I got called out

The Internet people found me. And they worried about me. Wow, what a gentle nudge I needed to get back to something I love, blogging. It's become so hard to find time for myself these days. Heck, even at 8 months pregnant, it's hard for me to find the time while at work to simply go to the restroom or eat lunch. So goes the world of a working mom, especially one in a new role with a new team at work. On the weekends, we are spending time at soccer, working on the house, birthday parties and more.

Lance has been great, however, providing me with as much time as I need to put my swollen feet up and relax while he takes care of the other things at home like dinner and getting the kids to bed. When I found a photography class I wanted to take about two months ago, he really encouraged me to take it, knowing how much I would love it and how it would bring back a little piece of me.

Well, the photography class ended last week. But maybe my random poke from the Internet people is a good enough reason to continue to carve out a little bit of time for me. After all, in about a month, it's going to be all about a newborn baby boy. Might as well continue trying to carve out time for myself amidst all the chaos.

Heck, seeing as how it's the start of Lent today, it may even be a good thing to commit to. Or is that crazy?

A lazy fall Saturday

What's this? A fall Saturday with no plans? Well, the thoughts of how to spend our free time are nearly intoxicating. Until I start to really think about the breakdown of the day. Bennett has his last soccer practice this morning and then I have to go have some blood drawn. Oh, there's the Auburn game coming on a little after noon and then we need to go to church tonight since I am helping to throw a baby shower for a friend tomorrow. Sometime today I need to go to take my coat in to have it dry cleaned for a trip to Utah next week and I also need to run to the craft store so I can finish up the favors I'm making for the baby shower. Not to mention all the pre-packing we have going on to get our house ready to go on the market.

At least the demands on my time are mostly my own. No play dates, birthday parties, soccer games, etc. That's our lazy Saturday, folks! :)

What a difference a year makes!

Hello. Is this thing still working? Wow, can't believe it's been almost a year since my last blogging. Crazy. Well, I suppose I should catch you up (that is if anyone is still following this!).

Since last December, I moved into a new role at work, managing the program management team in the webcam group. I was thrown into the role as my former boss was made GM of another product group in our business unit. At the same time, I took over another project, managing Video Calling on Google TV, which was released last month! The project was really challenging, but also really interesting and fun and I'm really proud of the team that I managed for this project and the hard work they put in. 

Now, I'm ready to embark on my next journey at Logitech, going back to work for my original boss in the Logitech Alert team. I'm really excited about my first project with the team - a nursery monitor camera!

Which brings me to my next update....we are expecting another happy heart to join our family next year! I know, I know, there were several bloggings in the past about how our baby days were over, but life is sometimes a little unpredictable and God has plans for us that we can't foresee. Just as sure as I was that Lance would never change his mind, a last attempt at closure for me, turned things in 180 degrees! A month later, we were pregnant! Baby #3 is due April 21st, 2011 and we are thrilled!

Morgan and Bennett are both very excited to have another sibling. Morgan is hoping for another baby brother and Bennett is hoping for a baby sister (to oppose his older sister's wishes, of course). Morgan is doing great in 2nd grade this year. She has the same teacher as she did last year since they loop 1st and 2nd. She's really taken to math this year, which is exciting to see and she while she is continuing ballet and girl scouts (Brownies this year!), she is really enamored with soccer right now. She started playing midfield and scored a few goals and now she's hooked. She'll even be playing indoor soccer in a few short weeks! She's getting "too old" for a lot of things right now (Barbies, dolls, anything "babyish") and is really starting to create her own little friendships. It's very fun to watch. She's the cutest toothless little girl and while she has her good days and her bad days, I'm really proud to be her mom!

Bennett started preschool in the fall and is loving every moment of it. He's such a bright child, already way ahead of the class, knowing all his letters and how most of them sound. He's even started to put together sounds to sound out words, which is the beginning of reading. At the ripe old age of 3. Bennett is a comedian, as always, and really keeps us on our toes with his own brand of comedy. He did a session of rock climbing classes that he really enjoyed and has also taken soccer lessons. He was a natural at dribbling the ball and loves to kick the ball and run out on the field!

Lance went back to work in June for a web design firm in Berkeley. He's really enjoying the fast paced nature of the small business and is happy to be back to work. The commute can be rough, so it's nice that he is able to work from home a couple of days a week.

In the midst of changing jobs and being pregnant, we are also looking at a potential move, into a bigger, newer home. With lots of changes on the horizon, 2011 is stacking up to be really exciting!

One hour in the morning

The day starts as the alarm clock goes off. I peek through heavy eyelids and see the time is 6:30. A sleep in morning. I get up and get in the shower and then as I'm drying off, I can hear the life that has started percolating downstairs. Someone is talking a little too loudly, coffee is grinding, life is carrying on. After I'm ready, I go downstairs and greet my family as they themselves get ready for the day. Morgan is in tears for some reason and Bennett is slurping milk out of a bowl that is dangerously close to the edge of the table. I start gathering breakfast for myself, but it isn't long before I find myself needing to resolve the issue that is heating up between Lance and Morgan.

"Daddy won't let me eat breakfast", she wails as she tries to find her socks and shoes. I try to hide my amusement, at the thought that her father is actually withholding a meal from her. I give her some nudging to get her socks and shoes on, which is met with more tears and "but I don't know where they aaaaaaaarrrrrrreeeeee!" I give her some general locations to check and then go back to the kitchen to see about some coffee. Lance is in there, working on breakfast himself and I ask him why on earth he would not allow our daughter to eat breakfast (in a joking manner, of course). He informs me that, as expected, that wasn't exactly what happened. There had been some issue with the remaining cereal and her not wanting it and throwing a fit. He'd asked her to go finish getting ready for school before breakfast. After she was ready, she could eat.

About then, the timer that Lance had set for Bennett goes off, signaling it was time for him to go sit on the potty. I go over to the table and help him down and then follow him to make sure he's doing what he's supposed to do. He pulls down his pants and Big Boy Diego underwear, all the time eyeing the jar of peanut M&Ms on the counter top in the bathroom. He sits for a minute or so before I hear the "da da da DA!" jingle the potty seat makes when something crosses the sensor's plane. He smiles at me and announces "I went potty!!" I give him my most enthusiastic high five, watch while he pulls up his pants and underwear, empties the potty tray into the toilet and flushes it, "bye bye pee pee!" and then squirt him with some foaming hand cleanser. We go back to the table where he is supposed to finish up his cereal because he's going to need to sit on the potty in another 15 minutes and at that time, he's going to need to be getting dressed. Morgan has a performance at school right after drop off.

Morgan has finally located her shoes, but is still sobbing uncontrollably. Focus. Get your hair brush, put a headband in and put your sweatshirt on. After she's completely dressed, Lance has her fix the homework she'd finished the night before, but upon checking had not done correctly. This practically sends her over the top. I know Lance is trying to prove a point to her about wasting time (arguing over cereal), so we try to ignore the drama and just keep emphasizing that she can eat as soon as she is completely ready for school. You might think this would make her move faster, but it actually has the opposite affect since she's not getting what she wants and feels compelled to lament over it.

I'm stand in the kitchen and throw down a quick bowl of raisin bran, put together a thermos of coffee and a Coke Zero to take to work. Secretly, I'm praising God for the fact that we have a team lunch today and I need not worry about packing a lunch. T minus five minutes to leave for the train.

Lance needs to get dressed, Morgan needs to eat, Bennett is finishing breakfast while waiting for the timer to go off again. Everything is in motion, full chaos.

I gather my laptop and glasses, phone and charger since I failed to plug it in last night and once everything is together, I start the process of saying goodbye. Having finished his breakfast, Bennett runs over and grabs my leg and says "Kiss and Hug, Momma!". I bend down and give him a kiss and a quick squeeze. T minus NOTHING to leave for the train. Morgan starts sobbing again, "what about me??!!"She comes running to the door where I take her face in my hand and tell her to have a good day, give her a kiss and a quick squeeze and then I'm out the door.

Ice on the windshield, defroster not working fast enough. Train is coming. Friday traffic sucks. I race to the train station and make it just in time.

All of this in one short hour. And I admit, sometimes I'm breathing a sigh of relief as I walk out that door. A sigh that I'm glad it's not me that has to have the battle of getting in the car and how quickly they are moving and who has their shoes on. A breath of relief that I get to get on a train and open a book and read for 30 minutes. But other times, such as today, I feel badly for the task that my husband has at hand. Potty training, homework, lessons, tardiness. It's a lot. I know FIRST HAND that it's a lot. I wish I could stay and help. Wish I could stay and watch the performance. Such mixed feelings....glad I have a book to escape into!

Small victories

I've been working on a project at work that has made little to no progress the entire time I've been working here. There's little that's more frustrating for a program manager than something like that. The trouble goes both deep and high and I've been banging my head against the proverbial wall for what seems like an eternity. My boss has been extremely supportive of me, but there's only so much that he can do also, and he's working on it.

There's another, more interesting and high profile project that I picked up about a month or so ago and I've been able to enjoy the feeling of accomplishment through it here and there, but nothing really major.

But TODAY...today, I had a major breakthrough. We've been feuding with a partnering team for the past month and it dawned on me during a meeting yesterday that they had a lot of misconceptions about the work we were planning. I decided it would be good to have a good old fashioned meet and greet along with a demo of some existing products. My day today was spent mostly on the details of this and that and my last meeting of the day was this demo meeting. I kind of went into it with a slight sense of dread, but was practically walking on air when I left. The product owner from the other team agreed that they had not had a proper understanding of our product and those misunderstandings had caused a lot of heartache. He apologized for their team and thanked me profusely for pulling us together. He was happy to see that we were already on top of all the issues.

What a great feeling. In a world of inertia, I saw things moving in the right direction again. And it was because of me. This is why I love what I do.

A fresh perspective on the season

Two years ago, I was plotting my escape from the corporate world. I had short timers syndrome and I was eagerly looking forward to a day when I would only have myself to answer to. One year ago, I was completely immersed in all things Christmas. I was baking and decorating, writing Christmas cards, and wrapping presents. Last year, I had it all done by early December and enjoyed the season, rather than rushing through it as I'd done every previous year.

This time of year is stacked full of shopping and decorating. Get togethers and obligations. Travel, logistics, planning, shipping, baking, dinners and planning. As a parent, you want to really make things sparkle, remembering the magic of Christmas as a child. You need to make sure everyone has the best Christmas ever. That's a lot of pressure.

This year, I'm trying to find the happy medium. The balance of being able to really enjoy the season without feeling a slave to it. I want to retain some of that ability I had last year to enjoy it. Since I'm working and don't have the luxury of being at home this year, I've made an agreement with myself.

Self: You will not put unattainable expectations upon yourself. You will do the things that bring you joy and take a pass on the ones that you do because you feel like you have to or someone else needs you to. You know what? You may not be able to get the perfect picture for the holiday card. No one will notice but you. You cannot do it all. Delegate tasks to others so that you don't overly burden yourself with the weight off all things Christmas. Most importantly, you will cherish the moments you have with your family. They are so precious and really, nothing else matters...

On Sunday, we had such fun as a family decorating the tree. Lance is not as "into the holiday spirit" as I am, but I caught him humming along to Jingle Bell Rock. Morgan told me that her favorite thing about this time of year was the smell of the fresh tree in our house (yes, my heart melted to hear such a thing out of the mouth of my babe!). I will forever remember this Christmas as the one where Bennett could really help decorate the tree. Well, specifically, two branches since those are the only ones he felt obligated to decorate. I'm glad I was able to stop, step back and take it all in. That's what it's about. Not some silly fake pet hamster that only the first 100 people in line at Toys R Us can get. :)

May 25th? Really??

Wow. It's been over six months since I've blogged. In that six months, my life has been turned upside down. At first I got behind on blogging with the business that warm weather brings. Spring break, then summer fun like day trips and fun outings. So many pictures should have been posted. So many little anecdotes to document the memories for my children. But, alas, time was spent with the children and left little time to blog about it.

Here I am, six months later and wondering how to even delve back into this world that I loved so. The perfectionist in me wants to go back and account for each of the last 189 days. That would make it right. Complete. However, my world now is not a world of perfection. I've reentered the world of incomplete and imperfection. A world where I will never be able to do everything I want and where I spend the majority of my waking time worrying about things that are left forgotten or ways that I didn't stack up today. Welcome back to the world of a working mom.

Just to catch you up, things were tough for a while with Lance's job. He had taken a 20% pay cut right before Christmas last year. That's when he started looking for a new job. We felt extremely lucky and blessed that he found something rather quickly and was able to easily transition into a new job at a higher pay rate. How fortunate for us. Except the down side to this was that he was now working for a tyrant of a woman and the hours were brutal. He was frequently gone before the kids woke up in the mornings and not home until they were in bed. That was hard. But, the hardest part came when in July, the company suddenly decided they needed to cut back drastically (letting go of 6 people of their 25 people team) and since Lance was the newest hire, he was let go. Unexpectedly and without warning. One minute we were having a great summer trip with my family, visiting with my grandparents in Oregon and plotting our 10 year anniversary getaway upon return to the bay area and the next minute we were trying to piece our lives back together.

A month or so went by without any good options. This economy was certainly taking it's toll. The interview process was brutal on Lance. He had tons of phone screens and some in person interviews, but they never really seemed to pan out. They always wanted someone who could fill more than one role....you know, since things were tight. So many friends were in the same boat and not that many employers hiring. We were hearing that it was taking people 6 months to a year to find a job. So toward the end of July/beginning of August, I asked Lance if I should start putting the feelers out there and he agreed it would be a good idea.

I started looking around and saw a packaging project management position at Logitech. It was a super simple job that I could do in my sleep. Perfect, I thought. I remembered that I knew people at Logitech and so I emailed my friend and former coworker, Stan, to let him know I was applying for this position. He emailed me back and said he would be glad to recommend me for that position. I didn't think much of it and continued my half-hearted search. About a week later, I got a message from Stan telling me not to get my hopes up, but that a new position had just become available and he thought, based on my resume, I'd be a good fit for. He told me he'd submitted me for that position. He told me a little bit about the position - it was a position managing software programs from a group that was a recently acquired company. They needed someone to help bring them into the fold of the existing Logitech processes. Given my background with program management, software, and process implementation, it was obvious to me also that this position was perfectly suited for me. Was it that easy job managing the packaging of the product? Nope. Would it be challenging? Yes. But, when have I ever been someone to shy away from a challenge?

Things progressed from there. I had a quick phone screen and then was brought in for a round of in-person interviews. I prepped the night before like it was a final exam. I ran through scenarios with Lance and tried to revive this business brain of mine after a year and a half at home. The interviews went really well. I met with five people and felt like I hit it off with all of them but one. Now I had to wait to hear back for who they were calling back for second rounds. It took about a week or so. Just long enough for my confidence to start plummeting. I had gotten one of those silly emails forwarded to me. You know the ones. Forward this to 11 friends and you will hear news you've been waiting to hear at a certain time. The timing was about right for the news I was expecting, so I went ahead and did it. Right on cue, my phone rang with news that I was being called back for a second round. Time to cram for my next final! The day came and I met with three high level people plus my potential boss. I thought it went well, again. I asked my potential boss what the next steps would be. He told me that if I was selected, he would be contacting me, probably in a week. I asked about what would happen if I wasn't selected and he told me that I would probably still be contacted, but by HR. Now it was time to wait. Luckily this time it was a little less painful, as they had narrowed it down to me and one other person. Within a week, the offer came in.

I remember being completely shocked because the call came from HR. I knew when I heard the recruiters voice that I was passed over. Imagine my surprise when said, "Logitech would like to extend an offer to you". Wow! She gave me the details and it was good. Really good. It was the kind of good that makes up your mind for you. Great company, great benefits, excellent pay, a signing bonus, all that. Meanwhile, in a city far away (but not that far away), Lance was back for a second meeting with a company who had asked HIM to make THEM an offer. What would it take to get him to work there. This was a somewhat promising start up company of ten people. TEN. Obviously, not as stable as a 7,000 employee company such as Logitech. So, when I called Lance with the details of the offer, we both agreed that there was no way I could turn this down. I did the requisite counter offer, which was politely denied, and then accepted the terms as they were and set a start date for a little over two weeks away.

I spent the next two weeks figuring out how this was going to work. Lance and I agreed that he would, at least for a while, give it a go at being a stay at home dad. One less thing for me to worry about as I ventured back into the work force. For those two weeks, I savored every hug and kiss. Every moment I got to spend with my kids, tucking them in for naps or bed, reading them stories and playing with them. We finished up our summer outings and then Morgan started first grade. I took advantage of my newly limited time at home and spent as much time as I could at the school and helping in the class. First grade is so different, but I only had a week to absorb that before it was time for my "first day of school".

I started my new job on September 8th. I will go into the job a little more in future posts, but to sum it up: it is the perfect job for me, as it is really challenging. I am really enjoying some of the people I work with and really NOT enjoying some others. I miss my husband (we had A LOT of togetherness during our forced family summer break) . I miss my kids. I miss my friends. I miss the life that I had longed for for so long and had so briefly.

My current mantra? There is a season for everything.

Another favorite summertime treat

In addition to the return of the summer farmers market, another thing I've been looking forward to all winter was the opening of the farms for U-pick fruit in the nearby city of Brentwood. Last summer we went and picked cherries and pluots and blackberries. We had so much fun and I have really been looking forward to doing it this year, since Bennett is big enough to do more than watch from the stroller. We made it a big family trip, waiting to do it on Memorial Day when the dads would be home. We went with my friend Melissa W and her family and we all had a great time. The fruit wasn't as ripe as we had hoped it would be, but we came home with plenty! Lance even had enough for a pie!

After picking fruit, we had hoped to go to a place called Scoops, where you can play and eat, but it was closed. So, we made the best of it and headed over to Chili's for lunch. The guys hung out at one end of the table chatting and watching Bennett while Melissa and I hung out at the other end talking and taking care of Morgan, Collin and Brandon. It was a nice way to end the outing. Here are some pictures from our fun day!

Soft baby skin and sweet baby sounds

The newest member of the Sand Crabs playgroup has super soft skin and makes the sweetest baby sounds. I got to meet him today and got my fill of that smell and the way it feels to hold a newborn. Ahhhh. So sweet!

I'm still in the process of dealing with Bennett being our last baby, so I was more than happy to handle a diaper change and feeding this new little guy while I was there. It was great to see Melissa, who looks WONDERFUL. It was great to share the experience of having a newborn son with another friend. Talking about second sibling stuff and basically, just having one more thing in common. I didn't cry much, just one time when we were talking about how very much Melissa wanted to have this little guy. And here he is. It's just amazing. Babies are truly miracles and blessings. Each and every one of them.

Grilled pizza

I'm known to sometimes get a wild hair and decide to do something a little crazy. Or big. Or crazy and big. Today's adventure was brought to you by one of these stray hairs.

I ran across a cookbook Lance and I had been given during our first year of marriage. It's a cookbook for making pizzas. Dough from scratch. Sauce from scratch. The real deal. I decided that was what we were going to do. Only that's not crazy or BIG enough, so we're going to GRILL the pizza instead of baking it. :)




I set to work, making the dough and letting it rise, punching it out and then forming the crust. We had read up on how to grill the pizza and one site recommended that you grill the crust before adding the toppings and then grill until the toppings melt. We did this and it turned out okay, but would have been better if we would have grilled just one side of the crust and the flipped it, put the toppings on and then grilled it until the toppings melted.

We made two pizzas...one was for Lance and myself and was a pesto sauce with goat cheese, olives and roasted red peppers for the toppings. The other was a simple tomato sauce with cheese for the kids. I loved the taste of both pizzas, but Lance said that he didn't like the tomato sauce since it was just blended tomatoes, rather than using canned tomato sauce. He said it wasn't saucy enough. Next time, I'll just make it easier on myself and use canned tomato sauce. :)

The kids had fun putting the toppings on their pizza. They thought it was super cool that we were grilling it and enjoyed eating it nearly as much! It was a fun experiment, one that we are looking forward to trying again soon!

A good way to end the week

After the terrible days I've been having with my strong-willed two year old, I up and decided it was the perfect time to go on a date with my husband. I called up my niece and got her to come babysit and made sure Lance would be home from work in plenty of time. I got showered and prettied up and then we went to dinner at Demetri's, where I had one too many glasses of wine for dinner! :) After that, we took in a movie at the local movie theater, seeing Angels and Demons. The movie was long and slow, but it was good to be away together. It gave us something to talk about since the movie was not nearly as good as it should have been, both of us having read the book. Plus, walking around downtown is fun!

It always makes me feel better to go out on the town with my hubby. It makes me remember why we are together and that we have connections that go beyond just raising a family. It's like a momentary slide back into life before kids. You can almost taste the carefree nature you had back then!

A great day!

Today, my friend Melissa A had a brand new baby boy. She was scheduled for a C section and so we knew approximately when he'd be making his debut. We were all glued to Facebook, waiting for the first word of his arrival, all eagerly anticipating the details. The big question was what his name would be since it kept secret until he was here. Other than that, who would he look like and how big would he be? Her husband, Marshall, kept us updated from his blackberry up until the time they went in for surgery. Those had to have been the longest minutes of the day! Finally, Drake Marshall arrived. He looks so much like her, with his little chin, mouth and nose. It's no mistaking who he belongs to!

Pretty soon the excitement died down a bit and I started to think about my friend and her new family member in the hospital. I got all teary-eyed remember back to the times I had spent getting to know my newborn child. With Morgan, there was so much emotion over her being a girl and the date and time that she was born. There was an instant connection. With Bennett, not knowing what to do with a boy, and also being concerned over my other child who was not with me, the connection didn't come quite as instantaneously. But by the time we had made it through the first night, my boy and I were connected very strongly. The memories I have of Lance and I getting to know each of our children for the first time will be forever sketched in my memory and I will always look back on them fondly.

Now my friends are doing the same. I'm so excited for them! Can't wait to meet Drake!

Return of a summertime favorite

One of the things I love most about this city I live in is the sense of community and small town feel. Nothing exemplifies that more than the annual farmers market. It's one of my favorite things about summer...leisurely strolls to the market (I live less than a mile away), then wandering from booth to booth, checking out everyone's fresh produce, honey, nuts and even cheese and meat. I almost always run into people I know, all of us enjoying the weather and the gorgeous fruit. This happens once a week, every week, all summer long. Even better, the third Thursday of the month is Thirsty Thursday, and a lot of the wineries show up for tastings and they usually have a band. You will see lots of families there - the parents sitting on a blanket in the grass watching their little ones bust out some dance moves and devour obscenely large and juicy strawberries.

Today was the first farmers market of the season. I could hardly contain my excitement as I loaded Bennett up in the stroller and we headed over to see what was in store for us this year. They never disappoint, either! We got our usual huge box-o-strawberries as well as some peaches and nectarines. Mmmmmm.

Thinking of my friend Robyn

I had been warned about how mischievous and active little boys can be almost the very instant the ultrasound technician pointed out Bennett's little boy parts on the day we found out we were to have a son. I've experienced some of that, particularly the active part throughout Bennett's short little life thus far. Even in my womb, he was constantly kicking me. Now, it's while he's riding in the shopping cart and he's hitting my womb from the outside. I've seen some mischief from him from time to time. It started early with him crawling over to the TV, pulling himself up and pressing all the buttons. Or pulling CD's out of the CD rack or books off of the bookshelf. It seems as if while he's growing, he's also inventing new and unique ways to cause problems. What a talent! :)

Today, I was really thinking about my friend Robyn from high school. She has THREE little boys. Now, they are all as cute as can be, which is a good thing since she has THREE of them! :) I just can't imagine how she does it, though! I mean seriously, one is enough for me! Here are the things JUST TODAY that my son has gotten into.

First thing this morning, he ran straight out of the garage door and into the street. Yes, seriously. Luckily there were no cars whizzing by, but my heart just about leapt out of my chest!

Next up was a glass lamp in his room. I was in the kitchen preparing lunches to take to the park and suddenly I hear this CRASH!! I run in to see he has wedged himself behind a small bookshelf/table that is next to the rocking chair in his room. The glass lamp sitting on the table was the only casualty, thank goodness!

We had a great time at playgroup and then came home and had naps. After naptime, I let the kids play in the yard. When I had to go in to cook dinner, he proceeded to dig up one of the pavers from our back patio.

He was continuously taking his shoes off while outside, so I made him come inside and he threw a complete fit, so I asked him to go into his room to calm himself down. BIG MISTAKE. I came back a few minutes later to find him trying to cram a whole box worth of baby wipes into the diaper pail. Why, you might ask? Well, because he had apparently gotten a hold of the baby lotion and gotten it all over him and then tried to clean it up with a baby wipe or 500.

At this point, I called it a day, strapped him into his high chair and finished cooking dinner to the sounds of him screaming his lungs out. What a rough day.

And I only have one!

Lots of props going out to moms of boys. Especially more than one!! :)

One foot in front of the other....

You ever have a day when you just feel "blah"? I've been having a lot of those lately, but today was the worst yet. I'm tired and hot and crampy (no, spell checker, I didn't mean CRAPPY, I meant CRAMPY and if you were written by a woman, you would understand!) and I just really found it hard to get out of bed, much less go about my day and my responsibilities. But, seeing as how Morgan doesn't yet have her driver's license, I had to get up and drive her to school. And since I was driving her to school, I figured I may as well swing by the gym. At least that way I can be assured of a shower. And since I'm going to be showered, I may as well make that trip to Target I've been meaning to make. Then we've got that park play date in the afternoon, so I'll need to come home and pack lunches for that. THEN...then I'll be able to rest again.

And believe it or not, when I finished my class at the gym I felt a little better. When I got the stuff I needed (and some that I didn't!) at Target, I felt even better. Heck, by the time I picked Morgan up from school, I was nearly back to okay. Then I was able to come home and take a nap after our play date and that was just heavenly.

One foot in front of the other. Some days, that's the only way to do it.