My New Job...

I started my new job today! I decided that until this baby comes, I will work part time (a few days a week while the kids are in school) and so I applied at Kohl's and they hired me. They are very accommodating with my needs and I have to say I'm going to love working there. Plus I'll get out of the house and interact with people, as opposed to sitting at home, staring at my computer all day.

I have to say, it's the cleanest store I've ever seen. Probably because it's in the middle of nowhere and no one shops at it. Seriously, there are always more employees than customers! But it will be a way to pass the time. I did retail for 12 years before I became a stay-home mom so it's not like I can't handle it.

I have an 8 o'clock shift, so I won't be able to blog in the mornings on the days I work. Today was a nice day, though. I got off at 1pm, and hubby had been out with vendors so he was off work too, and we spent the afternoon together. We even cooked dinner! On the menu: loaded baked potatoes, sauteed mushrooms, chicken cordon bleu, garlic bread and asparagus. I think we were really hungry so we just cooked whatever we felt like. It was way too much food but it was nice to cook a meal together in our new house.
Speaking of which, I have to keep working on the Master closet. I swear I want my part of it knocked out tonight!

And then we're cuddling up to watch CSI. It's freezing cold outside, and we're supposed to get snow soon. Hot chocolate weather!

Pregnancy Cravings = EVIL

Pregnancy Cravings so far:

1) Cool Ranch Doritos with Kraft Creamy Ranch Dip *
2) Aplets & Cotlets
3) Egg nog (and you can’t get it anywhere yet, dammit!)
4) Anything Cheese

*Okay, what is UP with the lack of Kraft Dips in Wisconsin? Everything is “Dean’s” dip here. And Deans Ranch dip is just gross. It's too "ranchy."
You can’t find Kraft anywhere, at any store. I have tried Pic N Save, Target, Walmart, Jewel Osco, Walgreens, Sentry (I won’t go inside Piggly Wiggly, which means they probably have it there) and little grocers, and I can’t find it. Amazon ships it. If I get desperate enough, I’ll probably go that route. And yes, I’m completely nuts.
Speaking of nuts, what's up with craving Aplets and Cotlets? I can't have walnuts. It's just that gooey apple confection with powdered sugar. I don't stand a chance. Luckily they're more of a "Holiday" candy so you can't find them anywhere either. I think.

And exactly how many of the other cravings have I given in to? Maybe the “Cheese” one. That’s it. Because A) I don’t want to gain 50 pounds with this child, and B) I know The Nausea will kick in as soon as I indulge.

Nausea. Ugh. I have been creeping around, eating apples and crackers and sipping Sprite. I forced myself to eat some chicken last night. Let’s just say Bad Idea. Meat in any form right now is EVIL. It cannot be tolerated.

And strangely enough, I didn’t have any nausea with my other three kids. What could it mean? Who knows. Maybe it’s because last time I was pregnant I was in my 20’s, and now, I’m in my 30’s. Hormones change everything.

But of course, once all the Christmas stuff comes to the stores, I’ll have access to Egg nog, Aplets & Cotlets, and various other Christmas things I crave (Venti Peppermint Hot Cocoa at Starbucks, anyone?) and I will be SO in trouble.

The Holidays are the BEST. (Worst for diets!) For Fall you make pumpkin cakes and cookies and breads, and you bake all sorts of stuff. Thanksgiving needs no explanation. And Christmas…all the cookies and candy and nut breads and chocolate…it’s like KILLER to the waistline. Being pregnant during the holidays is even tougher because of cravings.

I am determined to NOT consume 456723 mini Milky Way bars this Halloween. No third helpings of stuffing on Thanksgiving. And CERTAINLY I will be giving out gift cards to people, instead of my traditional plates of cookies, chocolate and candy creations. Won’t I???

I am SO in Trouble…

Holiday treats are EVIL! But they are soo much fun…

Stressed Out? MY Kids?

Okay, so I’m reading in the news yesterday and I come across this article on MSN that basically says kids need to get back to “old fashioned play.”
It made me stop and think. My kids are pretty normal. Granted, they do Soccer and T-ball and Tennis and Gynmastics and Swimming, and soon we’ll be taking music lessons, but I don’t think they’re having their childhoods stolen from them. Or are they?

This article went on to say that children these days are overstressed and overscheduled. I have to admit, back in Denver we had them in a lot of things. We came to Wisconsin and it was too late to sign up for anything, and since my pregnancy made itself known I’ve been too tired to sign them up. They are currently doing NO sports. (GASP, not even Soccer…not till Spring anyway.) And to be honest, they are the happiest they've been in a while. Go figure.

The article claimed that kids need to have spontaneous play, like building forts or roughhousing with parents or chasing butterflies, NON-STRUCTURED play, that will help stimulate their creativity and their ability to use their imaginations.
Apparently kids who don't have this kind of play--kids who are scheduled for everything, develop all sorts of problems. And frankly, they become boring adults.
I found this highly interesting. I mean, I am not the most structured of parents. I have a very “open” parenting style. My kids know how to entertain themselves, and they don’t need me to play with them in order to have fun. We do lots of "creative play" at our house, that doesn't have to revolve around "Einstien Videos" or basically...have a point.
My kids just...play. Although I have to laugh because one of their favorite things to play is...wait for it..."School."

Reading this article made me feel a little guilty. I have shoved my kids into every activity imaginable, because I didn't really have that growing up, and I want them to be active and involved in lots of things so they'll be "well rounded." But I also remember the summers I had, where I played outside all day and my main companion was my imagination, and I had SO much fun. I wasn't being herded off to T-ball or Basketball camp, or taking extra Summer classes. My time was mine, and all I did was play. And I loved it.

What an eye-opener for me. I think we as parents need to find a happy medium for our kids. They're stressed out enough with pressure from school and homework. I am thinking we keep it to ONE sport at a time for a while. Between school and sports and Scouts and Church activities, they certainly have enough on their plate. I want them to be kids. Not mini-adults.

Where's the fun in that?

Epiphany.

Not sure if that's how you spell it, but I figured out why I am so irritable lately:
I can't write.
It's not a choice at this point. I CAN'T do it. I have only unpacked my kitchen and half of my laundry room and half of my Master bedroom, I've hardly put a dent in the boxes, and I haven't written a word in weeks, except for this blog. And it's infuriating as hell.

To add insult to injury, the special services people couldn't find a major part to my writing desk, and it's all lopsided. I had to file with the moving company, and they're taking care of it, but now I have no writing desk (we're destroying it for scrap) and all my books are still packed and my office is silent and dark and empty, with boxes and a broken desk. And I wouldn't dream of unpacking it any time soon...I still have to FINISH the first floor and then it's the kids rooms, then the guest room, then all the bathrooms, and then the basement (where we hang out the most) and THEN, only then, will I be able to unpack my office and my writing things. Of course if it was just me by myself I'd have that office unpacked and set up FIRST. But I have a husband and three kids who really do need to have clothes for school and be able to find their stuff. It's been an eye-opener, to say the least.

So, we're talking about a month at least before I'll be able to get to my office, let alone write at my desk. This is disheartening. It's aggravating. It sucks, for want of a better word. And I'm so crazy with unpacking I don't even have time to write in my head. The Muse has left me, until I get my Writing Space up and running.

Ergo, I'm a major CRAB lately. I'm antsy. I'm irritated at everything. The balance of my life is thrown off-kilter.

At least I know now the source of my discontent. I still have a pen and paper by my bedside, in case the creative vibe strikes, but it's like my Muse has "lost the will to write" without all my "writing comforts."

It's a tragedy. I HATE moving. Too much chaos for me. Ppphhhbbbttttt.

Sicker than a Dog...

Okay, what is up with this fourth pregnancy? I do NOT get sick with my pregnancies, but for some reason, I have been Nausea City with this one. For the last three weeks! And seriously, what idiot coined the phrase "Morning Sickness?" It had to be a man, because I have the ALL DAMN DAY LONG sickness. :-P

Okay, cursing aside, I want to feel better...soon. I was sick all through church today. I want to curl up and sleep it off. Hubby flew to California today, he won't be back until Wed. night. Now that he's doing what he used to do, he travels a lot more.

But he did do a LOT of laundry this weekend, like, seven loads for me. Go Hubby!

Thing Two is being a dork today. His brother was hitting him and I told him to tell him to stop (I was on the phone) and he went downstairs and I heard him say to his brother:

"Mom says you'd better stop or she's going to spank your bottom as hard as she can and then she's going to drown you in a bunch of mud and hang you up by your toes to die if you don't leave me alone!"

I had to immediately run downstairs and clarify to Thing Three (who is five, and whose eyes were the size of styrofoam plates) that NO, I did NOT say those exact words but I did say to stop hitting his brother. And I made Thing Two go to his room for lying.

Sheesh, what's next?

I don't want to cook dinner tonight. The smells would kill me. Maybe we can just all eat apples and crackers...

The Elusive Pirate Costume...

Okay. I've been getting the kids Halloween costumes a little early because if I wait everything will be sold out except for the really grisly masks and the Human Salt and Pepper Shaker Costume.

Thing One wanted to be a Medieval Princess. Check. Thing Three wanted to be a Red Power Ranger. Check.

Thing Two? Captain Jack Sparrow, of course. And frankly, the kid could pull it off. With a beaded beard and a little kohl eyeliner, he'd rock.

The task at hand: FIND A JACK SPARROW PIRATE COSTUME. So, I know they have them, I've seen them. I saw one in the Denver Super Target while I was there, but all they had left was size small, and he's a medium.
So I go to the Target 15 minutes away here, and they're sold out. Walmart. Sold Out. I go to the Target way the hell out in BFE Delafield and I finally find two costumes, and lo and behold, one of them is Thing Two's size.

So I get it home and we're all excited and I realize soon that someone stole the #$&**!! hat out of it!!! What I thought was a hat is actually the boots only. I have an incomplete costume!

Dilemma: Drive all the way to take it back to the Target in BFE and grab the hat out of the smaller size (and inform Target I am doing this) OR go to Walmart down the street and grab the generic Pirate costume kit which has a hat, hook, earring, and eyepatch, and make good with it. Thing Two actually thinks it's pretty cool to have a pirate hook/hand, so I am going to do that. Whew!

Thing One has a Brownie overnight campout tonight. I need to go buy a container of sour cream, because that is her assignment. Pancake syrup and sour cream. Mmmmm.

Which actually brings to mind a little thing we did growing up. My parents would make pancakes, and put a dab of sour cream on the side. You got a forkful of syrupy pancake, and then dabbed it in the sour cream, and ate it. And you know what? As gross as it may sound, it's actually pretty good. I don't know if it's a Russian thing or not, but I liked it. I haven't had it in about 20 years, but when Thing One got her assignment, it made me think of it.

Try it if you're brave. You might be pleasantly surprised. :-)

It's supposed to be nice today thru Sunday, and then COLD COLD COLD. Fall has arrived! Time to find the Halloween decorations wherever they are!

Happy Weekend, all. :-)

I have a WORLD MARKET...

What a perk to my day!

Despite a very hairy moving experience (unloaded, thank heaven, now I have to unpack which will take me several months) and rain and thunder and lightning, everything but LOCUSTS...apparently I've been given something to make me happy: World Market.

There was one three minutes from my house in Denver, and I was sad because...let's just say that if you have ever been inside a World Market, you would understand my chagrin at having to give it up for going to Wisconsin.

Well, so Hubby and the kids and I are driving around Brookfield mall, and we notice across the street they've put in new shops. And on the signs I see World Market and I made Hubby stop the car immediately.
We all went inside, and even Hubby was impressed. He suddenly wants to buy furniture from there and the kids all went ga-ga over the gourmet section. And all the fun Halloween stuff.

All I can say is I was off my head with joy, and not in the sarcastic sense. World Market is THE BOMB. It is SO fun! And it's only ten minutes from my house! WOO HOO! So I can get all my Advent calendars and Christmas crackers (the kind you pull) and Stollen and English scone mixes, that you can't get anywhere else.

Ah, bliss...

Good Luck Indeed...

I am hoping rain is good luck on the Moving Day, because we're officially getting DUMPED on (fish-hooks and hammer handles) here in Pewaukee and the second moving truck is due any minute. And my carpets in this house are fairly light. (I have a feeling we'll be replacing them next year) Thank heaven the carpet is mostly upstairs. The first floor is mainly hardwoods.

So I am officially neck-deep in boxes. I unboxed all my fake plants and fica trees and my casual dining area looks like the Amazon. It's kinda fun. I got the great room unpacked and the brown leather sofas look awesome in there. One room at a time. My priority is now kitchen, then the kids rooms (easy) and then the Master.
Although I do hate it when all the great decorations you had in your old house now look like crap in the new house, because the style is different. Everything was Mediterranean before, and now it's all Rustic. I give up.

I need to gobble down some Cheerios before the guys get here. Today should be interesting, with all the rain. And we have a loooooooong driveway, and a looooooong walkway to our front door. And we're on a hill. The moving people hate us. It takes like five minutes to get from the street to the front door.

Oh well. Hopefully it will be over soon.

Like Rain on Your Wedding Day...

Two days you absolutely DON'T want rain: Your Wedding day, and Moving Day.

I had rain yesterday morning, but it finally cleared up. Of course now that they have all the cheap furniture in and are starting on the expensive, formal stuff, it's STARTING TO RAIN. Egads, when can we get a break, here?

Yesterday was a day of...interesting events, to say the least. There was the "we didn't put that hole in your wall carrying that large sofa down" event, there was also the mover who had HORRIBLE gas (sorry but it's true) and he couldn't wait until he was outside, he had to drop his bombs inside my home, and of course let's not forget The Bird Incident:

To Preface: I like birds. They're cute. I even like big birds, like geese and ducks and the mighty Ostrich. I just don't want them in my HOUSE.
I was standing at the front door yesterday (which had been taken off by the movers, so I guess you could say I was standing in the front doorway) and all of a sudden this bird flies into my house.
Needless to say, it freaked me out. I am NOT Costco. I do NOT want birds living in my rafters, you know?
I screamed and waved my arms like a madwoman (the movers actually stopped and watched me jump around) and I think I scared the sh** out of the poor bird because he started darting around like a possessed missile and finally flew right back out the door.

My heart was in my nose at this point, and my adrenaline was pumping. I had visions of hidden nests and poop on our heads during meals, etc. etc. and I was NOT GOING TO HAVE A BIRD LIVING IN MY HOUSE.

I'm just glad he found his way back out. He probably thought there was no way he'd be living with the Crazy-Screeching-Arm-Waving Lady.

So, other than a few mystery boxes and fear of getting struck by lighting or felled trees during the storm last night, it was a good moving day. I just hope they don't put any more holes in my walls. (Yes, I KNOW it was them!)

FINALLY!!!

We made it!!! We are officially in Wisconsin now, and the movers are diligently moving all our house stuff into the house as I write this. The kids are in school, Hubby is at his new job, and I have the house to myself, finally. Well, the movers are here too, but they're very nice men. I just went and grabbed them some breakfast.

It thundered and rained all night. There was some seriously spectacular lightning by our house...at one point Thing One came running down the stairs and begged to sleep on the floor by our bed, the lightning was scaring her.

It's supposed to be hot today, which is fine with me, as long as it's not raining as they bring in all my nice furniture. (Of course they wrapped it in paper and blankets and then shrinkwrapped all around it so I fear I may need a S.W.A.T. Team to help get it unpacked but that's another story.)

I am starting to feel pregnant. I know, I know, not that far along, but I can't lie on my stomach anymore, because it feels like I've got a grapefruit in there. Darn it. I'll miss that for the next seven months.

I am excited to get my office all put together! Before I had this big room that was an office, and a craft room. My craft room is in another part of the basement so the office will just be an office. And can I tell you how excited I am about that? I think I did in my last post. Sorry. I'm just too happy about it.

I need to go direct movers so I'll write more tomorrow.

:-)