She Works Hard for the Money

Actually, I haven't been working too hard this week. In fact, for the better part of the week, I've been sitting in meetings. The hardest part is the sitting. The second hardest part is that someone decided that trays upon trays of food should be made available to us while we sit and listen (or not listen) during said meetings. I'm not complaining, and I do appreciate the fact that the ratio for food trays has been - in my estimation - roughly 1 veggie tray for every 4 sweet and/or cheese trays. It's just that I don't need to sit and eat all day. But I'm not one to pass up free food, either, so that has left me in a real quandary.

I told my mom earlier this evening that I'd forgotten how irritating it is to wake up to an alarm clock. Even though I'm not rising that much earlier than I would be anyway, there is something about hearing the buzz-buzz-buzz that makes me feel less rested than I might otherwise. Plus it's been rainy all week, which makes it even harder to get out of bed. In all honesty, I really like the rain ... when I can stay home in sweats. This morning, especially, it was storming quite fiercely, and while it would have made for a great sleeping/lounging/movie-watching day, I had to get myself moving and put on dress clothes (that might be the worst part when it's raining, don't you agree?).

Complaints aside (I fully realize that most of you are - with good reason - rolling your eyes at me for having the nerve to boo-hoo about waking up after my four-week vacation), it's been a good week, and I'm glad to be back.

Sara and Steve have also had a good week. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that Steve sort of enjoys being Mr. Mom (at least temporarily). Recently, as a family, we've bonded over "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse". Did you all know that it is possible for a 7-month old to have a favorite show? It is. You should see the twinkle in Sara's eyes and the uncontrollable flapping of her extremities that occurs when Mickey appears on the tube. It's actually pretty ridiculous. I've justified it all by acknowledging that at least the program is educational. And at least she'll know her Disney friends when it's time, down the road, to make our maiden voyage to Orlando. All this to say that, in addition to playing, running a few errands, and taking some good naps here and there, Daddy and Daughter have spent some time this week singing such hits as the "Hot Dog" song and "Building a Birdie House" (sorry, Steve ... okay, okay ... I sing them, too).Tomorrow is Friday. Can I get a woo-hoo?!

Wordless Wednesday

Money & Calories

My dad used to say, when we'd go on vacation, "Money doesn't matter and calories don't count."

If this motto were to coincide by any measure with my reality, I know what I would do: I would buy a big house on lots of land, and then hire someone to keep the grounds looking fresh and colorful and beautiful. That person would probably also be in charge of picking up the dog poop. I would take dancing lessons from Beyonce. Seriously, have you seen that girl move? I would buy all of my clothing from Banana Republic. All of it. I would donate considerably to the SPCA. I would travel and buy expensive antiques and purchase department store make-up. I would get my nails done and carry trendy-but-pricey handbags. I wouldn't check price tags or worry about waiting for a sale. Because, you know, money wouldn't matter.

It's fun to dream. But then, I'm not sure I really like this "I-want-the-greener-grass" version of myself.

There's a lot to be said about enjoying a modest lifestyle. In fact, is it living modestly at all to be blessed with a nice home, a loving husband, and a beautiful daughter? I think not. Since Steve lost his job, I've done a lot of thinking and reflecting, and I've come to a couple of practical conclusions. If what I have today is all I'll ever have, I will have no justifiable reason to ever be anything but happy. And the beauty of it is that I can make the decision to be happy and content, regardless of what is happening around me or to me. I can decide to be thrilled with what I've both earned and been given, rather than to be covetous of the material items I don't possess.

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely believe that my dad knew what he was talking about: when the opportunity to vacation and escape the realities of day-to-day life does present itself, the money won't matter and the calories won't count. It's just that that isn't realistic, everyday living. But what is real and practical and right for me on a regular day in my regular life is making the decision to live contentedly; I already have more than I'll ever deserve.

Unloading my random thoughts so they don't cloud my sweet dreams ...

Sara is in bed, Steve is at his flag-football game, and TLC is featuring a show about women who give birth without ever knowing they were pregnant. Sorry, I'm not buying it.

My summer is winding down. I go back to work on Monday. We have meetings next week, and then we'll have a couple weeks of tending to any loose-ends -- hiring for remaining vacancies, finalizing schedules, inspecting our new lockers (this is especially exciting), etc. -- before the students return. I'm glad to be going into this year with more confidence than I had last year, and with some idea of what to expect. As a result of knowing what to expect, though, I can already feel the stress creeping in. I won't type further on this topic right now in hopes that changing my thoughts will also interrupt the infestation of said stress.

Steve and I have come to the conclusion that Higgins is depressed. Has anyone had a depressed dog before? He's happy when we're playing in the backyard or out on a walk (we took two today to make him feel loved), but besides that, he just mopes around, plodding from one place to the next, falling asleep at each stop. I feel bad for the guy. Speaking of dogs, did you all hear that the Taco Bell Chihuahua died? Yep, she was 15. I so don't miss those commercials.

I was thrilled to read this article today because, well, I love carbs. I eat them at every meal, and sometimes in between meals. While I'd like to be really slim and trim, I refuse to get there by eliminating my favorite food group. Sorry. For me, carbs just don't fit into the "everything in moderation" approach to eating. Back when bagels became the big, trendy thing and we thought they were healthy (you know, when Bruegger's and Einstein's were popping up on every corner), I lived on them for the better part of a year or more (I so didn't appreciate my metabolism back then). I'm not quite as extreme these days, but I might be if I thought for one second that my frame could handle it. Oprah says to skip the bread basket. I say bring two baskets. Or maybe three.

Sara's hair is starting to get a little longer on top, so I bought her some barrettes. I happen to think they are adorable. And unlike with her bows, she doesn't know they are there. So unless she's doing some extreme rolling, they tend to stay in place.

Well, my throat is starting to hurt. Ugh. And now TLC is showing Toddlers & Tiaras. Gag -- do these people really exist? And I thought my carb obsession might be a little sick. It's so nice when a TV show has the ability to make me feel like a good person.

Happiness Is ...

... sitting on the kitchen island in nothing but a baggy white t-shirt, playing with a piece of junk mail.

Read these books.

Columbine by Dave Cullen

Finally, the facts. For real.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Gripping, funny, shocking, enlightening, heartbreaking. Real. And it actually happened here, not too long ago.

Lucky 7

Sara is seven months old today, if you can believe that. This post is a generic bulleted-list-run-down of what Sara is up to these days. But first, she's looking pretty cool in her new shades from Great-Grandma Lou, don't you think? ***
-Earlier this week Sara started taking baths without her blue baby tub. She likes to splash around in the water and reach for her ducks and boats. (I took a picture of Sara enjoying tub time, but since I could get in trouble for putting it on the internet, I won't do so. She looks like a baby in a bath tub ... I'm sure you can picture it).
***
-Unless she's riding in a car, Sara doesn't like to be confined to her car seat anymore. Our days of eating out while she quietly sits in her seat and looks around are over, over, over. We tried her in a restaurant highchair recently, and she liked the new view. She also liked to put her mouth on the handle bar, which is disgusting, but there are worse things, I'm sure.
***
-This week we went from feeding Sara two "real" meals a day to three - breakfast, lunch, and dinner with bottles between and before bed (she still needs at least 22 ounces of formula, says the doctor). We've also introduced a graham cracker snack time in the afternoons and/or evenings. It's messy, but she loves it.
***
-No teeth yet. About a month ago, Sara was frequently running a fever and began constantly chewing on her fingers, so we assumed the pearly whites would pop through at any moment. They still haven't made a debut, but she continues to gnaw on her fingers, and we can see little bumps on her bottom gums where the teeth and preparing to make their grand entrance.
***
-Sara is a roller. If she can't reach something by rolling, she finds something else ... she's not showing interest in crawling yet, although she can scooch (sp?) herself backwards when she wants to.
***
-Earlier this spring when Sara learned to squeal, she began doing a lot of it ... just to show us she could, I think. Well, within the last week or so, she's learned how to make a "aacchh" sound with the back of her throat, and it has become her universal sound for all things good. She makes it when she's excited to see us, when she's playing with her toys, when she's eating ... you know, all things good. We have no idea where it came from, but now all three of us are greeting each other with the sound. It's like our own little language that potentially has no meaning whatsoever.
***
And a little anecdote: Last night Sara woke up crying hard in the middle of the night, which is unusual because she is typically a good sleeper. The problem, as I'd suspected, was that she'd rolled herself to the edge of her crib and couldn't move because she'd gotten a leg stuck between the slats. She's done this many times before, but this time was worse than usual ... she was in up to the thigh and, even with my help, struggled to break free. Just as I was weighing my options (saw through the slats, perform a magic act to bend them, etc.), she came free, but not without a loud wail. I could tell by the look on her face that she wanted to ask, "Mom, does this happen to the girls with skinny thighs?" My heart breaks over the number of times she could potentially ask me this over the next 18+ years.

If the bumper had been on the bed, Sara's legs wouldn't have been stuck and I wouldn't have been up in the middle of the night, but her face would've been pressed up against it and we can't have that. Has anyone ever tried one of these mesh bumpers? It may be a worthwhile investment for us.

Sweet Home Minnesota

We've returned in one piece (well, three pieces) from our road trip up and down 35W. Truth be told, the drive itself went much better than I'd anticipated; Sara was a real trooper throughout the ride, and I'd even venture to say that I'd be willing to make the trip again.

On the way to MN, we stopped in KC and spent Friday night with Craig and Lisa in their beautiful home. It was the second time we'd seen them in two months, and - once again - we forgot to take any pictures. We also stopped in Ames to see our beloved ISU campus.
Of course Sara and I got a picture taken in front of 2118 Sunset. Seeing sorority circle made me want to hop on a bed with wheels and take a few laps around the block. (That's actually a lot more innocent than it sounds).

We made it to MN on Saturday evening. On Sunday morning we had Sara's baptism at Prairie Lutheran. Sara only cried for a few seconds while she was being baptized, and was rewarded with a stroller ride from Dad when it was all over.

A small contingent of the Wenck family was able to make it to my parents' home after the baptism. We were so thrilled to see them and to introduce them to Sara. You may remember this post from last summer that made mention of my Wenck relatives. Seeing them for Sara's baptism reminded me of how excited, delighted, and proud my dad would have been to have held Sara in his arms. I just love being related to these people!

On Monday we took Sara to the Como Zoo. She wasn't super interested in the animals, but she enjoyed the extended stroller ride. My thrill of the week, as always, came on Tuesday morning when we headed to Lake Ida. As soon as we arrived, I went into instant relaxation mode ... there is nothing like being at the lake. Our days up north consisted of going on boat rides, playing ladder ball, sitting on the porch, enjoying Miller time(s), and participating in other important activities like this:

Todd, Steve, and I braved the still slightly frigid water. We coaxed Melissa to jump in, too, after she took this picture!

Sara had her first boat ride! She enjoyed the boat itself, but loathed the "back-brace" (as Grandpa Todd called it) of a life jacket we made her wear.

We left Lake Ida on Saturday morning and headed to the Des Moines area. We stopped first in Ankeny to visit Rachel, Brant, and Ben. Merry and Ian where there, too, along with another friend and fellow Sunset Drive sister, Katie. It was so good to see them. Rachel made some really good chicken salad ... maybe she'll post the recipe on her blog (hint, hint, Rachel). Par for the course: we took no pictures.

Later in the day, we met up with the Brittains who live in the Des Moines area. Here is Sara with Great-G & G Brittain.

We left Des Moines on Sunday morning, made one last stop in KC to visit the Stigalls, and then drove all the way back to Texas. This road trip turned into a true Memory Lane trip for us. There were many people we were unable to see, but the ones who were in town, etc. made our trip complete. While Minnesota is officially home to me, Ames, Des Moines, and KC feel like home, too. Our circumstances right now prevented us from flying to MN as we usually would, and I'm so, so glad that they did.

Happy Belated 4th! Here's my Yankee Doodle Dandy ...