We had an indoor playdate at the mall on Thursday with some friends we hadn't seen in a long time. I like doing playdates at the mall because it gives the kids plenty of space to run AND I can get some errands done as well. If only grocery stores worked the same way.
Anyway, after a couple hours, we walked out to our car in the parking lot and got an unpleasant surprise. Our car was covered in bird poop. On top of that, our car was the only one in the parking lot that was affected. The cars next to us didn't have a drop. It was crazy! I wish I had a camera to document it. It was as if our car had a big bulls-eye on it and a flock of seagulls had dive-bombed it and unloaded their nasty payload.
It was funny to see ESK process the situation. In the end, she was a funny mixture of amazed/scared/amused. She has been big into potty humor lately and when I explained that birds had pooped on our car, she said, "P U!" and cackled. We drove straight to the nearest car wash and I swear people were looking at our car as I sped past. Blech.
As we were going through the car wash, I told ESK that we should tell Daddy this story when he got home. And sure enough, as soon as SK got home, ESK came running and started excitedly telling him a story about "poopy on Mommy's car" (which SK first thought meant that ESK had pooped while in the car) and "give the car a bath". When asked who gave the car a bath, ESK answered, "a man". Which was true. The car wash attendant had to do a more vigorous-than-usual preliminary soap scrub because of the bird poop.
I just realized that was the highlight of my Thursday -- sharing a bird poop experience with my daughter and watching her tell the story.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Monday, January 11, 2010
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year dear friends... I'm excited for this coming year, are you? AMK is becoming more and more interactive everyday, ESK is heading to real pre-school next fall, and we have several fun trips and family & friends visiting in the next year. Looking forward to it all.
But in the meantime... some things I've been thinking about:
Family:
This last trip back East was tiring but fun and rewarding. For the first time, I feel like SK and I got the hang of shuttling back and forth between two grandparents' homes. It wasn't easy to pack and repack every two days. But at least we feel like we got our fill of family and spent quality time with everyone. We are lucky that they only live 20 minutes apart.
I am glad to be back in Portland, but I was truly sad to say good-bye to everyone. This time more than most. I'm not sure why. Possibly because I had such a good time with everyone? And realizing that now that we are so far away and everyone is scattered, we only get to do this once or twice a year.
Prioritizing:
Somehow, I feel as if I can't keep up with all the little obligations I've committed to. Birthday parties, proofreading for a friend, charity organizations, playdates/groups. Today, I need to write them all down and prioritize. Pre-kids, I did this all in my head, but of course now, it's all a jumble.
Career:
And lately, my career worries have been coming up again. I'm reminded of my wasted education every time I go back East. First, my parents, particularly my dad, always brings up the topics. Secondly, I realize that when I see my old friends (that are with or without kids), conversation always centers around kids and family and that I have very little to contribute to other conversations. Am I just being paranoid? Does that ever happen to any of you moms out there? I do try to keep current by reading newspapers and magazines, but somehow the things I read, don't come up in conversation. Probably because I'm naturally drawn to all things family-oriented! Ha!
Anyway, at quiet moments in the day, I am constantly thinking about what I could be doing. A lot of moms start their own small businesses (mompreneurs), but I don't think I'm really built for that. I'd like to go back to reporting, but am weary of the long hours, crazy deadlines and office politics. Not to mention crappy pay. Pay is part of the equation of course. If I'm going to leave my kids in daycare or with a nanny, I'd like to make enough money to cover at least the childcare costs. And job satisfaction has to be enough to make it worth my while. Otherwise, I'd rather stay at home with my lovely girls.
Anyone have any career ideas for this mama?
But in the meantime... some things I've been thinking about:
Family:
This last trip back East was tiring but fun and rewarding. For the first time, I feel like SK and I got the hang of shuttling back and forth between two grandparents' homes. It wasn't easy to pack and repack every two days. But at least we feel like we got our fill of family and spent quality time with everyone. We are lucky that they only live 20 minutes apart.
I am glad to be back in Portland, but I was truly sad to say good-bye to everyone. This time more than most. I'm not sure why. Possibly because I had such a good time with everyone? And realizing that now that we are so far away and everyone is scattered, we only get to do this once or twice a year.
Prioritizing:
Somehow, I feel as if I can't keep up with all the little obligations I've committed to. Birthday parties, proofreading for a friend, charity organizations, playdates/groups. Today, I need to write them all down and prioritize. Pre-kids, I did this all in my head, but of course now, it's all a jumble.
Career:
And lately, my career worries have been coming up again. I'm reminded of my wasted education every time I go back East. First, my parents, particularly my dad, always brings up the topics. Secondly, I realize that when I see my old friends (that are with or without kids), conversation always centers around kids and family and that I have very little to contribute to other conversations. Am I just being paranoid? Does that ever happen to any of you moms out there? I do try to keep current by reading newspapers and magazines, but somehow the things I read, don't come up in conversation. Probably because I'm naturally drawn to all things family-oriented! Ha!
Anyway, at quiet moments in the day, I am constantly thinking about what I could be doing. A lot of moms start their own small businesses (mompreneurs), but I don't think I'm really built for that. I'd like to go back to reporting, but am weary of the long hours, crazy deadlines and office politics. Not to mention crappy pay. Pay is part of the equation of course. If I'm going to leave my kids in daycare or with a nanny, I'd like to make enough money to cover at least the childcare costs. And job satisfaction has to be enough to make it worth my while. Otherwise, I'd rather stay at home with my lovely girls.
Anyone have any career ideas for this mama?
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