Back in the saddle

So, um, that was a bit of a blogging break wasn't it? I won't flatter myself that anyone was waiting with bated breath for me to pour forth a few typed characters in this space so let's just say hi again, get reacquainted, and hope I can manage a post here or there.

A few random tidbits:

1) We're on Step 2 of 3 in the Great Basement Renovation of 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013. Oh, look at that, it's been going on for a while. There was that whole Recession nonsense that put the project on the back burner but November 2012 kicked it off with a big waterproofing job (Step 1). Let me say this: there is nothing like spending the equivalent of a tiny country's GDP on something that you will NEVER SEE. I prefer my money to show itself in pretty couches or possibly a nice light fixture instead of drains and concrete and plastic. But it's done and if that damn basement ever floods again I have a warranty and someone to blame. Step 2 is a brand spankin' new polished concrete floor that should be done when I get home from work TODAY. And an empty bank account once again.

 Photo prior to final finish coat. It doesn't look like much now

but this is a HUGE improvement over the Before.

2) That leads me into Step 3 which is walls. Our basement needs some. Correction: we have walls but they are of the foundation variety and not the wood and drywall variety so we need to build some new ones. The best part, or perhaps the scary part depending on your point of view, is that Tim plans to build said walls himself. With his hands and some power tools and a saw. (I'm in the scary camp.) We've received a number of estimates from contractors and no. Just no. Many, many dollars worth of no. At least if we want this project done this year. So DIY it is, friends. To be clear, *I* am not DIYing shit. I'm the Pizza Ordering Gal and the Point At Stuff And Tell You That You Are Doing It Wrong Gal. Tim is super excited about that part.

I do believe Tim will be contacting his former brother-in-law (a carpenter by trade) to assist with said wall building but I'm not really sure. I just anticipate a stack of lumber showing up someday soon and losing my husband to the dark depths of the basement for a while. If it means a usable basement in 2013 then I fully support all construction efforts and will order pizzas accordingly.

3) The part-time work schedule is going swimmingly. I love love love walking Noah to school three days a week and hobnobbing with the other (mostly SAHM) moms and dads. I'm slowly getting involved in the parent-teacher organization and the parent fundraising arm and this is totally my bag. The Former Sorority President in me loves this shit. Plus my (lovely and fabulous) next door neighbor is on deck to be her school's PTA prez next year and I can't let her upstage me. I'M ON YOUR HEELS, WOMAN.

4) 18 months. This girl is 18 months old in THREE days and oh my god I forgot how evil 18 month olds can be. It's the bipolar-ness of being 1.5 years old. Tantrums. Screeching. Hitting. Scratching. Followed by immediate remorse and screams of "I LAH MAMA!" (Translation: I love Mama!) "I LAH OAH!" (I love Noah!) and tight bear hugs. It's exhausting. But damn if she isn't the funniest, most expressive and energetic little girl. We all worship at the Church of Chloe and love her evil adorable ways.

 

Chloe, quick, make your Surprise Face!

 

Now give me Sad Face! Excellent work!

5) My boy. He's four (and a half, he'll be quick to point out) and just perfect in so many ways. Kindergarten registration is coming up and my heart is broken for that day to come but full day school in the fall! That just means 3pm is going to be even sweeter when we're reunited and hugging and chatting about our days. Or he'll stomp in, demand a snack, and retire to his room for Peace and Quiet. He's undecided. I'll leave with his latest gem, as told to his nanny today: "I'm going to poop because I'm a man and men poop. It's one of our jobs." His father is teaching him well.

Wrong throne, kid.

See you kids soon. If you're lucky.

(Family photo from our shoot in...September.)

Friday random

I just realized I haven't written Chloe's 6 month post. Or edited any pictures. Or thought about it pretty much at all. And guess what? OH WELL. I'm sorry Future Chloe. I really do love you as much as your oft-written about brother but adding you to the mix has made life busier. And me more tired. So so tired.

Let's see, what else is going on? Oh! We hired a new nanny/sitter/magician who is FANTASTIC. I kind of want her to move in with us and we can all raise the kids together. She's fabulous with the kids and knows how to handle me and does the laundry and the dishes and I HAVE NOT UNLOADED THE DISHWASHER IN TWO WEEKS. That right there is the best thing ever. She's taking the dog to the groomer next week and going to start experimenting with making Chloe baby purees. I KNOW. Are you totally dying of jealously right now? Too bad, you can't have her. She's miiiiinnneeee. Granted we pay for these services but when I walk in the door every day after work and don't have a pile of dishes staring me in the face or a million Legos all over the floor I send up mucho thanks to the powers that be (and a side eye to the Indian Hawk Guide). She makes being a working out of the home mother (to be PC about it) so much easier for me and it's worth every expensive penny. And she takes such good care of my babies. Obviously that is most important. But followed closely by the clean dishes.

Random segue but I read somewhere that the half ages are the terrible ones. It's like a wave where the trough is the full year age and the peak is the half year age and they're certifiably NUTS at the peak. Like little tiny maniacs. I believe this to be true with Noah. We just came out of a half year peak at 3.5 in Jan/Feb when he was a devil. He was defiant, mean, nasty, sassy, and an all around unpleasant little person. Not all the time but enough of the time to make me consider gypsies and front yard for sale signs. And then POOF! Almost overnight he became the sweet, kind, loving boy he used to be at 3. He's polite again, tells me I look pretty in my dress and is eager to please. I am going to ride this all the way until January when the evil half age version comes out again and I have to stop myself from posting him on Craigslist.

Another random segue...we signed up with Mint.com last week. I've heard mixed reviews but I was having a hard time sticking to our budget and couldn't figure out why. Well, now I know. It's FOOD. Holy hell do we spend a lot of money on food. With both Tim and I working downtown aka Land of Ridiculously Expensive Lunch Options we have been spending far too much on lunch. I also found out that Tim has a penchant for breakfast sandwiches/muffin thingies with large Diet Cokes in the morning and he has been put on notice. AND as much as I claim to hate grocery shopping I sure do spend a lot of time and money at Trader Joe's/Marianos/Whole Foods. Oh, and eating out on the weekends is a big chunk of that money. In summary, I am overhauling our food budget and attempting to get back into basic couponing and meal planning. Want to see our meal plan for this coming week? (It's just thrilling for you to come here, isn't it?)

Monday: Stuffed Shells
Tuesday: Coconut Curry Shrimp over Rice
Wednesday: Slow Cooker Salsa Verde Chicken Tacos
Thursday: Chinese Chicken and Broccoli over Rice
Friday: Pepperoni Pizza made at home
Saturday: eat out...maybe.

Now that I have sufficiently bored you to death, I am going to go eat this muffin that WORK paid for. Go team!

Working 9 to 5

Or 8 to 4, in my case. Lately I’ve been thinking about my job and the work I do and why I’ve chosen this path versus another more exciting or perhaps lucrative career. Part of this was inspired by Pseudostoops’ pondering about her recent job change and what it has meant for her and her family and the other part because our recent childcare woes caused us to really dig deep down and evaluate the importance of me working.

When you’re young and inexperienced you look for a job that pays the bills, allows you to have fun on the side and perhaps one that has the potential to grow into a more stable career over time. I started with my company in 2004 when I was just 22 years old. It was a young trust company that needed an administrative assistant and I was less than a year out of college without any real idea what I wanted to be when I grew up. I knew I was organized, detail-oriented and fit the job description if a little over-qualified with a business degree from a respected university. However I was living in the big city and needed a job to pay rent and put money in the bank. Those martinis weren’t paying for themselves and most of the 22 year old guys we were hanging out with rarely understood the importance of buying a woman a drink (I hope they’ve since seen the light).

From 2004-2006, I saw my company through a quick growth period and myself move from an administrative assistant to a trust associate responsible (with a mentor) for the administration of client accounts. But it was still just a job. By this time I had met Tim and was planning our wedding during most of my work days while zooming through my usual work load. Priorities, you know. I invited my entire office at the time, all 8 of them, to our wedding and one still talks about the delicious lamb chops we served as an appetizer. He’s one of my favorites.

From 2006-2008, my company saw me through newlywed-ville, buying our first house and then pregnancy. They ooooohed and aaahhhhed over my growing belly, threw me a wonderful baby shower, and understood when I said I wanted to stay home and raise my baby. They were sad to see me go and told me to come back and visit with the baby any time. They meant it and I did. I spent two years at home with Noah and those are some of the best years of my life. But then we all know what happened in 2008…the economy tanked and my poor husband spent the next three years struggling to make his technology business successful while I worried and fretted and blogged (go ahead, go back and see how much better I was at posting often. As you do when you have one cute baby and nothing else to do with your time.)

By June of 2010 I knew it was time for me to go back to work; partly because I missed working but mostly out of necessity for a steady paycheck and cheaper health insurance. Going back was a one of the most difficult and adult decisions I (we) have ever made. I knew what I was giving up: time with my son, time watching him grow and learn and turn into a little boy. It broke my heart but we found him a wonderful preschool center that, to this day, has cared for him better than anyone else. He’s thrived there and I am eternally grateful to them for making our lives as dual working parents easier.

When I approached my former boss for a recommendation or referral during my job search he offered me my job back on the spot. I was flabbergasted and very flattered. I accepted, asked for more money (as you do) and started within the month. I’ve been back ever since. Over the past two years I’ve earned myself a decent raise, a promotion and the support of management to keep growing in my role with the hope that I can one day be sitting in their cushy seats. The trust business is a dry, ancient business built on the law and tax code. It’s not (usually) exciting or all that thrilling. We don’t reinvent the law, we don’t hop on the latest technology bandwagon, we don’t have break rooms with ping pong tables or on-site laundry or Google-caliber guest speakers. But what I have recently come to find is that we do have good values. You see, I work for a company that values family above all else. When I needed it the most, my company pulled through for me and has supported me tremendously.

We recently had to pull Chloe from her daycare due to concerns about her safety and well-being (and that is saying it VERY nicely). It’s been a really terrible experience and one I do not wish to ever relive. All that matters is that she’s fine, we’re fine, and we’ll be fine at the end of this disaster. Through this entire experience my company has supported me. They have allowed me (PAID!) time off to be with my daughter, with my family. They didn’t expect me to be available by email or phone. They left me alone. I needed that time and I appreciate it immensely. We now have a better care plan in place for our kids. We can move forward without worrying about how we’re going to pay the bills or where my standing is having missed weeks of work.

When I sit back and think about changing jobs or what my company lacks in the 2012 marketplace (hello gourmet lunches and chair massages) I remind myself about what we do have. We have people that pull strings to make sure their employees are taken care of. We have people who send kind notes of encouragement when others have hit rough spots. We have people who understand that family comes first no matter what. NO MATTER WHAT. I don’t need all those perks that some companies throw at their employees to keep them happy. I don’t need a company that is innovating and revolutionizing. I don’t need ridiculous bonuses earned for working equally ridiculous hours. I just need the understanding that I am first a mother and second an employee. They get that so they get me…hopefully for the long run. I know I’m lucky to have landed here and I appreciate that they appreciate me. 

What about you? Are you happy with your job? (and hey SAHMS! this includes YOU...taking care of your kids is one of the hardest jobs out there) What do you do (if you can share)?

Things that have gotten me riled up this week (and it's only Wednesday!)

WARNING: You're entering a Complaint Zone. Enter at your own risk.

Oh lordy, did I get worked up today. Basically a benign conversation with a co-worker wherein I was relating something ridiculous Noah said to his teacher yesterday ended in me defending our discipline philosophy. I was told I was a "pushover", one of these "touchy-feely" parents whose children will "never grow up to respect authority." The issue, obviously, is spanking...to do it or not to do it. See, we don't spank. The reason being is that it just doesn't work for ME. Let me repeat, FOR ME. We have chosen to not spank our kids but I could care less how you choose to discipline yours. Much like breast vs. formula, staying home vs. working out of the house, daycare vs. a nanny, to each their own. Whatever works for you. Yada, yada, YADA. I DO NOT JUDGE NOR CARE.

And all this from someone who doesn't HAVE kids and each time she hears me talking about mine likes to relate a story about when her DOG did something "similar". No, no. Your DOG is nothing like my KID. My kid may act like an animal at times but at least he doesn't lick his own butt.

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I hesitate to even write this (and that probably means I shouldn't) but Chloe's sitter said something that really got me going. On Monday morning, as I was taking Chloe out of her car seat, the sitter said she had a dream about Chloe the night before. A dream that she was BREASTFEEDING my baby. And she went on and on about how great it was and nurturing and loving and OH MY GOD. I just keep reminding myself that a) our sitter is of Eastern European origin and from my experience that culture tends to be very open, honest and frank when speaking with others and b) this might have been her way of showing me how much she adores and cares for my daughter. I left feeling really sad. It was a bold reminder that she gets to love my girl all day while I sit here, in my ergonomically-correct office chair, typing on my computer, looking at spreadsheets and contracts, and staring longingly at the picture of my kids.

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While I was on maternity leave HR let my share of the health insurance premiums accrue so now I have a HUGE balance to pay back. And they'll only spread it out over two paychecks which means these next two paychecks will be a pittance. I do not like.

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We cannot seem to get on a good morning schedule. Unless I start waking up at 5:00 am (which, no) I feel like our mornings will always be rushed. We have four people, going four different places and all at different times. Both kids can be at their respective caregivers as early as 7:30 am but I think the problem is that I had gotten used to Tim dropping Noah off at 8:30 am (Before Baby) so 7:30 am seems really early when, in reality, it's not. So we have to figure out who takes who and when. I have a more set time I need to be at work whereas Tim is more flexible (I guess that's why he has the V and the P in front of his name and I...do not). This lack of a schedule and PLAN tips me from HappyVille to CrazyTown in two point two seconds.

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The office vending machine is out of Snickers and I have to settle for M&Ms and not even the good peanut butter or pretzel kind. The nerve.

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Anything gotten you all riled up this week? Do share!