By far my favorite co-worker, and quite possibly the most efficient!
Thursday, January 16, 2014
Co-worker
The day after Christmas at work was super slow. I had to get some things done, and had some meeting I needed to attend, so I went in. But, I brought a new co-worker with me... Buca! He was a little crazy, but mostly good. I think Abby was fascinated that I took him. She texted me every so often, asking about him and what he was doing. By the fourth text asking me, I told her he was busy working and sent her this:
By far my favorite co-worker, and quite possibly the most efficient!
By far my favorite co-worker, and quite possibly the most efficient!
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
A day in the life
5:45 Wake up and get ready
6:00 Get Abby out of bed
6:45 Wake boys up
7:10 Take Abby to bus stop
7:30 Take Ava to Alina's
8:20 Take boys to school
(within all of that, get myself dressed, try to do my hair, take Buca out, get breakfasts ready, referee fight over which scarf belongs to which boy, figure out if someone can pick boys up from school for me, empty dishwasher)
8:50 Arrive at work, already late for meeting that started at 8:30. Decide it's not worth it anyway, especially after getting text from senior executive to stop by
9:00 Meet with senior executive #1
9:30 Meet with VPs #1-5
10:00 Meet with senior executive #2. Realize after 20 minutes she's not coming.
10:20 Hi mom! Quick drive by her desk
10:30 Meet with VP #6
11:00 Meet with VP #7
11:30 Lunch with HR Team. Present on two different topics
1:00 Meet with my team. Thank God they're normal. And understanding
2:00 Meet with VP #8
3:00 Meet with senior executive #3
3:45 Call senior executive #4 from #3's office
4:00 Start putting computer, paper away, trying to get out
4:10 State specifically I have another meeting
4:15 Put my coat on
4:19 Leave!
4:20 Start drive home
4:30 Call boys to make sure they made it home and haven't killed each other
4:35 Call Alina. Ask her to have Ava ready to go when I get there
4:46 Get to Alina's grab Ava
4:59 Pick up Abby and friends from school from forensics practice
5:15 Drop off friend #1
5:20 Drop off friend #2
5:25 McDonald's drive thru
5:34 Home! Feed all, change for volleyball, get Ava's bag ready to go to volleyball, dry Abby's volleyball clothes because water bottle leaked, load the dishwasher, clean up dinner, let Buca out
6:20 Sit down!
6:28 Get up! Get Ava ready to go. Make sure boys are ok alone, give them directions (pjs! teeth! don't kill each other!)
6:35 Leave for volleyball practice
7:00 Volleyball practice
8:45 Head home
9:00 Home. Get Ava ready for bed, let Buca out, get boys in bed
9:15 Do math homework with Abby. Get frustrated. Try again. Tell her to just write numbers down. It's just a completion grade anyway.
10:05 Get Abby in bed
10:15 Write blog
10:45 Go to bed!!!
Two things keep me sane... (1) Dave doesn't travel all the time. When he's home, you can take off much of the pre-8:00 and post 4:00. (2) My kids rock. I can trust them, they get stuff done, they are nice to each other (usually, but especially when I'm not home). Even Ava tonight was SO nice and polite and great at volleyball. I told them tonight how much I appreciate them... and thanked them profusely for making all of our family work!
6:00 Get Abby out of bed
6:45 Wake boys up
7:10 Take Abby to bus stop
7:30 Take Ava to Alina's
8:20 Take boys to school
(within all of that, get myself dressed, try to do my hair, take Buca out, get breakfasts ready, referee fight over which scarf belongs to which boy, figure out if someone can pick boys up from school for me, empty dishwasher)
8:50 Arrive at work, already late for meeting that started at 8:30. Decide it's not worth it anyway, especially after getting text from senior executive to stop by
9:00 Meet with senior executive #1
9:30 Meet with VPs #1-5
10:00 Meet with senior executive #2. Realize after 20 minutes she's not coming.
10:20 Hi mom! Quick drive by her desk
10:30 Meet with VP #6
11:00 Meet with VP #7
11:30 Lunch with HR Team. Present on two different topics
1:00 Meet with my team. Thank God they're normal. And understanding
2:00 Meet with VP #8
3:00 Meet with senior executive #3
3:45 Call senior executive #4 from #3's office
4:00 Start putting computer, paper away, trying to get out
4:10 State specifically I have another meeting
4:15 Put my coat on
4:19 Leave!
4:20 Start drive home
4:30 Call boys to make sure they made it home and haven't killed each other
4:35 Call Alina. Ask her to have Ava ready to go when I get there
4:46 Get to Alina's grab Ava
4:59 Pick up Abby and friends from school from forensics practice
5:15 Drop off friend #1
5:20 Drop off friend #2
5:25 McDonald's drive thru
5:34 Home! Feed all, change for volleyball, get Ava's bag ready to go to volleyball, dry Abby's volleyball clothes because water bottle leaked, load the dishwasher, clean up dinner, let Buca out
6:20 Sit down!
6:28 Get up! Get Ava ready to go. Make sure boys are ok alone, give them directions (pjs! teeth! don't kill each other!)
6:35 Leave for volleyball practice
7:00 Volleyball practice
8:45 Head home
9:00 Home. Get Ava ready for bed, let Buca out, get boys in bed
9:15 Do math homework with Abby. Get frustrated. Try again. Tell her to just write numbers down. It's just a completion grade anyway.
10:05 Get Abby in bed
10:15 Write blog
10:45 Go to bed!!!
Two things keep me sane... (1) Dave doesn't travel all the time. When he's home, you can take off much of the pre-8:00 and post 4:00. (2) My kids rock. I can trust them, they get stuff done, they are nice to each other (usually, but especially when I'm not home). Even Ava tonight was SO nice and polite and great at volleyball. I told them tonight how much I appreciate them... and thanked them profusely for making all of our family work!
Monday, January 13, 2014
The ER trifecta
A few weeks ago, Ava was complaining her arm hurt. She was playing with Rayva, and just kept saying "Rayva pulled my arm hard." I was busy getting ready to take the kids skiing so I kissed it and moved on. But, when I got home, she had been in bed for a few hours, but kept waking up in pain. So, I bundled her up, came to the ER, and it turns out she dislocated her elbow. Scream, pop, pop, silence. Then, "it doesn't hurt anymore." Apparently you pop it back into place and all is good! They have her a bear and Ava named it Lewis, after Dr. Lewis who was her doctor.
Next up, I ended up taking Dave to the ER on New Year's Eve. He had a sty in hi eye forever, but of course refused to actually get it checked out. On New Year's Eve, some crazy icky pod of blood vessels decided to come out of his eye, but was still attached. He wanted me to pull it out. Um, no? So off to the ER. Unfortunately the ER couldn't do anything because there was no ophthalmologist, so home we went. Obviously Dave had uber patience for this, and even more patience when going back to the eye doc the next day and they still didn't do anything. Ultimately he ended up popping it himself. I'm just glad I wasn't home. The ER also have Dave a bear because again he had Dr. Lewis, and they really liked Ava. She named that bear Eva since it was New Year's Eve.
And then tonight. I was just going to be when Nolan said "my finger hurts." I tried sending him back to bed to think about basketball plays, and gave him Tylenol. No lick. So here we sit in the ER, waiting for an infected finger to be lanced. There's no Dr. Lewis this time, and bear still to be determined!
Next up, I ended up taking Dave to the ER on New Year's Eve. He had a sty in hi eye forever, but of course refused to actually get it checked out. On New Year's Eve, some crazy icky pod of blood vessels decided to come out of his eye, but was still attached. He wanted me to pull it out. Um, no? So off to the ER. Unfortunately the ER couldn't do anything because there was no ophthalmologist, so home we went. Obviously Dave had uber patience for this, and even more patience when going back to the eye doc the next day and they still didn't do anything. Ultimately he ended up popping it himself. I'm just glad I wasn't home. The ER also have Dave a bear because again he had Dr. Lewis, and they really liked Ava. She named that bear Eva since it was New Year's Eve.
And then tonight. I was just going to be when Nolan said "my finger hurts." I tried sending him back to bed to think about basketball plays, and gave him Tylenol. No lick. So here we sit in the ER, waiting for an infected finger to be lanced. There's no Dr. Lewis this time, and bear still to be determined!
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
Christmas Eve
As I sit in front of the tree, a million presents underneath and beautifully lit, I'm trying to find my Christmas cheer still. There's been lots of actions... Mass, one present open for Christmas Eve (and lots of presents at my mom's yesterday), baking for Santa, put cookies and milk and beer out... But it still just doesn't feel like Christmas. Tomorrow I'm excited for the kids to open their presents. With four of them it's hard to have that perfect thing under the tree for each, but I do think they'll all be really happy. That will definitely help my spirit!
I am so excited for Ava too. She simply loves all of this, and opens things and exclaims, "I've always wanted one of these!" Every time we're in the car she wants to turn the music and movies off and sing Christmas songs, so we've sung more versions of jingle bells loudly and off key than I care to admit. I haven't listened to many other Christmas songs, but those are certainly better than Johnny Mathis anyway.
Silent night... Will lead to a crazy morning!
8 crazy kids and a Gram and a Grumpy.
Ava's new pjs say Official #1 Puppy Hugger. It's so true... Even if she doesn't look happy about it and Buca's eyes are crazy!
Reading 'Twas the Bight Before Christmas.
And to all a good night!
I am so excited for Ava too. She simply loves all of this, and opens things and exclaims, "I've always wanted one of these!" Every time we're in the car she wants to turn the music and movies off and sing Christmas songs, so we've sung more versions of jingle bells loudly and off key than I care to admit. I haven't listened to many other Christmas songs, but those are certainly better than Johnny Mathis anyway.
Silent night... Will lead to a crazy morning!
8 crazy kids and a Gram and a Grumpy.
Ava's new pjs say Official #1 Puppy Hugger. It's so true... Even if she doesn't look happy about it and Buca's eyes are crazy!
Reading 'Twas the Bight Before Christmas.
And to all a good night!
Friday, December 13, 2013
Why I had 4 kids
(I published this on November 26, but in the wrong place! I don't want to lose a post... they are too few and far to come by as it is!)
Tonight was a fun night. So often it's get home, throw food in your face, rush off somewhere. And even if it's not that, it's eat and then kids watch movies/play video games/do homework until bed. Sometimes Dave and I sit in the front room and try to have a conversation, but always there ends up 1, 2, 3, 4 kids interrupting, yelling, crying or wrestling. I usually look at the clock and wonder when bedtime is, really wanting adult conversation (or just some moments of peace!). Sometimes I suggest they go watch tv to grab some sanity.
But not tonight. Tonight we started playing music and we listened to everything from Katy Perry to Jimmy Buffet. Christmas music and lullabies from when the kids were little. Then we started watching videos through the tv and we had a family dance party. We ended with Rainbow Connection, Return to Pooh Corner, and Pure Imagination from Willy Wonka. Nolan danced with Ava, and Max had his own groove going on. Abby sang her little heart out.
The kids went to bed a scootch late. They were a little tired and a little wound up. But we had fun, all six of us together. I hope some day they remember their mom and dad singing Baby It's Cold Outside as a duet. I hope they remember having three siblings as a good thing. That no matter how cramped we may sometimes feel, that once upon a time, we loved to all six of us hang out in one little room together.
Tonight was a fun night. So often it's get home, throw food in your face, rush off somewhere. And even if it's not that, it's eat and then kids watch movies/play video games/do homework until bed. Sometimes Dave and I sit in the front room and try to have a conversation, but always there ends up 1, 2, 3, 4 kids interrupting, yelling, crying or wrestling. I usually look at the clock and wonder when bedtime is, really wanting adult conversation (or just some moments of peace!). Sometimes I suggest they go watch tv to grab some sanity.
But not tonight. Tonight we started playing music and we listened to everything from Katy Perry to Jimmy Buffet. Christmas music and lullabies from when the kids were little. Then we started watching videos through the tv and we had a family dance party. We ended with Rainbow Connection, Return to Pooh Corner, and Pure Imagination from Willy Wonka. Nolan danced with Ava, and Max had his own groove going on. Abby sang her little heart out.
The kids went to bed a scootch late. They were a little tired and a little wound up. But we had fun, all six of us together. I hope some day they remember their mom and dad singing Baby It's Cold Outside as a duet. I hope they remember having three siblings as a good thing. That no matter how cramped we may sometimes feel, that once upon a time, we loved to all six of us hang out in one little room together.
