warning-the mom told me that the grandmother would say she was going to watch the baby in the future but to ignore her because she would never have her mom watch her full time.  Sure enough, Grandmom would tell me (when she randomly checked in on me) that she was going to retire soon and would be watching the baby full time.

So while I shouldn't have been, I was totally shocked the day after my wedding, I received a call from my agent telling me that Family T didn't want me to return to work on Monday.  Basically-the Family used the agency to get a quality short term nanny to supplement the time between her return to work and when the grandmother was going to retire.  They had to say it was my fault though and made an excuse I was on the internet too much while the baby was sleeping so that they didn't have to pay the severance in my contract and could get their placement fee back. 

Long story short-I was without a job and we didn't plan a honeymoon because of what I thought was a long term position.  Somehow though-we still managed to put together a last minute trip, that while far from a honeymoon, was my most fond vacation memories.

My aunt and uncle live in the Tampa area and I had flight benefits through my father at AA so Boyfriend and I planned a trip to go to Universal Studios and visit my aunt and uncle for a few days.

It wasn't the fanciest vacation and we were trying to be frugal as possible (which is a total bummer while out of town) since we didn't know when I would get another job.  But we were newlyweds and just took the opportuity to have fun together and relax on a beach.

I look back at those few days a have feelings of romantic nostalgia and sweetness.  I was as relaxed as could be in our circumstances and savored our time together before what ended up being a stressful two months of unemployement.  

Sadly, we still haven't taken our honeymoon.  Now that we have an infant, it might be some time before we do.  But I guarantee this-we will one day!

10 Thoughts When I Started Blogging: Blogtober14

I started my blog nearly four years ago.  Boyfriend had been writing his for almost a year over at Jack and the Babytalk with some moderate success.  I kept giving him blog ideas and he would never write them so I finally just decided that I would start one for myself.

"I'm an okish writer-people will enjoy reading my blog!"
"I will never run out of ideas!"
"See..writing a blog isn't that difficult-I don't see why Boyfriend can't do it more often."
"Maybe one day, I'll make money off my blog!"
"Wouldn't it be cool if I could get free stuff because of my blog?"

I quickly got to work writing out different blog post ideas.  After just two posts, I quickly realized that having a blog was totally different than what I had originally thought.

"Dang..It is really hard to communicate my thoughts eloquently."
"Boyfriend is so much funnier than I am, no one will want to read my blog if I'm not funny."
"I have NO idea what to write about."
"People are going to get really sick of reading about my kid."

"I need to stop worrying about writing for a specific audience and just be me."

Between the years of 2010-2013 I only wrote 30 posts, less than one a month.  While I definitely have my ebbs and flows in posting, I've realized I can write more freely when I am just open and honest.  I've had people contact me and thank me for being totally open and as real as possible.  Sure I post about my kids on almost every post-but that is who I am.  And while over the last couple of years I have had the opportunity to receive some really awesome #bloggerperks, truly this blog is for me.  So while my initial and secondary thoughts were far from where I am now, I am so thankful I did start my own!

Fall Bucket List: Blogtober14

Texas, especially Dallas, doesn't have the opportunity to experience much Fall. Basically when I think of Fall-I think of the month of October. Every year we try to jam pack as many Fall activities into the month of October as possible but there has been three consistent things that we have done every year. I know bucket lists are supposed to be things you have aspirations to complete and move onto the next, but for me-my Fall wouldn't feel complete without these three activities:

Yesterland Farm:  Honestly, the farm isn't a "OMG THIS PLACE IS AMAZING" but more one of those places you keep returning to based off nostalgia and just pure fun.  There are pig races, a legit corn maze, and these high powered apple/corn shooter things that my husband is obsessed with.  Also-there are a lot of places to take awesome family pictures.

State Fair of Texas: Ok if you live anywhere near the city of Dallas, you probably visit the state fair.  It is an awesome fair and I love going every year to try all the new fried foods-fried butter anyone?  While I'm joking about that one (when I bit into it scalding hot melted butter exploded in my mouth) I usually try all the new things plus my favorite fried chocolate covered strawberries.  Baby has started to recognize the Kids on the Farm section and it just keeps getting better each year to watch her go through it.  Last year I went a total of three times which was probably one too many-this year I plan on only making two trips (one work, one family).

Pumpkin Carving: Ok so this one is a fairly new tradition, one that started when we bought the house in 2007.  It was a tradition that the girls our group were really excited about starting and then the boys were dragging their feet.  They all thought pumpkin carving was totally lame.  Until they realized that it didn't have to be your standard jack-o-latern faces but could be intricate designs.  Since that first year, it has been a competition who can do the highest level of pumpkin design.  Or at least for the boys, I get frustrated and over it really, really quickly and do the simple designs (see generic pumpkin in middle right in the picture above).  What I love so much about this is it is a couples activity that everyone truly enjoys and as well all start to add kids to the bunch, it will become a family activity for us all.
If I missed out on doing one of those three activities I would feel like my Fall isn't complete.  And then I would look like this sad guy: