Every year on Veteran's Day, I call my father (Gulf) and my grandfather (WWII) to say thank you for their service. Every year, their responses are the same. My father replies with a "No, thank YOU... it's not just the veterans who have sacrificed and served, it is also their families who have given up time with their loved ones who are serving." My grandfather reminds me that he was the lucky one, since he survived and was able to live his life, while others did not get that chance.
So today, I say thank you to all the veterans who served this great country... the ones that came back, the ones that didn't and the ones at home that love(d) them.
11.11.2009
11.06.2009
it's official
It's official... I'm a parent! Well, I suppose that statement was true on September 17, when Maxwell Stephen joined our family. Scout and I are thrilled to have him in our lives... and someday, he'll be able to take out the garbage, mow the lawn, and walk the dog. Child labor benefits in 10 years aside, I am so in love with this little guy in this moment when he is helpless, and relying on us for his every need.
For some reason, motherhood and parenthood have different duties in my mind. Motherhood (and fatherhood) duties are loving and caring for your child. Parenthood requires setting rules and limitations. I don't think Webster will back me up in my definition, but whatever.
On his birthday, I realized that I was a mother, and responsible for this little life. Loving him, caring for him was my role - and that is what I have done. Hugged, kissed, loved, adored, changed, bathed, rocked - check, check and check.
Today we went to get his birth certificate. As if his presence isn't enough to qualify him as a person, he needed the official stamp from the county records department. Thirty four dollars later, we had two copies (come on, you KNOW he is going to lose one when he sends it away to get an expedited copy of his passport so he can go to spring break in Cancun... what? who? me? maybe... ) and he was official. So I guess you could mark that point as my intro to parenthood, but nope - didn't hit me yet... until our drive home.
We were cruising on a beautiful country road, and in my rear view mirror, I saw a Beemer zoom up to our back bumper with the windows open, and three teenage boys leaning out the sides. They were swerving from side to side, and I can't be certain, but the passenger riding shotgun may have had control of the steering wheel. Since I had my precious cargo in the backseat, I panicked, and looked for the nearest place to pull over and let them pass.
In my fifteen years of driving history, I can't recall a time when I EVER let someone pass me. But as a PARENT, I felt like those crazy teenagers (I guess you could also mark this moment as recognition of the fact that "I am OLD") were endangering my little dude. So I protected him, and thought immediately, "I'm a PARENT now!" Next, I guess I'll have to learn how to set curfew, issue groundings and deny requests for increases in allowance.
For some reason, motherhood and parenthood have different duties in my mind. Motherhood (and fatherhood) duties are loving and caring for your child. Parenthood requires setting rules and limitations. I don't think Webster will back me up in my definition, but whatever.
On his birthday, I realized that I was a mother, and responsible for this little life. Loving him, caring for him was my role - and that is what I have done. Hugged, kissed, loved, adored, changed, bathed, rocked - check, check and check.
Today we went to get his birth certificate. As if his presence isn't enough to qualify him as a person, he needed the official stamp from the county records department. Thirty four dollars later, we had two copies (come on, you KNOW he is going to lose one when he sends it away to get an expedited copy of his passport so he can go to spring break in Cancun... what? who? me? maybe... ) and he was official. So I guess you could mark that point as my intro to parenthood, but nope - didn't hit me yet... until our drive home.
We were cruising on a beautiful country road, and in my rear view mirror, I saw a Beemer zoom up to our back bumper with the windows open, and three teenage boys leaning out the sides. They were swerving from side to side, and I can't be certain, but the passenger riding shotgun may have had control of the steering wheel. Since I had my precious cargo in the backseat, I panicked, and looked for the nearest place to pull over and let them pass.
In my fifteen years of driving history, I can't recall a time when I EVER let someone pass me. But as a PARENT, I felt like those crazy teenagers (I guess you could also mark this moment as recognition of the fact that "I am OLD") were endangering my little dude. So I protected him, and thought immediately, "I'm a PARENT now!" Next, I guess I'll have to learn how to set curfew, issue groundings and deny requests for increases in allowance.
9.08.2009
the end is near...
The end of my pregnancy is near... not "here"... I didn't say "here", people, so just settle down. Believe me, we will let you all know when the baby is here. :) We are at T minus plus one day, and for the record, I would like to nominate "due dates" as one of the dumbest things ever. The only thing it has been good for is acting as a date by which I could start my "pregnancy leave" from work. Other than that, fake deadlines that really have no bearing on actual delivery dates are just dumb. But whatever, I am "one day overdue" on the imaginary deadline. Which he missed - I don't know if we had a miscommunication, or he just wasn't ready to present, but this is definitely showing up in his performance review for this year. Ha!
Since I am almost at the end of my pregnancy, let me share a few things that I will miss about being pregnant, and a few things that I miss about NOT being pregnant... we'll go in reverse order...
Things I miss about not being pregnant, and am excited for upon said deadline...
Since I am almost at the end of my pregnancy, let me share a few things that I will miss about being pregnant, and a few things that I miss about NOT being pregnant... we'll go in reverse order...
Things I miss about not being pregnant, and am excited for upon said deadline...
- BEER: seriously, I have been thinking about beer for months. No, O'Douls is not the same. Yes, I have tried.
- seeing my feet (for 2 reasons): 1. to actually be able to see down to my feet - honestly, it is very strange tripping over things cause I can't see them. 2. that my ankles will be revealed beneath the current sausage casings surrounding them.
- beer (I already said that, huh?)
- not having to answer the questions: September 7th, boy, no name (yes, we have a name, but honestly, it is just easier to not have the conversation with people... plus, we aren't telling people, so why should the lady at the grocery store know the name if we aren't telling our family?)... yeah, I'll probably have to answer questions about the baby, but at least that will be a little variety (until I get tired of that after a month). ;)
- having people comment on my weight/size all the time... or the worst: "really? you're NOT having twins? are you SURE?"
- beer... nuff said
Things I will miss about being pregnant...
- having a legitimate excuse to nap at 2pm
- unlimited ice cream (which I suppose I could continue, but it will be a bit difficult without the next item)...
- elastic pants - seriously, these things are comfy! I am so showing up at Thanksgiving with maternity pants this year.
- the excitement and anticipation
- having the lil dude all to myself... yes, I want him to come out, and to meet him face to face, but then I'll have to share him with the rest of the world
Until then... I'll keep twiddling my thumbs, answering phone calls and emails with the requisite: "Nope, no baby yet".
9.03.2009
ejection authorization
Lil Dude -
Since we have reached September, you are now authorized to eject any time you want. Nothing against August (your dad's bday, our wedding anniversary, auntie's bday), but I really wanted you to have a nine-something-nine birthday. You know, cause that sort of thing matters in life. Riiiiight.
If you really want to hit the jackpot, give it a few days and shoot for nine-nine-nine. Super cool - all the chicks will dig you because of your catchy birth date. All you have to do is pull that ejection cord (I know there is a cord in there with you... umbili-something they call it, but since I am not a doctor, I imagine it has something to do with parachuting out of there?) and out you'll come.
Thanks,
the Management
Since we have reached September, you are now authorized to eject any time you want. Nothing against August (your dad's bday, our wedding anniversary, auntie's bday), but I really wanted you to have a nine-something-nine birthday. You know, cause that sort of thing matters in life. Riiiiight.
If you really want to hit the jackpot, give it a few days and shoot for nine-nine-nine. Super cool - all the chicks will dig you because of your catchy birth date. All you have to do is pull that ejection cord (I know there is a cord in there with you... umbili-something they call it, but since I am not a doctor, I imagine it has something to do with parachuting out of there?) and out you'll come.
Thanks,
the Management
9.02.2009
procrastination
As my college roommate can attest to, I am a master procrastinator. Yes, I am also a master planner, but that is for things I WANT to do. When it comes to the things I HAVE to do, I can come up with any number of excuses to postpone. Which is why, 3 and a half weeks into my "pregnancy disability" leave, I still had not completed traffic school. Yes, even with the impending birth of my child that would leave me no time to finish traffic school, and nothing else to do, I chose to park my rear on the couch and watch four thousand episodes of "designed to sell" and "house hunters" and "property virgins". I Just.Can't.Stop. Scout asked me if I was planning on moving while he was at work one day - he was getting concerned about my interest in house selling and purchasing. I can only imagine what he was thinking when he actually SAW me watching them, and I'm yelling at the people like it's the bottom of the ninth and they are down by a run... "You people are crazy - you aren't going to buy that house because it doesn't have stainless steel appliances? You don't like the paint color? REPAINT IT!"... Ahem, excuse me. Sorry, I get a little carried away watching home shows. See? I am even procrastinating WRITING about my task of traffic school. Moving on...
I think we all know that I got a speeding ticket recently. To avoid getting points on my pristine record, I opted for traffic school. Which, last time I took it (12 years ago), was in a dingy room somewhere in Virginia for 8 hours that felt like 8 days. God bless the advent of the internet. MUCH more pleasant experience this time... 49 minutes total, including interjections of emails, yelling at Scout about how stupid the questions are, and of course, taking notes for this post.
After registering for the course (twenty dollars), I was informed that it would be 5 chapters, with a quiz at the end of each chapter. Passing grade for each quiz was 80%. The reading material for each chapter was 4 pages long, with much scrolling down on each page. I browsed the material, then decided to just click through the pages, try the quiz, and see how I did.
Quiz 1: 70%.... so close
try again
Quiz 1: 70%... arghhhhh
copy/paste results into a word doc so I can reference the ones I got wrong, and not pick that same option again (narrowing my guessing to 1 out of 3, instead of 1 out of 4)
Quiz 1: 80%... YAY!
Here are some of the dumbest things from chapter 1:
I think we all know that I got a speeding ticket recently. To avoid getting points on my pristine record, I opted for traffic school. Which, last time I took it (12 years ago), was in a dingy room somewhere in Virginia for 8 hours that felt like 8 days. God bless the advent of the internet. MUCH more pleasant experience this time... 49 minutes total, including interjections of emails, yelling at Scout about how stupid the questions are, and of course, taking notes for this post.
After registering for the course (twenty dollars), I was informed that it would be 5 chapters, with a quiz at the end of each chapter. Passing grade for each quiz was 80%. The reading material for each chapter was 4 pages long, with much scrolling down on each page. I browsed the material, then decided to just click through the pages, try the quiz, and see how I did.
Quiz 1: 70%.... so close
try again
Quiz 1: 70%... arghhhhh
copy/paste results into a word doc so I can reference the ones I got wrong, and not pick that same option again (narrowing my guessing to 1 out of 3, instead of 1 out of 4)
Quiz 1: 80%... YAY!
Here are some of the dumbest things from chapter 1:
- "In a recent study conducted it was found that 40 hours are spent in traffic that is NOT moving in 1/3 of US cities." Now, I can only IMAGINE how much money was spent on this study, and it makes me want to cry. 'Cause that statistic... MAKES NO SENSE. It has no time qualifier - is it 40 hours PER WEEK, PER MONTH, PER YEAR? Also, it had no point. Just that statement.
- "In a study recently, the average driver would rather spend money on public transit than on: a) new cars, b) roads, c) bridges, or d) private investments." As I was yelling to Scout in the other room about how I was coming up short in passing the quiz by 1 question, he retorted, "well, maybe you aren't as good a driver as you think you are". But I'm not sure how this question has ANYTHING to do with my driving skills.
For Chapter 2, I did a quick peruse (by "peruse", I really mean: glanced at the top portion of the first page), and scrolled down page 3. No method to the madness. I did note that they used a Wikepedia reference, and had pictures of a dude on a bike using hand signals. Which I still don't know what they mean. I prefer the method of: point in the direction you are turning when you are on a bike. All that studying led to me passing (80%) on the first try at the quiz.
I got cocky on the third chapter. Didn't even look at the title. Just clicked through to the quiz. Where I got a 40%. If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. So I did. 100%.
For the fourth and fifth chapter, I also used the "no read" approach, and passed each on the first try with an 80% score, and only taking 2 minutes per chapter. Great use of my time!
I thought I was done, but there was more... a FINAL EXAM! I don't remember reading anything about a final exam (but then again, I didn't really read much at all, so it was probably there). Fortunately, it had almost all the same questions as on the chapter quizzes, and I passed on the first try with an 88%. Woo-hoo! So, my license remains pure, and I just have to drive nicely for the next 18 months, cause apparantly you can't do this every time you get a ticket (and honestly, if I learned anything from this online class, it is how long you have to wait between "get out of jail free" cards).
Now I am free to have this baby... or, um, watch more TV. Off I go...
8.17.2009
to my son
To my son,
We are 3 weeks away from your due date, and I can’t wait to meet you face to face. In some ways, I feel like I know you, since we have spent every second together for the past 9 months; and yet, I feel like I have so much to learn about you.
I know that you are a VERY active little guy – you are always bouncing around, busy doing flips and kicks and punches. You like loud music in the car (or you are kicking and screaming in there for me to turn it down… not quite sure, but I’m going with the “you like it” theory). You sleep well when we are taking walks, and you have a tendency to wake up between 3 and 4am. Your father’s voice and touch calms you – when he places his hand on my belly, you are calm and quiet.
I wonder what you look like and what you sound like. I wonder about your personality and your expressions. Soon enough, we will meet face to face, and begin this wonderful journey together – you on the journey of life, me on the journey of motherhood.
I have been thinking about all the things I want to share with you, show you, and teach you… the smell of the ocean, the beauty of a sunset, the excitement of the first day of school, making friends, celebrating successes and coping with failures. Then I realized… all the things I want to pass on to you are memories that I have collected in MY life, not necessarily things that I can tell you about and you will understand. Instead, I am looking forward to watching you and guiding you as you collect your own personal experiences that will shape your life… as a bouncing baby, a curious toddler, a growing kid, a tenacious teen, and ultimately, a magnificent man. We have quite an adventure ahead of us…
Love,
Mom
We are 3 weeks away from your due date, and I can’t wait to meet you face to face. In some ways, I feel like I know you, since we have spent every second together for the past 9 months; and yet, I feel like I have so much to learn about you.
I know that you are a VERY active little guy – you are always bouncing around, busy doing flips and kicks and punches. You like loud music in the car (or you are kicking and screaming in there for me to turn it down… not quite sure, but I’m going with the “you like it” theory). You sleep well when we are taking walks, and you have a tendency to wake up between 3 and 4am. Your father’s voice and touch calms you – when he places his hand on my belly, you are calm and quiet.
I wonder what you look like and what you sound like. I wonder about your personality and your expressions. Soon enough, we will meet face to face, and begin this wonderful journey together – you on the journey of life, me on the journey of motherhood.
I have been thinking about all the things I want to share with you, show you, and teach you… the smell of the ocean, the beauty of a sunset, the excitement of the first day of school, making friends, celebrating successes and coping with failures. Then I realized… all the things I want to pass on to you are memories that I have collected in MY life, not necessarily things that I can tell you about and you will understand. Instead, I am looking forward to watching you and guiding you as you collect your own personal experiences that will shape your life… as a bouncing baby, a curious toddler, a growing kid, a tenacious teen, and ultimately, a magnificent man. We have quite an adventure ahead of us…
Love,
Mom
7.22.2009
missing
I forgot the item I miss the most about my old car! The thermometer! Not that it was ever quite right... clearly, it was not 121 degrees here last month when this pic was taken, but it was one of those things that I looked at every time I got in the car. Just made me happy. Also, when we went to the mountains, and it was below 34 degrees (I think they just gave it a 2 degree buffer to be sure), it would have a little picture of a snowflake... in case you couldn't see the real live snowflakes out the windshield.
As for that North/South thingy next to the temperature... never used it. Well, maybe I tried to use it, but since I am directionally challenged, it was never helpful. You would have to know which direction you were intending to go in order to have it be helpful.
As for that North/South thingy next to the temperature... never used it. Well, maybe I tried to use it, but since I am directionally challenged, it was never helpful. You would have to know which direction you were intending to go in order to have it be helpful.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
