So last night my sister took Ellie for her first overnight sleepover. It's actually the first babysitting time too, unless you include the 2 times I went out to the store when Jan then Crazy Anna were here. (Not that Jan is any less crazy then Anna, mind you, but Anna had the moniker first and the SSD checks to prove it...)
So away Michelle went, with Ellie buckled into Julia's OLD infant seat, and Julia buckled beside her in her toddler seat. (Michelle does a very good job of focusing the attention equally between the two, which I feel a gentle chiding reprimand that I do not. I mean to, I think I am just distracted. But she's right.) Regardless, away they went.
One would think that Doug and I would go on a date, go run an errand, go somewhere, no? NO. Are you kidding? We had take out Thai food, a beer apiece, then retired to the upstairs office for bookkeeping (us) web browsing (him) and microorganization (me).
Doug thought Michelle took her to give us time alone, I thought Michelle took her so I could get things done. Because, I think, if I get things done, then we can spend time alone.
Doug thought we should get in bed early and cuddle. I thought, "Sure. Let's cuddle. So you can eat Thai, check email, then fall asleep" whereas I can "Eat Thai, get as much done before you tell me it's time for "us" to go to bed, fall asleep and wake up and work the entire day"
Doug: What are you going to do today when your sister has Ellie? Take a nap? Get a pedicure?
Deb: In her head: No, I'm actually going to sit down at the computer and pay bills. Then I'm going to check to see if your aunt replied to our invite for August, if your friend's wife read the July plans email. Then I'm going to see if the guy in Waltham with the craigslist Fisher Price aquarium is close to Michelle to pick up the baby's crib soother. After that I'm going to update my blog. As soon as I bang out an entry, I'll strip both beds, do all the laundry, and put away the baby clothes from yesterdays laundry. Then I'm going to drag the new cannister vac upstairs to vacuum the office. After that I',m going to collect your shirts and place them in the dry cleaner bag, after I take out the collar stays. Then I'll walk through the upstairs and collect all the water cups to bring downstairs, and receipts to schred. I'll shred, then take the water glasses et al back downstairs. Switch laundry. Look longingly at the coffe pot. Wish for food.
Then I'll load my car with the OLD old printer, vacuum, and knickknacks for salvation army. I'll come upstairs, check hair and add makeup. Go back down, grab the banking, the return receipts, the dry cleaning - and leave. I'll drive for coffee, getting OUT of the car because I can. I'm going to the shitty coffee place b/c it's next to CVS and we need formula. Then I'll go to Salvation Army. Drop OFF the stuff, turn around and go to the dry cleaner. After that, I have a 12 noon appt. Which I'll make. Then I'll go to the grocery store for dry groceries and meat, then the farm stand for fruit. After I drop THOSE off, I'll go to Everett, to Babies R Us, to return gifts.
I also want to go to TJ Maxx to find a cotton blanket (b/c you don't like the fleece). What else? Oh, at some point in time I need to eat. And to pick that baby up. So no, I think a pedicure is unlikely.
Deb: Outloud: I don't think I'll have time for a pedicure but I'd love one.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Monday, July 9, 2007
Shalom in the Home
I actually watched an episode of Shalom in the Home today.
EPISODE TITLE:“The Gordons”–Premiered Monday, April 17 at 10/9c
Ro and her husband Roy are struggling to keep their second marriage together. Ro’s obsessive cleaning and fiery temper are destabilizing their blended family – Roy and the kids have checked out, and the family is rapidly drifting apart. Shmuley quickly discovers how Ro’s painful childhood has left her full of anxiety and anger. Will Ro eventually realize that it’s better to have a happy house than a perfectly clean one?
I was feeding the little miss and got enraptured. I certainly didn't feel a sense of kinship, I think Ro "the heroine" as it were, was a bit Liza Minneli and irrational. But I definitely could see her motivation. Essentially, the need to create order and structure within chaos. That there is a right way, and a wrong way, and that things look nice - and stay nice - because you take care of them. Rabbi Shmuley says that "Chaos in childhood creates the need to assert order in adulthood." Hmmm. All I know is that I am constantly creating mental lists of things to do, and that once they aredone, ALL done, then I will relax and feel better.
Interestingly enough, Doug presented me with a parallel item of interest yesterday as well. A lifestyle article in the WSJ on Sunday that talked about why we neglect our homes. In the authors words "Some of it is pure laziness. And some of it may be that, unlike the car, the task of maintaining a house is just too big. We can't get our arms around it. So we don't even try."
What fascinates me is that 1 tv show, and 1 article together, presented on the same day, sum up the major source of conflict in our relationship.
Deb: Pay today so you can play tomorrow. Make hay while the sun shines.
Doug: If it isn't broke, don't fix it. The squeaky wheel (will)get(s)the grease.
It's hard to respect his position.
One just wants to say "If you know the goddamn wheel is going to squeak eventually, why not just oil it now."
EPISODE TITLE:“The Gordons”–Premiered Monday, April 17 at 10/9c
Ro and her husband Roy are struggling to keep their second marriage together. Ro’s obsessive cleaning and fiery temper are destabilizing their blended family – Roy and the kids have checked out, and the family is rapidly drifting apart. Shmuley quickly discovers how Ro’s painful childhood has left her full of anxiety and anger. Will Ro eventually realize that it’s better to have a happy house than a perfectly clean one?
I was feeding the little miss and got enraptured. I certainly didn't feel a sense of kinship, I think Ro "the heroine" as it were, was a bit Liza Minneli and irrational. But I definitely could see her motivation. Essentially, the need to create order and structure within chaos. That there is a right way, and a wrong way, and that things look nice - and stay nice - because you take care of them. Rabbi Shmuley says that "Chaos in childhood creates the need to assert order in adulthood." Hmmm. All I know is that I am constantly creating mental lists of things to do, and that once they aredone, ALL done, then I will relax and feel better.
Interestingly enough, Doug presented me with a parallel item of interest yesterday as well. A lifestyle article in the WSJ on Sunday that talked about why we neglect our homes. In the authors words "Some of it is pure laziness. And some of it may be that, unlike the car, the task of maintaining a house is just too big. We can't get our arms around it. So we don't even try."
What fascinates me is that 1 tv show, and 1 article together, presented on the same day, sum up the major source of conflict in our relationship.
Deb: Pay today so you can play tomorrow. Make hay while the sun shines.
Doug: If it isn't broke, don't fix it. The squeaky wheel (will)get(s)the grease.
It's hard to respect his position.
One just wants to say "If you know the goddamn wheel is going to squeak eventually, why not just oil it now."
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Cue the Lee Greenwood song...
Babies 1st holiday..
Theme Dress, yep.
Matchy matchy socks, uh huh
somber thoughtful introspective reflective pose, yep.
Mommy NAILED it.
ahem, I made the flag myself...
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Shot to the Heart
Happy almost 4th of July. I'm going to try to post once a week and record some, well, record, of where we are in little Miss Butler's life. I'm bitter that so much time has past. I have reams of blog entries in my head. Especially the ones about Breastfeeding, Daddy's advice, and Grandma's Holding. But those will have to wait. Someday I may even enter her baby book entries. Wouldn't that be a kick. I hope ebloggers not going anywhere anytime soon....
So today Miss Ellie is 9 weeks and 1 day. She weighs 10.3 lbs, is 22 1/2 inches long and her head is 15 plus inches around. You're thinking "Wow, what a great Mommy to track all that!" and I'm thinking "Aha, I just read that off the pediatrician report" (Which is ANOTHER blog entry in my head, about our 4'11" pediatrician who is, conservatively, 30 years old..ish)
Regardless, Miss Ellie got her first round of shots yesterday, and may I say, I think she did fabulous. No fever, minimal fussing, slept a little extra, and stayed awake a little extra today. Other then that, she really is a direct and to the point little gal. She looks at you kind of soberly and meows only when necessary. Folks say "Oh what a good baby" to which I ineviably reply "Oh yeah sure, she's so mellow and quiet. We'll find out in 3 years that these were the soft markers for autism."
NOT funny.
But funny, no?
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