Oh. Oh. I Know.

Dear Friends and Family,

It's so silly, the things I can get excited about. I just realized, I can bring a book that P borrowed with me today when I go to school, and return it to the friend we borrowed it from. If I succeed, that'll be one more thing crossed off of the list. That'll leave two things on my list:

1. summer camp
2. preliminary layout

on my "the nows" list. I can, for the record, say that my list has never been that short in my entire life. But, wait, I shouldn't get ahead of myself. I still need to complete the four things on my list.

1. recommendation (today)
2. transfer 3 photos to iphoto (today)
3. Christmas presents (weekend)
4. Christmas cards (weekend)

Then, I'll be down to two, if you don't count setting up two dinner dates. Well, anyway, it's never been that short in my entire life. Maybe it was back when I was single and living alone. But not anytime in the last 15 years. Wow.

Last night, we had a ton of fun visiting a friend's house. Let's call him The Entomologist and her The Entomologist's Wife. As you can guess, he collects bugs. P asked if she could see his bug collection and he did a great job of engaging her. He did a brief lesson first. Then, he showed her how he collects bugs, and preserves bugs, and pins bugs, and categorizes bugs, and ultimately studies bugs. She saw some bugs under a microscope. And, he showed her all sorts of larger bugs from some of his travels. I learned a ton as well.

Time to get ready for the day.


Cheers!
mouse

Final Stretch

Dear Friends and Family,

The holidays loom ahead, but, the end is in sight. Most of the gifts are ordered. Our cards arrived yesterday for us to send out. And, now, all that remains is a day of work and a recommendation for a colleague applying to business school.

Ah, business school. The expense of it is extraordinary now. And, the return not as obvious. I guess if I were 27 again, I'd probably apply again. I guess. But, being not 27, I'm just not sure. The pretzels that applicants get themselves knotted into is painful to watch. There are stellar candidates and then there are people who apply without any real idea of what they're applying to. Either way, it's my job, if I agree to write a recommendation, to write a recommendation. My recommendations are always honest and I try to do a balanced job of highlighting the candidate's strengths while acknowledging room for growth and development. I'm not going to gush. It's just not credible. And, it's not useful for the school in helping them screen candidates.

Well, I have a recommendation due tomorrow. And, outside of that, it's a free day with P to enjoy ourselves. I'll have to ask her what she wants to do. Exciting!


Cheers!
mouse

12.17.13: Spending Time with Friends

Dear Friends and Family,

What a wonderful weekend! We got to spend time with all of our friends from the Winter Cabin. It was cold as all get out, but in a city that's prepared for the cold, with friends who just get on with business, no one seemed phased by it all.

We got to see our old neighbors and catch up with J & J who we don't get a chance to see all that often any more. I had lunch with a girlfriend from old work and we stuffed ourselves on Chinese food. I went to a girlfriend's housewarming party and fed the fire while catching up with old friends and meeting new friends. And, while I didn't get to see my old Turk, we did get to take P to a children's museum where she had a ton of fun.

All in all, it was a most wonderful weekend. And, today, I'm off to work. #momoftheyear would take her kid sledding, but I'm going to let P play with her BFF while I get some extra hours in. That way, I've got more time with her while she's on winter break.


Cheers!
mouse

Spending Time with Family and Friends

Dear Friends and Family,

This has been a good week.

Two of the things that make me happy are spending time with family and spending time with friends. And, I got to do both this week. Our friend in need of a nickname was over until yesterday. Last night, I got to spend time with friends and happy hour. And, this weekend we get to see some friends for a housewarming party. All, that is good. But, even better, is that I feel like I got good time with P as well. She's growing so quickly that I need to appreciate the time. I don't want to wake up and find that she's all grown up.

Today, I've got lots of odds and ends. Which leads to an empty to do list which also makes me happy.

This has been a good week.


Cheers!
mouse

December Euphoria

Dear Friends and Family,

Christmas cards ordered. Now, we can move on to Christmas presents. Lots of people to buy for. I think I've got a decent list. I guess now I need to put together a plan of who gets what. Then, we can begin shopping. We're behind this year. But, in other ways we're ahead.

This year, unlike last year, we can actually relax in our living room. In fact, yesterday, Mr. mouse and I both worked from home, on the couch, with our feet propped up, with the Christmas tree in front of us. This year, unlike last year, we are not in a manic mode of completing school applications. We get to enjoy P's time without feeling like we need to be working on draft 8.1 of essay 4 of school 6. Definitely ahead there. And, this year, unlike last year, I've made progress on my idea. I've taken the plunge. I've hired my first employee. All good things.

Our "nows" are under control. And, we're slowly plugging away at the "laters" on the to do list. And, that, my friends, is progress.


Cheers!
mouse

Okay. You Can Give This One.

Dear Friends and Family,

Last night, I volunteered a grey hat from P's closet for the giving tree at school. All of a sudden, she was in love with the grey hat. So, Mr. mouse went out last night and bought a new hat, a pink and white hat with a sparkly gem on it. The first words out of P's mouth when she got downstairs this morning were, "okay, you can give this one." Of course, she was referring to the grey hat.

Now, she's sad and Mr. mouse is trying to console her. Last night, the hat needed a tag. This morning, oddly enough, she says that not all of the hats on the tree have tags.

Sometimes it's tough being four and a half. Sometimes it's tough not to laugh as the parent.


Cheers!
mouse

Pursuing Happiness

Dear Friends and Family,

It's Tuesday and I'm tired. I was up late last night working on P's yearbook.

Today, I'm off to work, again. And, I've got to download P's November photos tonight. Upload them to dropbox and import them to iphoto. There's GOT to be an easier process. I think. But, somehow, I don't think. That, and I need to download and read the December newsletter. Oh, and I have three emails I need to write. Then, I will feel accomplished for the day.

Yesterday was a good day. One of the things I have been trying to be better about is being in the moment with P. Somehow, I found myself letting Mr. mouse have the evenings with P while I was getting other stuff done. But, I was missing the time with P. So, I've been making it a point to let go of all of the other stuff during the evening and being present in the conversations with P. It's good. Spending time with Mr. mouse and P makes me happy.

So, I'll get done what I can get done while P is napping today. Then, I'll pick up where I left off when P goes to sleep. At least, that's the plan.


Cheers!
mouse

12.09.13: Oh Christmas Tree

Dear Friends and Family,

It's so nice having a four and a half year old in the house. She's so easily delighted and so open sharing her joy.

Saturday, we got our Christmas tree. We picked it up after lunch and P napped while Mr. mouse put the lights on. When P woke up from her nap and came downstairs, the lights were just about on and she was giddy with excitement.

We went out for a fabulous ramen dinner and P was so cute. Mommy, I really like the restaurant you picked. Mommy, that was a great choice you made. Mommy, we should come here again.

We came home and started putting up ornaments. Each ornament solicited a response from P. Oh, this one is lovely. Oh, I like this one, it's so sparkly. Oh, this one is my favorite. It was almost too much.

We also started telling her some of the stories. This one is the first one Mommy bought. This is the one from the year Mommy and Daddy got married. This is the one from the year you were born. This is the one from last year. She wanted to put all the special ornaments up high where everyone could see them.

After decorating the tree, we made cookies from some dough we made earlier in the day. They came out a little crispy, even for me, which is saying something, because I didn't think cookies can ever be too crispy.

Sunday, P went to church. Then, we went boot shopping (bust) and ornament shopping (score). We bought a lovely orange ornament because it's an uncommon color and because we wanted to commemorate P's new found love of the color orange. She wears it at least once a week now.

Our friend, who really needs a nickname because he's moving to the area and we'll be seeing more of him came over for dinner last night. He reads German, so P had a blast reading Benjamin with him. And, I had fun catching up with him, telling him about my family quandaries and sharing thoughts with him on how to be present in the moment and at peace with yourself.

While our friend who really needs a nickname and I were chatting, P was outside with Mr. mouse. She LOVES shoveling so we let her shovel the front steps while the snow blower was going in the back. She also threw snowballs with Mr. mouse and one made it outside the gate. When she came in, she had the pink cheek, pink nose look that makes her even more huggable than she normally is.

And, now it's Monday, and time to get ready for the day.


Cheers!
mouse

Odds and Ends

Dear Friends and Family,

It's Friday and I've got odds and ends to wrap up for the week. Then, we've got a busy weekend.

So, let me wrap my head around today:

1. pick up car
2. send out January party invite

And, the weekend

1. boots for P
2. snow tires for the car
3. Christmas tree
4. our 2014 Christmas ornament
5. order Christmas cards
6. replace toilet seat

I think that's it.


Cheers!
mouse

Grounded

Dear Friends and Family,

P got grounded yesterday. For a week. For misbehaving. Yes, we have a big kid now.

I went to drop P off at school yesterday morning. And, she was tired. And, she wanted to play with her friends. And, it's not cool having your mom hanging out with you when no one else's mom is there. I get it.

That still doesn't make it okay to push me away and say in that mean tone of voice, "Go away, Mommy." Repeatedly.

So, I extricated myself from the situation and thought long and hard about how to deal with it all. I confronted P about it in the afternoon when I picked her up. I told her I was okay if she wanted to play with her friends in the morning. I was also okay leaving her. But, that I was not okay with her approach. She apologized. And, for the next week, any breach in manners will lead to an automatic time-out. There's no second chances for the week.

She was remarkably good last night. One down. Seven to go.


Cheers!
mouse

6am Nurse Visit

Dear Friends and Family,

Fascinating.

In the process of moving benefits from my work to Mr. mouse's work, I must have tripped a wire because my life insurance didn't go through as smoothly as my former life insurance application did. When I applied five years ago, I had to answer a dozen questions on-line and sign a form. This time, I needed to have a mini-physical. A nurse visited me. She took down my height, my weight, my blood pressure, my pulse. She took down my medical history. And, she took a urine sample and blood sample.

It all took about thirty minutes. And, now, I am free to have my tea and go on with my day. While it was inconvenient, not being able to have my tea when I first woke up, it was WAY more convenient than having to schedule a doctor's appointment and have an office visit.

Somehow, I think it's cheaper for the insurance company as well. Yes, the person who came has to be qualified to conduct the visit. And, yes, she spends time traveling vs. going back to back with patients. But, there's no overhead. There's no office that needs to be maintained. There's no additional staff checking people in. There's nothing outside of her bag and her pen. It seems so self-contained.

Fascinating.


Cheers!
mouse

Holiday Crunch

Dear Friends and Family,

It's Tuesday and I'm exhausted. With only three weeks between Thanksgiving and winter break, it's dawned on me that we need to get in full-on holiday mode. Time to put up the tree, time to purchase the presents, time to print out the cards, time to really sit back and reflect on what the holidays are about.

A lot of people celebrate a lot of holidays during December. Having gone to church semi-regularly for a year now, I wonder what I am celebrating. At the core of it, I think I am celebrating the birth of a child. I think about the love and hope I felt when P was born. I think about how it draws the family together, even dysfunctional families like my own. And, I realize that sometimes you need that - that momentary lull to focus on love and hope and peace. It's a good note to end the year on, to kick off the new year on.

It'll be good to spend some time with Mr. mouse's family. And, on my side, my cousin invited us over. It'll be so good to see her. We'll also spend some time with my parents and brother. Even if they can drive me crazy at times, it's important for me for P to know them and to know they love her in their own crazy way. I guess I'll deal with whatever randomness comes of seeing them.

And, on that note, I think I'll use what time I have left to deal with a quick to do. After all, even if it's all about the squishy, warm, and fuzzy stuff, the practical stuff still needs to get done.


Cheers!
mouse

12.02.13: Home Again

Dear Friends and Family,

We went on vacation for five days to visit my sister and my childhood friend. And, while it was great spending time with them, it's good to be home.

Originally planned as a combination beach vacation, family vacation, Thanksgiving with my sister trip, the trip turned into mostly Thanksgiving with my sister. We went to the beach briefly on Wednesday and Thursday. Friday, we went to a park to get some gross motor in. Saturday it rained. And, Sunday it rained. So much for beach. I feel like I've been denied beach for multiple trips now for multiple reasons. I think I may have to make it a point to spend more time in the water next summer so I don't feel so denied.

The family vacation piece was a little tough because my sister doesn't like venturing outside of the house. I mean she really doesn't like it. The real trials and tribulations and the perceived trials and tribulations would be comical, except I feel sorry for my nephew. There could be car accidents, people who can mug you, people who can break into your car, the sun, the possibility of a fall, rain, snakes, mulch to be eaten, sand to be eaten, slides to avoided, swings to be avoided, bugs, lack of food locations, lack of nap locations, I mean the list is endless. So, outside of a trip to the park one day and a visit to see my childhood friend, we were somewhat house bound.

So, we had lots of time with my sister and my brother-in-law and my nephew. P has a lot of fun playing Lego with her uncle. They built all sorts of things together. And, my sister had fun talking with P about all the things P likes to talk about. Mr. mouse and I had fun trying to engage my nephew. We tried to get some colors and numbers into his head. I'm not sure how much of it stuck.

Still, there's much to be thankful for. As always, there's Mr. mouse and P, I can't imagine life without them. I'm thankful for the health and happiness of my family and friends. We're fortunate to have food on the table and a roof over our head. With my work change, I'm thankful for having time to get somewhat involved in P's school. Of course, there is also having time to get the house somewhat back in order. Thirdly, there's having time to work on my idea. We're making progress on our retirement funding. There's time playing with P. And, there's being happy with what you have even if life sometimes seems a little unfair when viewed through the eyes of a four and a half year old.

P was trying to tell us that life was unfair because someone else had more of something than she did. We told her it was important to be happy with what you have and to not always compare. I think the lesson sunk in when she learned that someone else who is older than her only gets $1 a week for allowance and she gets $4. We suggested dropping hers to $1 and she told us it's important to be happy with what you have and to not always compare. I guess she is listening and some of it is sinking in.

Happy Thanksgiving.


Cheers!
mouse