Cheaper than Therapy--Musings of The Mom Jen

Hiding in My Cave

2009-11-06T14:18:00.000-08:00

This week has been so incredibly blah.

And by blah, I mean, I'm eating like there's no tomorrow.

I mean comfort food is the only thing getting me through the week.

I can't stay awake for all the funny shows.

Each night I'm awakened on the couch by hubby telling me to go to bed.

And, it's like 9:30pm.

Is it the time change?

I'm thinking it is.

My youngest is rising by the light of day and falling asleep at 6pm.

My Boy's soccer coached called practice at 5:15pm for lack of daylight.

It's totally making me tired way too early.

So far "standard time" can suck it.

Do you think black-out shades in the morning and sun-lamps at night will help?

Makes me just want to hide out in my cave even more.

Did you know a few of my friends truly think i'm a hermit.

They worry about me and the relationship I have with my computer.

Like it's my only outlet to the outside world.

It is.

More and more lately.

You see, I'm totally getting social anxiety.

Bailing on social events for stupid things like lacking a cute outfit, not really knowing what to say, or just being away from home.

I'm more into writing...and texting.

I feel far more confident doing that than talking.

I texted Hubby last night at the dinner table to tell him his BBQ'ed chicken was fantastic!

He texted back "KEWL."

And then I said, "<3" and he was offended because he thought I was giving the chicken a less than 3 grade on a scale of 1-10.

"No honey that means LOVE, it's a heart if you turn it."

He texted a smile and said, "we're wasting minutes doing this."

So anyway.

I guess I need a vitamin boost to get me adjusted to this time change.

And, to get out more in the real world.

Okay, so...someone call me and invite me out. ;)

I'll leave my cell phone at home.

A Thousand Words Thursday

2009-11-04T21:15:00.000-08:00

November, 2000 DQ turned two this year. Her FAVORITE toy she got for her birthday was her tea set. Whether she had someone to "drink it" with or not, she could play tea party for hours, days, months. This year she is turning 11. This year she will be 11 on 11/11. She told us, "it would have been so cool to be born in 2000. Then i'd be 11 on 11/11/11. Oh and no more tea sets, big girl is asking for an iPod. *sigh*

Want to join me in A Thousand Words Thursday, read and grab my button from HERE. Then write in your name and the URL(permalink) in the new MckLinky below.

Please link only to "A Thousand Words Thursday" posts, and check out all the other participants and leave them some love!

I'm a Non-Neat

2009-11-03T14:04:00.001-08:00

So I just got back from lunch with a friend.

And what am I doing?

Eating Frosted Flakes.

Straight from the box.

You should see the crumbs in the keyboard.

Speaking of crumbs, the candy wrapper issue in my car is careening out of control.

It's so hard being a non-neat.

What's even harder?

Being married to a non-neat.

I truly have aspirations to be tidy and organized, I really do.

But in reality, we're the messy family.

Our car mimicks our home on a daily basis.

Not unclean or unhealthy, just cluttery.

Unfortunately our kids have inherited the finish and toss rule.

I get angry, but they come by it honestly.

You should see K and My Boy's room.

All 6000 legos are on the floor.

I ask them to clean it, they start and then come out 10 minutes later to share their newest lego-creation.

They have a knack for structures, I'll give them that.

But, cleaning up...not so much.

Don't look at my desk.

It's organized.

My way.

I really know where everything is on it...and under it....and next to it.

Don't get me confused with hoarder though.

I don't have that problem.

Yet.

If It's November, Christmas is Around the Corner...AHH!

2009-11-01T20:15:00.000-08:00

November?! Already?!

Well, I knew it was coming.

Yesterday was October 31 for pete's sake.

It's all going to be a blur for the next few months.

Food, turkey, mashed potatoes, candied yams.

Only 54 days until Christmas...oh mah gawd!

I'm not ready for it.

I'm going to hibernate, I'll be back March first.

I walked by the workers in Target putting out the Christmas lights and whispered, "this is nuts!" and I didn't think she heard me, but she replied, "yeah and it'll be 75% off on December 26th."

Have I done any Christmas shopping yet?

That's a big fat no.

Anyone who shops for Christmas in July can just take their brownie button and ...well...wear it.

I'm last-minute-lucy and dang proud.

Haven't made anyone go, "uh...thanks" with a disgusted look on their face yet.

Oh and now where do we go for our family Christmas photo?

Fireplace has been the locale for too many years now.

We need to get outside, jeans and red and green shirts (girls-red, boys green).

But, even before the best food holidays approach I have a sleepover to plan for 7 11-year-olds!

Talk about hard to please.

I've got to find alternate housing for My Boy and K that night.

Hubs and I may get banished to the garage.

Don't mind me these next few months...I'll be the one huddled in the corner.

Can't Put the Camera Down!

2009-10-31T14:58:00.001-07:00

It's one of those weeks.

Everyone and everything is getting photographed.

It's pumpkin carving time!

DQ's kitty cat.

My Boy going for the original Jack-o-Lantern face.

K chose a moon and stars theme.

That had her favorite letter on the back.

Big sis and her favorite logo of all time. PEACE.

My favorite part of the activity, roasted seeds!

My party dip needed a "hand."

The winning card!

Happy Halloween everyone!

The Candy is Whispering My Name!

2009-10-30T09:59:00.001-07:00

What's your favorite Halloween treat!?

This year, mine are...

I can't get enough!

In the past, I would put all our leftover candy into my oldest daughter's birthday pinata to "get rid of it!"

But, now that she's almost 11, the pinata thing isn't cool.

The temptation of it all just makes my thighs thicken as we speak!

Not to mention I'm in charge of fundraising at DQ's school and we have a Chocolate Bar and See's Candy event coming up all before Christmas.

Later today My Boy will come home with TONS of stuff from school.

My pre-schooler has a cavity-inducing bag of treat from yesterday.

They haven't even Trick-or-Treated yet!!

AHH.

I have no self-control.

I WILL eat it all.

I can smell it from my bedroom.

Or that might be the crumbs by my pillow.

Chocolate helps you sleep..or something.

I'm feeling a bit like Willy Wonka, only fatter and with boobs.

HALP!

A Thousand Words Thursday

2009-10-28T21:58:00.000-07:00

Reason 3,187 why I have no clear understanding of higher math. I though "e" was a letter!

What a Treat!

2009-10-28T09:00:00.000-07:00

Luckiest girl in town!

K gets to wear her costume to dance class today.

Tomorrow, she gets to wear it to Preschool and trick or treat to our local downtown businesses.

These little ruby feet are too adorable for words.

She's worn the shoes everyday for a month.

Little red glitter about the house.

Dorothy, and her little dog too!

Catching Up on Fall Photos

2009-10-26T11:25:00.000-07:00

Finally some fall foilage and fun photos.

Say that 5 times fast.

Passing the time at soccer practice.

Giddy with happiness.

Cousins in a friendly competition.

Don't get a nosebleed.

Looking tough and playing tough, two different things.

Hubby's fave player, saw a lot of him.

Beautiful day in the Bay Area.

Ack.

Happy Fall.

Living With a Tween.

2009-10-24T15:56:00.000-07:00

Living with a TWEENager is like living with a great white shark.

They'll circle you and circle you until they attack.

Hormones and attitude and mood swings oh my!

Truly, you never know what they want.

At any moment there can be a fountain of tears.

A sudden rage.

A bountiful amount of hugs and kisses.

I'm so confused.

It's like walking on land mines.

"It's not fair!"

"I am SO old enough."

"You don't even care!"

"You don't understand!"

Oh I do.

I remember what it was like being you.

I was you.

Now I'm the mom.

*Sigh*

Actions-reactions-cause-effect-behavior-consequences.

House rules-family rules.

Why can't you go to a public event unsupervised!?

You are too young.

I know your friend's mom is letting her go.

It's not you I worry about, it's the other people.

You'll understand one day.

When you're a mom.

Car Twin

2009-10-23T04:08:00.000-07:00

If you have a white or black SUV you probably head to parking lots and go to the wrong car a lot.

See that didn't happen much to us.

We have a unique model and color car.

Well we HAD a unique car.

There are two other identical cars like ours in town now.

Our very small town.

One happens to drive a child to the same school My Boy attends.

The other shops at the same grocery store.

Our little car twins are all over town and it seems they are doing the same thing we're doing at the same time.

Crazy.

Our family jokes are always things like:

"Oh there WE go!"

"Wonder where WE are going today!"

"Oh look WE got new hibiscus seat covers!"

And random things like that.

We even wonder if the people in the other twin cars think the same thing about us.

They're probably saying,

"We had this car first."

"Our car is far cleaner!"

"Why didn't they get a black SUV."

Delusional right!?

I guess that's what happens when you're in the car 100 miles per week chauffering kids around.

You make up imaginary stories about other drivers.

A Thousand Words Thursday

2009-10-22T06:50:00.000-07:00

May, 1999 DQ riding in style.

I'm Not SAD Yet.

2009-10-20T08:12:00.000-07:00

The sun has been hiding the past few days.

This means fall is here and the weather is changing.

This also means it's grab a blanket and cuddle on the couch with a book or movie kind of days.

I've completed a book already this month and working on my second (Julie & Julia by Julie Powell-We saw the movie, but the book is really different, better in that way that books always are.).

But, it feels nice to put a sweatshirt on and knee-high socks (yeah, so!) and feel the cool fall air on your face as you walk outside.

It's a change, a nice one.

But, in no time I'll be back to whining how the sun hasn't been out for 30 days straight and I'm getting affected by SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder).

That's how I roll.

But, right now I'm relishing in the ever-changing colors of the trees, the smell of rain on the sidewalk, and the dark mornings where our double-layer of comforters entices me to stay in bed all day.

And, it's almost time to "Fall Back" too, an extra hour of sleep hooray!

Oh, and the big bags of Halloween chocolate at the stores.

Bulking up for the winter.

Do you fall for Fall?

Happy Birthday Hubby!!

2009-10-18T16:13:00.000-07:00

Today is Hubby's 36th birthday.

Right now there are yellow cupcakes in the oven with 3 eager kids ready to frost with vanilla frosting.

Hubs requested my beef enchiladas for dinner.

Today, we're just hanging out.

It's been a full weekend, with a winning soccer game, a lunch out, and some bowling.

For the past 5 years we camped for Hubby's bday, but this year it's all about getting healthy.

Star Wars is on the boob tube, and we've been playing rounds of Scrabble.

Life is good.

Simple.

2009-10-16T10:37:00.001-07:00

What if your only worry in the world was if your newfound snail was okay?

You dress up in your favorite clothes.

Walk outside, and your only wish was to find it again.

Hope and pray, the cat didn't eat it.

Hope you or someone else didn't step on it with beautiful shoes.

Only to rejoice when you did find it (or one exactly like it) unscathed.

If only life was always this simple.

A Thousand Words Thursday

2009-10-15T03:55:00.001-07:00

August, 2008-Daddy, cozy me up, I'm cold!

He Might Stop Me from Reading Online

2009-10-13T15:23:00.000-07:00

I'll be the first to admit that I've taken the kids to the doctor, or have seen the doctor myself and the verdict has been...

--oh it's just a cold
--heatrash-don't dress him/her so warm
--just a bruise
--no you're not crazy
--stubbed toe
--sore throat from yelling too much

You know...I overreact sometimes.

But, my paranoia is not always way off.

Like this time, I actually think my husband wanted to tell me I was right.

Well. He never did use the words but by making a follow-up appointment at the dr. that TOTALLY meant I was right.

Hubby was diagnosed with pneumonia in one lung 1 week, one day ago.

Today, he says he feels better, but his cough and wheeze tell me otherwise.

His wheeze sounds like a boiling pot and hasn't changed over this last week.

So I called him today at work and here's how it went...

Me: I just read online that someone famous died from fluid in his lungs.
Him: Oh yeah.
Me: What if you have fluid in your lungs?
Me: You know people DIE of pneumonia.
Me: You never hear of people dying from an ear infection or pinkeye.
Him: I see where you're going with this.
Him: (doing that wheeze thing)
Me: That doesn't sound better.
Him: Okay, I'll call and make a follow-up appointment.

5 minutes later
Him: I'm going in after work.
Me: Thank you.
Him: hangs up
Me: (still talking) See I'm totally right about this, you finally believe i'm not crazy-paranoid, a follow-up is totally necessary when we're talking pneumonia and ......Hello?!

So maybe they'll do an x-ray, maybe they'll say he's doing a lot better. Maybe they'll change his Rx. Hopefully he's not worse.

Any which way, we'll know what's up and how to proceed and sometimes that reassurance can make you feel so much better.

**Update, x-rays were done and were clear, although there was an antibiotic change. Not 100% better, but not worse!!**

Daddy a Forward for the Lakers!?

2009-10-12T10:01:00.000-07:00

Oh my sweet K.

She says the darndest things!

Over the weekend she and Yaya were walking by a basketball court and she excitedly tells her..

"Grandma, you know when my daddy grows up, he's going to be a basketball player!!"

Out of the mouths of babes.

Daddy is grown up.

His chance at the NBA is pretty slim.

The driveway hoop is far from the Staples Center.

So, K what do you want to be when you grow up?!

"I want to pick flowers when I grow up!"

Aha.

So she'll either be a hippie or a really cool landscape designer.

Hoping for the latter.

Mommy Zombie

2009-10-09T11:02:00.000-07:00

*Yawn!*

Oh sorry.

Just extremely tired.

Could be the vitamin and iron deficiency.

Or could be that I don't sleep through the night anymore.

Who knew that at 36 I would be digging up the old sleep habits books I had for the kids?!

Ferber can you hear me!?

I could totally cry it out at night but my husband might be annoyed and I don't want to risk waking everyone else up.

I hate waking up in the middle of the night.

My mind races, I can't. shut. it. up.

I replay events in my head, prepare phone calls I have to make the next day, mentally chew out the soccer coach's son for being such a verbal bully.

I obsess about the bills, try and remember if we closed the garage door, and lately listen for hubby's chest gurgle.

I'm annoyed beyond belief.

I will not take sleeping pills. Just won't.

My mom's advice: warm milk before bed.

Considering my lactose intolerance and just the fact that warm milk alone would make me gag, it doesn't sound very sleep-inducing.

Then just as I finally doze off, my body triggers the "have to pee" response, mostly because I had been up the last hour debating if I should get up and go, or if that would wake me up even more.

Take a nap during the day you say!?

Uh, yeah right.

K thinks that as soon as mommy's eyes close and she's in a laying down position it's time to YELL LOUDER, "Mommy are you awake?"

No I'm sleeping K, let mommy rest her eyes for a bit...

No mommy the sun's UP, the moon is NOT up, it's not time for bed.

She's probably right, I might miss a school pickup if I nod off anyway.

Anyone have some suggestions that don't require drugs, alcohol, or coma?

A Thousand Words Thursday

2009-10-07T21:15:00.000-07:00

October, 2003--What could My Boy have been thinking at age two? Daddy is this how you put your goatee on every day!? Daddy, why do Pirates need makeup?

Passionate with a Touch of Delusional

2009-10-06T21:01:00.000-07:00

This is right before we dug our toes in the sand at the Shorline Cafe for 4 hours...

Do you know that I still smile and giggle when I think of the beer Hefeweizen?

Total inside joke...but I'll fill you in.

Molly and I were in this restaurant waiting for the rest of the crew to join us.

I suddenly hear Molly mutter the words Hefeweizen.

Not being up on my beers, I immediately think, God Bless You, she must have sneezed.

Then I thought, is she speaking German to a Mexican waiter in an Italian restaurant!?

I do a double take and say, "hey Mol, what-up with the whole Farfegnugen ?"

Ah...something to joke about the rest of the weekend.

If I had to come up with a word that describes each of the five of us...I would use PASSION.

The kind where you have passionate feelings for something, whether it be your family, your craft, your friends, your morals, your faith, your dreams.

We also joked that all the stories we made up along the weekend, we could add "DELUSIONAL" as another common trait.

I don't know about you, but I think we're just fine.

Coming Down from the High

2009-10-05T15:35:00.000-07:00

R & R was amazing.

And why does time fly SO QUICKLY when you are relaxing on vacation!?

Back to reality today as my poor Hubby found out his 2 week-long cough developed into pneumonia in his left lung.

Schneikes! This is by far our worst health-season in a LONG time.

Hopefully his meds will kick in quick.

But, I am really feeling the letdown of our weekend.

That feeling of complete elation followed by realizing that you can't spend 4 hours at the beachfront cafe this afternoon.

....or stay in your jammies sipping coffee all day with your best friends.

....or enjoy an appetizer, bread, entree, dessert, wine, and then See's Candy all in a matter of 2 hours.

....or know that you will not be together in this capacity for another 365-ish days.

Hurts a little in the heart area.

I haven't laughed like that in a long time.

I haven't smiled that much in 72 hours.

I haven't relaxed that much in a long time.

It hurts that the people that you feel the absolute closest to next to your spouse are in 4 different directions.

Being together once a year is clearly not enough.

I'm feeling pouty and a little kicky and want to tantrum, "it's not fair."

*Sigh*

Celebrity Stalking.

2009-10-03T08:47:00.000-07:00

Enjoying my Girl's Weekend in beautiful Santa Barbara.

Good food, good friends, celebrity sightings!!

Yeah, so walking down State Street yesterday I glance across the street and see this gorgeous woman.

So I stare a bit and notice her husband and kids look familiar.

And, by familiar, I mean I've seen them in People Magazine and Us Weekly!

"OMG, it's Cindy Crawford!" I scream like a tween who's just seen the Jonas Brothers.

My girlfriends and I pick up and speed-walk down to the corner to cross the street.

We follow the gorgeous family down past shops and just ogle at how Cindy looks just as stunning and beautiful as in her photos.

Not wanting to be too stalker-like, we notice they stop and glance in a shop and we pass.

Then being very-stalker/paparazzi-like we pretend we're taking a group photo, though my girlfriend Gayle zooms past and gets a fab shot of Cindy, mole and all.

We joked that we were going to go up to her and ask her if she could take OUR picture and feign we had no idea who she was, but we couldn't.

All credit for these photos goes to Gayle !

Today, we're going to head down to the beach and possibly catch maybe Oprah and Steadman walking in the sand!

A Thousand Words Thursday

2009-09-30T21:26:00.000-07:00

Heading out to Santa Barbara with these gals, my girls, my buddies, my saviors for a LONG weekend. As you know it's been a HELLUVA few weeks at our house. Will I miss the kids and Hubby, oh heck yah, but I know that I'll be a better mom/wife when I come back. Refreshed. This getaway couldn't have been planned for a better time. Just what the doctor ordered.

Another Gray's Anatomy Lesson

2009-09-28T17:19:00.000-07:00

...and not at all related to the t.v. show.

So my saga continues.

Stopped taking an antibiotic because of some strange side effects.

If you've never stopped in before, you can catch up a few days back on my posts.

Even after stopping the meds, I'm still having a strange sensation in my hands, fingers, toes, arms, and legs.

What I find out today...I am experiencing something called peripheral neuropathy.

Of course I've read up on this via Dr. Google, and knew about it because my dad is a diabetic.

But, labwork that I had done over the weekend suggests that along with some anemia, I am deficient in vitamin B.

This may have been caused by the 4 months of gastritis I endured where I began to lose the ability to absorb these vitamins in my diet.

As a result I'm having these issues that may or may not have been exacerbated
by anti-biotics and even my Omeprozole.

Why or how this started is still unclear, but I got a shot of B12 and am adding a B6 supplement to my daily routine for a few weeks to see if that can help.

My frustration level is high.

My patience wearing thin.

Ever feel like you're a human guinea pig?