lucky 13 10/17/2009
 
On Tuesday of this last week, I treated myself to a babysitter for 3 hours.

I've decided that my chronic insanity is due to little time off from one full time job (Axel) and not enough time to devote to my second full time job (fashion). Finding a babysitter was one battle, admitting that I needed her help was another completely.

Setting aside all power issues and giving away control to this girl just about collapsed me, but I was willing to give it a try.  It's only three hours right?

I started the morning off by running to the grocery store.  I found my stride as I entered the bakery and was actually able to relax and remember what was on my list (conveniently sitting at home on the counter...as usual).  As I was waiting for Axels "peppered turkey breast"...he only likes the spicy ones...the $8.99 per pound ones...I spotted a sample station with some delicious butter spritz cookies.  What I love about Cub is that you can sample a whole cookie...they don't waste time cutting them.

After a harmless sample, my hand grabbed one off the shelf and it magically migrated to my cart.  I just let it happen in honor of giving myself a break.

Finishing up at the store, I peacefully loaded the car and drove the 4 blocks back home.  I unloaded in virtual silence and could hear Axel sweetly playing upstairs.

It was time to sew.  I grabbed the box of "butter spritz" in case I needed a nibble and sat down at the machine.  Rockin' out to a Cities 97 sampler cd from the 90's, I stitched, I drew sketches, and not once did I need to rip out due to a distracted mind.

However much my mind seemed focused on my sewing, apparently, my stomach was focusing on the cookies.

When my 3 hours was up and I trudged upstairs to reality, I wondered how many cookies I had actually eaten.  Five, seven...ten at the absolute WORST! The containers are always half empty when you get them.

After lunching Axel and putting him down for a nap, feeling like I deserve just one more treat, I will leave the rest for Jahred, I quietly opened the noisy packaging but noticed the sticker stating "40 count".  They count the damn cookies?  I thought food packaging was a weight measurement.  This was clearly a guilt mechanism placed by executive men shaming their snacking wives...who did they think they were?

Of course by simple math if I were to count the remaining cookies, that would tell me how many I had eaten.  One by one I methodically tallied the remaining cookies and to my horror, there were only thirteen!

Twenty-seven cookies.  Well, actually twenty-eight I reminded myself, I did sample one in the store.

Admitting that the babysitter thing went just fine, I thought I could try it again some day, although next time she would only cost me money and not a pants size.
 
6:40 dog 04/22/2009
 

I'm sure I'm not alone when I say "I've been up since 4".

After one really messy diaper and a few attempts at settling, I gave up this morning.  A nasty cycle starts when all Axel can do is whine.  He whines while sleeping, he whines even while I lay with him, and this morning at 5, I gave up the charade and decided to play.  There's never a bad time to play with your kids right?

I started to play his favorite game...lick each others noses.  However repulsive this may sound to the kid-less folk out there, it is a rather amusing game.  First, I try to lick Axel's nose...usually I succeed.  Then (this is the part he doesn't quite get), he tries to lick my nose...although he doesn't move his head, so I move my nose to his tongue.

This morning as always, he started belly laughing so hard, tears were coming out of his eyes...my eyes too (although I think I was crying...hard to tell when you are so exhausted).  30 minutes went by and he had nearly laughed himself to sleep.  I was shocked that it worked the same way as crying...they both end in slumber.

At 6:40 when my day was about to begin, I heard the familiar sound of my neighbors dog barking.  Every morning without fail, the neighborhood rooster/terrier wakes us all up.  Today, just as Axel was beginning to close his eyes, just as I was beginning to sew in my mind, the familiar neighborhood sound met my hopeful thoughts and all was right with the world.

Buenos Dias!

 

from one MOM to the world