Bookish (and not so Bookish) Thoughts

[my neglected, but so loved, pups]

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1. I saw someone cleaning the outside of their house with a duster when we were walking earlier and I was like, "WHAT THE HECK I CAN BARELY KEEP THE INSIDE CLEAN!!!!" I hate that person. I don't need the bar set that high. 

2. I am very excited for Halloween next week. Sawyer is going to be Chewbacca and he loves his costume very much. I am a little nervous that he might choke when it comes to seeing other people dressed up, though, since he has completely lost it when he's seen mascots at events. Nonetheless, I already called Reese's PB Cups for the mom trick-or-treating tax.

3. I hate chewy, fruity candy, but I am obsessed with strawberry and cherry Hi-Chews. They're soooooooo gooooooooood. 

4. It's been a rough five or so days and I cannot wait for this week to be over. Actually, last week was sort of crappy too. It's been one little thing after another, which as stand alone issues are pretty manageable, but when they all start piling up things start becoming overwhelming. Compounded with a head cold and the normal bone-tired exhaustion, well, let's just say enough is enough.

5. The book we just read for book club, The Sellout by Paul Beatty, won the Man Booker. An American! Since it's a satire on race it's of course not for everyone, but I really enjoyed it and we had a good conversation. It's not a book for every book club, either, but the six of us are pretty respectful, open-minded people , so it worked for us. 

6. Last week I wrote about how I had no plans for this past weekend and how it was probably good for me. It was not. I need things to look forward to and structure my time around. It's who I am and I own it. Hello, my name is Christine, and thrive on being busy. 

7. Do you need a laugh? I think you do. Take a look at these hilarious tweets about Obama and Biden.

8. I told my son that he was going to try soup for dinner while we were washing his hands. He thought I said "soap" so the next thing I know, he's licking the soap off his hands. I can't get him try real food, but he didn't even think twice about licking soap off his hands. Sigh. Toddlers. 

9. I made Sally's Salted Caramel Pretzel Crunch Bars last weekend and they were perfection. There are a million steps, though, so they can't be done on the fly. Still worth it (so is making the salted caramel from scratch).

10. There are so many post ideas swimming around in my head right now, but TIME! If there's a will there's a way... Supposedly. Something like that. [If I type it is real].

Bookish (and not so Bookish) Thoughts

[it's Chomsky's birthday!]

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1. I got some really great news last week- our daycare provider has agreed to take Sawyer on for one more school year, so I don't have to find somewhere new to put him in the fall. He'd be not quite two and a half and I knew that he would be too young for a lot of preschools, but I didn't want to put him in another home daycare and then pull him out the following year when he was old enough to go. Problem solved. It's been weighing on me heavily, so this has definitely been a relief. 

2. Last Friday I noticed a growth the size of a marble on the outside of our Golden's bottom gumline and knew that we should take her in to have it checked out. They had an appointment for Saturday afternoon, so I loaded up the neurotic dog and the energetic toddler to go to the vet. They confirmed that it needed to be biopsied, so we dropped her off on Monday for a dental cleaning and to have it removed. So now we wait for the results... a few days... a few weeks... They were pretty noncommittal but we're of course hoping for something benign.

3. Last Saturday was sort of a mess, in general, actually. We had to get our taxes done in Orange County and when we got back my husband had to head back into the office for the rest of the day and evening (that's why I had vet/kid/dog duty). I was extremely tired and really stressed about being so behind at life, so by the time dinner rolled around I was DONE. Sawyer and I ran to Chick-fil-a and when I got the window to pay the young lady started complimenting my physical appearance. She got some of her coworkers involved, just to make it even more awkward, plus completely untrue, as I looked like a total disaster. And as I was driving away it dawned on me- she knew that I felt like crap, that I was a tired, stressed wreck, and she was just trying to be a sincerely nice person. I could care less about what fast food employees think about my looks, but that the fact that she was making an effort to be legitimately sweet to a stranger made my chicken sandwich a little more enjoyable. Now if only her parent company didn't hate homosexuals and make me feel like a douchebag for giving them money (fun fact- I just went back again a few weeks ago after resisting for years). 

4. Guess what? Only two more days until Fuller House. If I had the time, and my friends and I were all available and childless, I'd have a watch party. Can you imagine the drinking games that will soon be in existence? How many times will Stephanie say "how rude!" Or Joey "cut it out"? It's going to be horrible wonderful and I cannot wait to see this trainwreck. I asked Scott if he cared if I watched it when I got home without him and the look I got from him made me think that maybe he doesn't care as much as I do...?

5. I must have parties on the brain, because we are talking about having some sort of gathering this summer. A few years ago we had one that was really, really fun, but now most of our friends have kids, so this one would be a bit more family-friendly (last time I flat-out told people that they couldn't bring their children, haha). I love having people over and it's nice with the pool, so hopefully we can coordinate something for a few months away.

6.  I've been listening to Stephen King's On Writing and it's been motivating me to at least think about some of the projects that I have floating around in my head. His perspective is different from mine, but it's definitely thought-provoking. He's mentioned Misery a few times, and, coincidentally, so has my husband recently, so I decided to order it. A writer, a stalker, and a farm? It sounds like a quick read that I might possibly get a kick out of for various reasons.

7. Freshly washed skinny jeans are quite possibly the most demoralizing thing ever.

8. To counter that, though, American Apparel's leggings are quite the opposite. I'm resisting the urge to buy five more pairs.

9. Sawyer has been quite the little artist lately and I'm loving it. He was into coloring last week, and then we moved on to sidewalk chalk this weekend (he was outside with it for an hour! Amazing!) and right now he's using one of those water paintbrushes to make pictures appear. I think he's going through some sort of developmental motor-skill sort of spurt (or whatever you want to call it) because he's been doing a lot better with building block towers, getting Duplo pieces to stick together, and trying to put clothes on. It's a lot of fun to watch and I love being able to introduce new things that he enjoys doing.

10. I'm still plugging away at Notorious RGB and still find it fascinating (I hated her for a minute when they mentioned her ability to get by on only a couple of hours of sleep a night, though). I've been trying to get a lot of grading done this week, though, since this weekend is starting to fill up, so my reading is suffering a little. Getting papers out of the way is a good feeling, though, and the grading period is up soon, so it's about damn time. 

Bookish (and not so Bookish) Thoughts

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1. Yesterday my mom and sisters back home in Modesto had to make the incredibly sad decision to put down our family dog, Oscar. Oscar was a mutt that I rescued from my high school campus fall of my senior year (so back in 2000). He was maybe five or six or seven months when we got him, making him almost sixteen years old. The art teacher had taken him and kept him safe while I asked my mom if we could keep him. The next day my boyfriend drove the pup and I home, after permission had been granted. He was a really great dog and lived a long, happy, healthy life. 

[I am too lazy to edit this, sorry]

2. On a happier note, Cordie, our golden, turned eleven over the weekend. We celebrated with homemade banana muffins, her favorite. 

3. I was walking at this little outdoor pond place nearby our house and this lady with a little girl stopped me to tell me how cute my kid was and to chat, I guess. I was friendly and whatnot, but confused. Did she want to be friends? Set up play dates? Steal my child? Did I miss an opportunity to make a new friend? Or save myself from being invited to her Stroller Strides class?

4. I watched an actual movie last weekend, Sicario, with Emily Blunt. It was good, but it was one of those movies that was either super quiet or super loud and I find that highly annoying. 

5. I'm rereading The Awakening by Kate Chopin for the fourth or fifth time, for work. It takes on a whole new meaning now that I'm a mother. 

6. I'm also reading Helen Ellis' short story collection American Housewife, since I though it would pair nicely with Chopin's novella. So far I'm finding the stories a little uneven, but it's early.

7. Twice a week, for three weeks, I am stuck in a freezing, dreary conference room all day listening to students do something called Interactive Oral Commentaries (IOCs) for IB. They speak for eight minutes straight on a Sylvia Plath poem, I question them on it for two minutes, and then we have a "conversation" on either Macbeth or Michael Ondaatje's Running in the Family for ten minutes (twenty minutes per kid, total). It's an interesting day, and it's nice to see the kids' faces when they're finally done, but man, is it long towards the end (I sit with thirteen kids a day). 

8. The other day I went to Trader Joe's for an onion, salsa, and gnocchi for Sawyer. I walked out with all of that, plus $25 of other stuff that we didn't really need. One of those things were Danish Pancakes, which are little balls of pancake goodness. Go get them. And the Dark Chocolate Mini Heart Cookies. 

9. I built this organizer the other day all by myself. It really was actually quite easy, but trying to do it with a toddler underfoot proved to be a little irritating (sure, shred the Styrofoam it came in all over the damn living room, yeah, just do it and leave me alone so I can do this). I feel like I'm a bad feminist for being proud of myself for doing something that involves such a stereotypical male thing (tools! lifting! swearing when things weren't lining up!), but what can you do. 

10. I swore up and down that I was going to save my Anthropologie give card for spring or summer clothes, but I saw this jacket and caved in. I'm super stingy with my cash (usually), but gift cards burn a serious hole in my pocket. I tried. 

What's Happening

We're getting into the summer vacation groove around these parts (except the sleeping in part. Someone isn't a fan):

[my new best friend; it's a good thing I have obligations, because if not I'd live in the pool]

[we saw this at a toy store when visiting a friend and I had to snap a picture for my husband]

[I took a yoga class last week and it was really hard, but really great. I love being yoga-sore]

[Bunny Ears + superhero jammies]

[a daycare morning done right]

[learning how to treat books nicely]

[continuing my quest for amazing homemade ice cream]

[lots of evening walks, a bath, and vaccinations]

[a friend invited us to story hour- first trip to the library!]

[I think he hates it.] 

Bookish (and not so Bookish) Thoughts

[I couldn't find the original source! If it's yours please don't sue me]

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1. I just heard of the "selfie stick." No.

2. Has anyone used the Furminator? Is it as awesome as people say it is?

3. I just finished Barbara Kingsolver's Flight Behavior for book club and thought it was okay. The pacing was off a bit and I thought there was a general distrust of the reader's intellect at many times. I also hated how eye-rolling obvious some of the character names were.

4. I can always tell when I'm starting to like a group of kids- I stop watching my mouth as much as I normally do. Yesterday I found myself saying the phrase "slutty Jesus" and asking a boy that complained of a stomach ache if we was pregnant. In all honesty, I'm relieved. It was hard bringing on a new bunch after my old one, but many of this batch have grown on me. Hell, I barely remember last year's graduates (--> comment made for the benefit of those that read and slyly try to reference things in conversation. I still love you).

5. I'm trying to "snack with a purpose." It really sucks, but my pants are already feeling better. I've really tried to trade carbs for protein, since Lord knows I get plenty of one and not nearly enough of the other.

6. Last weekend we ordered new patio furniture- finally! We've lived here for three and a half years and have never bothered with anything besides chaise lounges from Target and a dinky table. Now we'll be able to eat outside with guests and feel like adults. 

7. I took Sawyer swimming a week or two ago and he loved it. Because of how our backyard is, and the dog's needing to use their area, having an extra gate around the pool isn't very practical (we have super high locks and alarmed doors, though). I'm thinking of signing Sawyer and I up for -gulp- Mommy and Me swim classes this summer. The idea makes me cringe, but I want him to learn survival skills and to be comfortable putting his head in the water. I guess this means I will have to buy my first adult one piece. 

8. Tomorrow is parent-teacher conferences. Despite the fact that it's a 3.5 hour marathon of sitting a table in the gym talking to 50-60 sets of families, I actually enjoy it to some degree and definitely value it. That being said, tomorrow will be a total logistical nightmare. I'll teach until 12:15, go to the department book club for lunch, pick Sawyer up from daycare, drive home, feed him and get myself ready, and then pass him off to my mother-in-law (who hasn't watched him in a few months- since then he has learned to move around like a crazy boy and isn't the compliant little baby-food-eater that he used to be) so I can drive back to work. I'm tired already. Seriously. 

9. The light at the tunnel: spring break starts Friday at 12:15.

10. Unfortunately, I have to reread Antigone during this time off. At least it's short. 

Parenthood

[so ashamed]

I'm a pretty stubborn person. If I say I'm going to do or finish something, I do, and vice versa. There hasn't been a lot of pre-kid ideas that I've reneged on, but there have been a few. For the sake of humility, I thought I'd share.

Boogie Wipes: I remember I read about "Boogie Wipes" (basically saline wipes for noses) on a blog before getting pregnant and thought they were such a gimmick- truth be told they're worth the $4 to make wiping a baby's snotty nose slightly easier during a cold.

Baby in the Bed: I swore Sawyer would never sleep in our bed, and while it has rarely happened, he has spent a few all-nighters on my chest. Sometimes you have to sleep, and after a few nights with only three or four broken hours of shut-eye, it happens (and sometimes on accident, too).

Schedules: I thought I'd be incredibly rigid about sleep/eat/play schedules, and it turns out I'm not. He eats when he's hungry and sleeps when he's tired and plays when he's not doing either of those things. Luckily those things happen in the same time-frame every day, but I'm not the type of mom that drops everything at 12:47 to put the baby down for a nap. We are incredibly structured at night, but that's just for our sanity.

Puffs: Oh, thank you Gerber, for these miracle little crunchy bites of goodness that allow me to make dinner, eat at restaurants, and clean the kitchen. I frowned on these snacks and their lack of nutritional merit before, but considering the serving size and mouth-to-floor ratio, I now have no qualms. Plus, they facilitate hand-eye coordination.

Judgement: I really thought the idea of others judging my parenting wouldn't bother me, that I'd be confident enough to tell them to screw off. And while I don't necessarily lack confidence in my skills (except the fact that he's still sleeping in our room... that's a tough pill to swallow), the fact that I know family members, and maybe some strangers, have opinions about how we do things really bug me. 

Caffeine Intake: I vowed to limit my caffeine intake to just a Diet Coke a day while breastfeeding. Nope. A morning coffee habit has been established big time. 

Dog Walks: This kills me more than anything, but my dog walking routine has suffered big time. Before Sawyer the dogs were walked once a day from 30-60 minutes. Now, not so much. I can't wait for warmer weather so that I can start swimming them a few times a week (sorry to the pool guy in advance...).

Things I've Maintained (So Far...)

Hobbies/Interests: My husband and I are still able to do the things we love. Maybe not to the same degree, but we haven't let ourselves become completely wrapped up in our baby.

Family Dinner: We still sit down to eat at night, in the dining room, away from the TV. Sawyer usually eats his dinner beforehand, but he's still in there hanging out with us. I still cook five nights a week, just like I did before he was born. 

Cleanliness: My car is still clean, we still don't allow food over the carpet, and toys get picked up after they are used (these are all things people swore we'd change our minds about).

Avoiding the Doctor: Sawyer had gone to the pediatrician for well-baby checkups and then once when I detected his torticollis. He's been sick a few times and we've debated, but he's gotten over his ailments without the doctor or antibiotics, something I feel strongly about (if he really needs them, they I'm 110% cool with it; I am not of the "he tugged at his ears let's get some amoxicillin" camp, though). 

Public Crying: Pre-kid I hated it when people let their kids scream and scream in public, especially in restaurants. I can't remember the last time he had a meltdown in public, but the few times he has we've taken him away from others. I know sometimes you have to hang in there, like when you have a cart of groceries and no help with you, but a crying baby at dinner is not okay.

Purchases: We try to not buy him tons of extra stuff. He has clothes, books, and toys from the holidays, but we don't buy him things every time we're out (not even close). 
 

Bookish (and not so Bookish) Thoughts

As always, hello, welcome, thank you for playing, link up below, tell your friends, link back (por favor).

1. Halloween came and went- Sawyer was an adorable Han Solo, Cordie was was Princess Leia, and Chomsky was Chewbacca.

2. As Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks approach I always have to decide how much work to give my students for homework. I can go three routes: 1) give them a ton- they're in an advanced class and should be held accountable for a tough work load. Survival of the fittest! 2) none- that way I don't have to be harsh to those that don't do the assignments and it means nothing for me to grade, or 3) somewhere in between. We'll see how good they are. I'm like God Santa.

3. I was at a wedding last weekend and the place was absolutely beautiful- the grounds were amazing. My personal favorite was the enormous tree the ceremony was held under. It gets better- there were two swings attached to the branches. Damn my need to look pretty and wear a dress! I was so jealous of the kids (and grown men, later in the evening) playing on it.

[they're in the fancy yellow circles- trust me]

4. I also wore red lipstick for the first time ever to the wedding. I had no idea how high maintenance it is. No thanks. Dr. Pepper Lipsmackers for life.

5. I've been reading a lot more than usual. I'm taking a tiny break from I am Radar in order to get for a few things for work. I just finished Their Eyes Were Watching God and am almost done with Animal Farm. I'm on a roll. 

6. I found my Listography book yesterday that only has like five lists done. Oops. I've also totally slacked off on my Question a Day (or whatever it's called) book since having Sawyer. Every night when I go to bed I just want to sleeeeeeeeep. I am sad that I've neglected it, though, and aim to get back on the train by the end of the year.

7. I pretty much love all baby hoodies with various ears and scales attached. 

[baby dinosaur!]

 

8. Another wedding afterthought. The day after I said to my husband, "I love weddings because that's the happiest a husband and wife will ever be in their marriage." Ouch. Cynical, much? But I still stand by it. There so much enthusiasm, love, and optimism on one's wedding day. You're in it together. You're a team. You'll help each other out and be each other's best friend. And so on and so forth. I'm not saying that the decline is rapid, and that it can't stay at some sort of plateau for years and years, but I think for most couples the wedding day is this moment of unbridled happiness and hope that's hard to completely ever get back. Maybe this is why I want to be a wedding planner in my next life.

9. There is a campus supervisor at our school who writes in a notebook all the time, when he's on duty between classes. It's so intriguing! What is he writing? Poetry? Songs? A novel? Observations? I'd never ask, and I'm pretty sure knowing would ruin everything.

10. I'm fascinated with the new workout craze Piyo, a program by the Beach Body cult. It's yoga and pilates rolled into one: get it? Pi-yo? Original. Nonetheless, it's shorter workouts with a focus on flexibility and strength training, without much impact. It sounds perfect, but it's pricey, and I haven't done the extensive research I always do before buying anything more than $15.

[I hate her already]

Bookish (and not so Bookish) Thoughts

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This may be really short... Sawyer is entertaining his little self by staring at the lights in the bathroom where I change him but is probably going to self-combust shortly!

1. LeVar Burton is doing a Kickstarter to bring back an online version of Reading Rainbow! The incentives are truly awesome. 

2. The new special edition Oreos are Peanut Butter Cup. If the cookie dough sellout was any indication, I need to stock up asap.

3. We've started watching the new season of 24 on Hulu and it's actually pretty good! We were huge fans the first few seasons before it started getting a little too old, so the faster pace is refreshing.

4. My mom comes on Sunday for six days! I'm so excited! I have a few things, like graduation, happening next week, so it'll be nice to have her around to help out. She offered to take him for the night so I can sleep, as long as I pumped enough! I'm absolutely not doing that, but I thought it was so sweet of her to offer.

5. This article from The Onion on the Santa Barbara shooting is spot on.

6. These pictures (minus the sad monkey) are hilarious. Hello caption contest material.

7. I feel really bad about my dogs not swimming much and am probably going to let a few selected, trusted students come this summer (if they want) to use the pool, with the one stipulation that they throw the frisbee for the dogs occasionally and hang out with them while they dry off.

8. I was committed to doing the Surf City Half Marathon in Huntington in February as my "first race back" (it will have been three years), but then heard about the RunDisney Star Wars on in January. I hate Disney, but love Star Wars and Disney races (so well organized). Decisions, decisions.

9. I assigned my students this cheesy "dictionary of me" (inspired by David Leviathan's The Lover's Dictionary) assignment as something easy after testing. I cannot believe how much some of them have gotten into it. I am so impressed! Their honesty, creativity, and kind words directed at me have left me a teary mess on my living room floor. These kids have been through so much, have such imaginations, and are just so awesome. Don't worry, there will be a sappy post next week in honor of their graduation.

10. I read an awesome book today, called Arthur's New Puppy. The character development was incredibly and the allegorical implications impressive. That moment at the end, where Arthur's family realizes the puppy had been hiding the key to the garage the whole time behind the bush came out of nowhere. Color me shocked.

I made it! The tiny human is still smiling and laughing at the bathroom light (I laid him down in "ohmygod I need food now hysterics" to change him and he's been there for over twenty minutes).

One Month Reflections

Disclaimer: Baby post. It's been awhile, so I'd thought I'd give an update on the reason why my blog posts have decreased!

Sawyer turned one-month-old yesterday and I'm torn between "ohmygod it's going so fast" and "holy crap, every day is slow and exactly the same, and I can't wait until you can play with LEGOS and go to the science museum with me" Before having him I accepted the fact that being a parent would be hard and the first six weeks would be excruciating. I don't think they've been as bad as I've thought, but here's a rundown:

Sleep

Sleep, I miss you so! These days I'm lucky to get sleep in 2.5 hour blocks- a few times I've gotten three straight and it's been glorious. Sawyer has to eat every four hours at night (at first it was 2-3 when he was born, since he lost a bit of weight), although he generally can't go that long and wakes up himself. For example, he'll wake up at 3, I'll nurse him for thirty or so minutes, change his diaper, and then spend another ten or so getting him back to sleep. It was even longer, but I stopped supplementing with a bottle as much at night. I'm getting used to it, but the first week or two was brutal. Luckily he doesn't wake up cranky- there's very little to no crying at night, just big wide-open eyes.

Feeding

I don't want to get too into it, but breastfeeding is hard. I've had some trouble in terms of producing enough, meaning I've had to give him a little formula (which I'm totally okay with) and have had to throw in some pumping session during the day to get things moving (which has worked some). I generally spend about seven or eight hours on feeding-related activities a day. The mental burden has been the worst part- if things had worked easily it would have been better, but I'm trying to go with it. Four weeks in things have gotten better, but I look forward to the day where I can hopefully cut the supplementing and extra pumping out. I'd like to commit to breastfeeding until he's six or eight months, but we'll see. All I know is that if someone else says "breast is best" to me I might punch them in the face.

Sawyer

I'm not going to lie- the first two or three weeks Sawyer was a bit boring. He was sweet and cuddly and cute, but we were pretty much on the feed/eat/sleep/cry occasionally routine. In the past week he's awake a bit more and has started noticing things around him a little bit, specifically the mobile attached to the bouncer he hangs out in every morning while I tend to the dogs and eat breakfast. He's not smiling on purpose quite yet, but he is starting to make sweet little cooing noises and does show his feisty side by arching his back and giving an occasional frustrated old-man grunt. He sighs after his sneezes and screams bloody murder during his baths. He loves the Metallica lullaby CD and once sat, awake, through me reading six books to him. He has potential. And I have to say, I have probably never kissed anyone as much as I have this little guy's chubby cheeks.

Worry
I worry about everything anyway and did a damn good job staying calm during my pregnancy. I'm trying to channel that calm, though, when it comes to not freaking out about the crazy sounds newborns make while breathing at night. Or when he screams himself hoarse and sounds like he smokes two packs a day (this is happening right now, actually). I'm trying not to think about sending him to daycare and the provider not knowing what he likes and needs. I try to not weight him every day after he lost almost a pound the first few days after birth. Luckily our pediatrician is amazing and as long as the kid is eating, pooping, and breathing he's probably fine. 

The Dogs

I have yet to experience "mommy-guilt," but do very much feel bad for the dogs. They were used to at least six solid walks a week and are now down to four or five. They have yet to go in the pool (I'm seriously considering telling some of my students that they can come use my pool if they'll take my dogs in it with them... and dry them off)  and seem to be generally pretty bored. I know I'm projecting, as dogs are generally pretty lazy creatures during the summer, but still. I try to pay attention to them as much as possible, even if it's for just a quick belly rub, but it is something I feel bad about.

Work

I really miss work. I hate the fact that my seniors are starting their last week and I'm not there. I hate the fact that someone else is running my class. I hate the fact that my friends are there and I am not. 

Mental Health

I am incredibly thankful that I didn't have to deal with post-partum depression, which I was a little bit worried about since I do have some of the risk factors. I did have a few moments that involved tears, "why did I do this?" and "my life is going to suck for the next few years!" thoughts, and copious amounts of cookies. This was primarily in week two, though, after the novelty of the new toy had worn off and exhaustion had set in (I'm sure there are some hormonal factors as well). My husband was wonderful- he listened, took the baby so I could get stuff done and nap, and bought more cookies. While I still do have moments of frustration, I'm in a good place and think I'm handling things well now! 

Post-Partum Weight and Whatnot

First of all, labor and delivery is disgusting. The things that your body goes through is just... ugh. Gross. Luckily, a lot of that nastiness leads to weight loss! Hurray! I gained almost thirty-five pounds and was down twelve by the time I got home. Within two weeks I had lost twenty and I'm now down somewhere around twenty-five. Things are definitely a little mushier, but I can get on some of my old jeans and for that I am happy. I know these last ten are going to have to be earned, but this side of it has been a lot easier than I thought, and I'm thinking that staying active up until the day before I delivered was part of it (in my expert opinion, of course). I am very, very antsy to being more active, though. I see the doctor for my six-week check up soon and will begin running once she says okay (I'm sure I could now, but since it's been so long since I've really trained I want to make sure I'm completely ready). And hopefully I can squeeze in a yoga class here or there! This has been really hard on me- I feel like I was more active at nine months pregnant than I am now. I know patience is key right now...

Other Adjustments

Not doing things is not an option for me, so I've had to re-prioritize what gets done when. In terms of getting out of the house I've made an effort in the last week or two to get out more alone with the baby and we've both survived. I bought a Baby Ergo, which he loves. The only problem is that we both get kind of warm and with summer coming I'm not sure how much use I'll get out of it. And yes, I totally have fantasies about strapping him on and doing some serious walking on the treadmill...  

So, in a nutshell: this has been hard, but not as hard as I thought, my baby is slightly less boring than he was before, and I need exercise or I might shoot myself. 

Moms! When did your baby start sleeping in longer chunks or through the night?

Non-Moms! What cocktail are you drinking on my behalf?

Happy Easter

I hope this finds everyone celebrating the day in which a tall bunny, dressed in pastel colors, brought Jesus back from the dead with his magical Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Eggs.

Weekend Update

This weekend has been the perfect mix of relaxing and productivity. Yesterday I got up early and cleaned my house, walked my dogs, and exercised. Super exciting. We then saw the Veronica Mars movie with my sister and brother-in-law, which I thought was great. If you didn't watch the show I probably wouldn't bother going, but for those of who did it's perfect. The best, and most awkward part, was when Veronica sarcastically asks Dick (a total idiot), who is on his phone, "Playing Words with Friends?" and he responds "Some people just call it texting." My husband and I silently keeled over in laughter, since absolutely no one else in the theater made a peep.

My sister-in-law gave us a cute Where the Wild Things Are bib and onesie. My husband has gotten into working on his mural and it's looking great. The time he's putting into it is insane- it took him a day to draw the scene (it's one big mural on one wall and a few small canvases on another), and he's probably put in 15-20 outlining in black... so far. I hope the baby likes it, because he's stuck with it for the rest of his entire life. I'm not allowed to put pictures up until it's done, so to be continued...

Last night my little brother and his girlfriend came over for dinner. He's leaving on deployment (he's in the Navy) on Thursday for six or so months, so I made him one last home-cooked meal. The highlight of the evening may have been when he was giving his girlfriend a hard time for listening to Paramore occasionally and I revealed that he used to have a poster of the lead singer in his room when he was younger. And if I recall, that's how the family pet got her name... Sibling love.

[Bon voyage!]

 I also made these brownies for dessert, which were amazing.

[photo source and recipe: Averie Cooks]

He brought me my Little House on the Prairie books, which I've been harassing my mom to bring down for at least a year. There's been a sort of discrepancy about who they actually belong to- supposedly they're my sister's too. But, then again so was the stereo I relinquished to her when I went to college. I read them and loved them and so they're mine (my dad bought them used when I was in kindergarten of first grade). Possession is nine-tenths of the law, right?

[Used + elementary reading = tore up from the floor up]

Today I got up went grocery shopping, did a prenatal work out video, and walked through an episode of Grey's Anatomy- my weekend mornings obviously start off incredibly interesting. Since it was nearly 90 degrees out (seriously) I let the dogs swim and scared the neighbors by laying out in my two piece. I'll spare you the pictures.

Another highlight: this Lucky Charms shake. I feel like the hour and twenty minutes worth of exercise balanced things out.

[magically fattening delicious]

I also finished the copy of The House on the End of Hope Street by Menna Van Praag that Penguin sent. Review to come. Spoiler: meh.

[the cover is great, though]

God forbid a weekend go by without working, so I put in some time with Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, both reading it and creating some lessons. I'm appreciating it so  much more as an adult, but I can understand why my students are struggling. It's tough. I also graded papers, finishing the weekend with a bang. Boom.

Bookish (and not so Bookish) Thoughts

Link up below! 

1. I made a really, really tough decision- I'm done going to yoga for the rest of my pregnancy. For the first hour of the ninety minute class I'm fine- I have to modify, but I expected that. The last thirty minutes were basically a waste of my time, though, since it was mostly dedicated to inversions, abs, and sometimes back bends. Classes are $12, meaning I was essentially lose out on $4 and thirty minutes of my day (this was the kicker, since I'm feeling so behind lately). It's not a lot, but over the course of a month it adds up. I bought a stupid prenatal video that is still sitting in it's plastic upstairs, and am doing a lot of hill walking and some cycling, so I'm still quite active. It's just a bit of a loss, because I really love going.

2. I'm slightly obsessed with buying a small portable shop-vac. Our dust buster is dying and it's really hard for me to haul the vacuum up the stairs step by step to clean them. With a little guy I could clean the stairs (it's only 8 pounds), my car, the tops of the fans... the possibilities are endless.

3. I finally updated my iPhone after to the new IOS (well, new several months ago) after the email security issue. It was traumatic. And the neon colors make me feel like I'm a fourteen year old Japanese kid that loves anime or something.

4. Best senior will for yearbook ever: "I, [student name], will to my younger brother, [student name], my sword, bow, and ax. May they help you on your journey to destroy the ring. I have left behind my final horcrux, but you will never find it, so I will be immortal. May the force be with you, and may the odds be ever in your favor."  So much awesomeness in one place. I have her as a student and she's the neatest kid.

5. If you're a blogger who tries to be conscientious about copyrights on pictures, check out freepik.com.

6. We settled on a day care, after looking at several. There is so much to consider, but ultimately this one met some of the more important requirements on our list, so I dropped off the paperwork last week. I feel like it's going to be a good fit! It's definitely a relief to have the mission accomplished.

7. I'm legitimately concerned about California's drought, which I almost take personally, being from the Central Valley (aka the heart and soul of California's agricultural economy). Sure, the ski resorts are turning to fake snow and our grass is going to cost more to keep green, but those really feeling the burn are the farmers and migrant workers. It's going to be a really rough year- those big grey clouds rolling in right now better have some rain for us and some snow for the mountains.

[What Folsom Lake has been reduced to; source]

8. I really hate stand up comedy. I'm listening to BJ Novak on The Nerdist pdocast right now and they're going on and on about the stand up days. So no, I don't want to go to the Improv with you (unless by some miracle Tina Fey is there).

9. This is going to change my life:

10. I'm not incredibly thrilled about my upcoming trip to Houston, but I am excited that I should actually have some time to read something besides student papers (I'm not bringing any, at all). I feel like I've been reading Oryx and Crake for forever.

Top Ten Tuesday- Cry Baby

My identity as crier is complicated. I cry during nearly episode of the wonderfully horrible Grey's Anatomy, bawl hysterically when I watch Follow that Bird (he turns blue! the symbolism has astounded me since childhood), and tear up whenever I think of my seniors abandoning me in a few months. There are certain people that know what buttons to press to get my going and I think I may have quietly shed a tear when we ran out of water hiking down from Half Dome a few years ago (I definitely hid that, though, with some grunted expletives). I guess I'm a bit of a closet crier. One thing that doesn't generally pull at my heart strings? Books. Strange, I know. As a part of The Broke and the Bookish's Top Ten Tuesday, here are a few exceptions:

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein: I have never cried more while reading than when I read this book- it's the animal factor. The night I knew I was going to finish it, I went outside with my book light and a box of Kleenex while my husband was playing video games and just went for it. It was incredibly cathartic and overwhelmingly sad. It's just so easy to transfer the emotions for Enzo on to my actual pets. And let's just say I'm glad the neighbors didn't see... it was pathetic.

Marley and Me by John Grogan: I read my old elementary students the young adult version of this book and had to focus very, very hard to not get started in front of them. The day I knew Marley's end was imminent I'd make sure to have a bottle of water with me to start sipping (it washes away those sobs that start building up in your throat) and would make sure to seek out a kid that was inevitably doing something wrong to scold at the height of the emotion. Some good old-fashioned discipline does wonders for sappiness. 

Charlotte's Web by EB White: I don't know if the beloved spider's death has every made me actually cry tears, but I still find it so very sad. I also hate the beginning, where Fern's dad implies that the poor tiny little piglet will be put down if it returns to the farm. 

A Map of the World by Jane Hamilton: I read this a really, really long time ago but remember just feeling down for much of it, as a woman must cope with the grief of her friend's daughter drowning under her care. To make matters worse, others accuse her of molestation and her husband ends up becoming involved with the friend whose daughter drowned. I didn't cry, but just felt so very depressed and sympathetic. 

Me Before You by JoJo Moyes: I didn't get my overly upset or anything while reading this, but I definitely did feel the end was quite sad.

White Oleander by Janet Fitch: This is another book I read over a decade ago but remember being incredibly moved by the sadness of the foster care system. 

That's all I've got! What makes you curl up in the fetal position and sob like a baby?

 

Bookish (and not so Bookish) Thoughts

Link up below! It's great seeing some new blogs pop up! 

1. I'm keeping track of the books I read on a Pinterest board, for some reason. To show off? To motivate myself visually?  I don't know, but for now it's fun.

2. I really love elbow patches- on myself, little kids, old crusty professors, it doesn't matter.

[source]

3. We had to buy poor Chomsky a slow-feed bowl bowl because in the last few months he's been scarfing down his food faster and faster (probably tied to the diet dog food... sorry buddy). I read Marley and Me, so you don't need to tell me twice about the dangers of bloat and labs. He's getting better at navigating it, but the first few feedings he was very frustrated and very slow. I'm thinking that the problem solving skills might do his cognitive level some good too.

[source]

4. So almost two weeks ago I had an issue with a red light camera (ie I made one of those snap decisions to turn right too late and got my picture taken). For those that don't have to deal with them in your city or state these little fuckers are expensive- $490 plus traffic school, of you choose (I may or may not have gotten one several years ago... in the same spot... that I'm never going near again). Anyway, the ticket came and the bail was blank, so I called the police department and left a message. By the time I had finished looking up the ticket online someone called me back and we started reviewing my driving record, the law, etc... At the end of the call he said he'd reduce my ticket... to zero. Thankful doesn't even begin to describe how I felt, considering I'm frantically trying to pay my car off before day care costs start up.

5. I've gotten into the habit of taking a half or so and dicking around on my computer as soon as I get home everyday, to relax. It occurred to me, miraculously, that I could instead use that time to read, so I've instituted a new "no technology" block when I get home and am so far finding it a much better way to transition from work to home.

6. I listen to this pregnancy podcast series on the way home from work (totally the same thing as going to classes, right?) and the other day I listened to an episode on hormones. The doctor mentioned that it takes men nearly a decade to experience the normal hormonal shift a non-pregnant woman experiences in a month. Insane!

7. I just got an Ulta coupon for 20% of my entire purchase that expires the day after payday. This is not good.

8. Speaking of blowing money, February is definitely the month to get back on track after recovering from the holidays in January. Prior to December I was paying my credit card off on a weekly basis and it worked wonderfully; I've still been paying it off every month, but it's so much more depressing to see that final total. I know I could just switch to cash, but I really like my points. February is also the month to get our taxes done, which always makes me incredibly nervous, despite the fact that I haven't owed anything to the IRS since I was about nineteen, we own a home, and both claim zero. But still.

9. I'm currently reading Five Star Billionaire by Tash Aw, which was long-listed for the Booker, and am really enjoying it so far. I love when authors initially follow a short story sort of format and then slowly connect the characters together. 

10. An old high school friend posted this link on my Facebook the other day (if you're reading, Suzanne, you always send me the best stuff) to an article about a secret library at Grand Central Station. Very awesome. Please, someone in NYC go and report back.