Around Here

A lot going on. And also, not much going on. You know what I mean?

First of all Q's 3rd birthday is in like, a week. I feel like I spend a lot of time on this blog freaking out about my babies growing up too fast and all that so I'm going to try not to do that. Instead I'm just going to try and enjoy my crazy almost-3yr-old. This kid. He's just so dang awesome. You know, when he's not making me want to rip my hair out. The things he says... just astound me sometimes. I keep trying to take note of all the funny little things he says, but I can't keep up. And sometimes it's more of the tone or way he says something that catches me off guard. There's no way to put in words how cute it is when he says "I yove you too mommy" It's just... perfect. Last night he'd woken up because his foot was bothering him. He was hysterical, as is the way it goes a little too often at night these days. So I carried him out to the couch and laid him down with his blue baby & blue blanket. I got him some "purple medicine" and a "purple drink" (water with grape flavor) and laid down with him. He'd calmed down and was just laying quietly. I said "you're so handsome, aren't you?" and he said quietly "yeah" and I said "and so smart!" and he replied "yeah" again. And then continued to agree with all my praises .. "and funny... silly... such a good big brother" Just makes me want to squeeze the heck out of him.

So after I recover from my baby turning 3, I'll be embarrassing myself at yet another blogger meet up! Yea! This time it's in Seattle though, so at least it's close-ish to home. I'm excited/nervous, per usual.

Then in May I'll be joining the Bloggers for Babies team for the March of Dimes! I've been wanting to join the last couple of years but haven't been able to. I'm very excited to be raising money for babies! Trying to decide how to bring my babies with me. Pretty sure I can't convince Q to ride in a stroller, so I'll probably just make Archer suffer through ; )  Oh and hey- You got a few bucks? Head on over. I've set a modest-ish goal. But the team goal is $5000 and we have a ways to go.

How about we end with a sweet picture? Mr Q feel asleep on the couch after dinner a few weeks ago, which NEVER happens. So sweet.

PNW Blogger Meetup

Saturday was the PNW Blogger Holiday Party put together by the fabulous Paper Mama. Now I've already mentioned how nerve racking this whole thing was for me. Add on top of that having to have my husband drive me (OMG Can I just get a license already?! What the freaking frack is WRONG with me?!) and cart the kiddos with us? I was feeling like maybe it was all too much work for a little blogger meetup.

Well, first of all, it was not little. 75-80 people attended. Yeah. And you know what? I totally think it was worth it. Look, I'm not a writer and have no aspirations to be one. At best I'm a documentarian-y person. Just go with it. The point is, I don't really feel the need to network or grow my blog or crap like that. I just want to post pictures of my kids and silly stories so I don't forget. BUT- I do want to meet people and be part of a community. I know. Throw up. But it's true. And of course, the whole pushing me out of my comfort level is probably beneficial.

Hey shitty drink. You better get me buzzed anyway.

 Anyway, we ended up in Portland about 20 minutes before 6. So I hopped out of the car and set off to find a bar. Two overpriced shitty drinks later, I made my way to West Elm, where the even was being held. Can we talk for a second about the awesomeness of this place? I'd seen their website, but never had been in one of their stores. (I didn't even know until last Friday that there's one in Seattle. Like I could probably walk to it on my lunch break. Oh Shit is right.) Basically I want to live in one is the thing. So I go inside and get in line to hand over my ticket and what not, and thank goodness for the lady in front of me for saying hello. It was the lovely Lindsay from Hey Normal Day who I didn't know of before, but was glad to meet someone to nice right off the bat.


Hey ladies and one dude. I'm just gonna stand here all alone and take pictures of you

 
I managed to talk to quite a few people. I had a pretty good stack of business cards to prove to Shawn I had. I met some really nice ladies and talked to 1 or 2 I'd met before (Carlee, Mary Ann, Kendra, Gracey, Nanette, Jess, Mandy, & probably some more people that I'm forgetting). And it sounds like plenty of people were nervous and/or didn't know anyone. So that helps. I mean, if someone is preoccupied with being nervous themselves maybe they won't notice you just started talking about testicles. Kidding. I did not talk about testicles. (I did in a meeting at work the other day though I think, which is just weird.)


Adorable Chelsea giving away stuff! Including a pair of jeans, to meeeee



This snow globe? Awesome. I though it was a gnome, but I think it's supposed to be Santa. Whatever. Gnomey should have come home with me and I have sadness that he didn't.



In summary: I had fun, I met cool people, my Blog reader is out of control now, I will totally do this again. The End.

Friday Five: Let's Do This!

Another Friday. Another List. Woop!

1. Today I'm pretty preoccupied with plans for the PNW Blogger meetup tomorrow night. I don't know if I can actually say I have any degree of social anxiety. I know people genuinely struggle with it. But I do know this kind of thing makes me just about lose my mind from nerves. But I keep trying to push myself. So as of right now the plan is still on to go. Cross your fingers for me.

2. Although going means my husband driving me and us taking the kids with us. We weren't able to find someone to take them for the night. Oh right, and I don't drive. Have I mentioned that before? Anyway, I tried to tell my husband I could just try and give the ticket away. I mean, a four hour drive to Portland with the kiddos, him keeping them occupied for 3 hours and then another 4 hour drive home? That's kind of a lot of work for a little meetup. But we're doing it I guess.

3. In non-blogger meetup thingie news, Halloween was a success! I did not get many pictures, but I will try and share a few more later. Shawn stayed with Archer to hand out candy, while I made the rounds with Q. He was very good, said 'Trick or Treat!' at every door. Then when I prompted him to say thank you he'd say 'Happy Halloween!' instead. Close enough. We made it up and down our block and then he requested to come home. He found the poorly hidden bucket of candy the next morning and lost his mind when I didn't let him take it with us to daycare. The good thing is we gave him his bucket back last night with only 2 pieces of candy in it and he didn't seem to realize 8000 pieces were missing. Bucket of Candy? Don't mind if I do!

4. So I made a comment to a co-worker yesterday afternoon that Q has yet to have complete meltdown, scream the house down tantrums yet. Well that was a big fat mistake. Because of course he had the mother of meltdowns last night. In public. I was at the mall trying to find a shirt. I was letting him walk along beside me and he was being pretty good checking out the CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS (Just don't. I can't even handle that.) Then we were in a store near it's entrance to the mall. And little dude freaked his freak when I turned to walk in the other direction (like more into the store, away from the mall). He wouldn't come with me, so I took his hand. Then he wouldn't walk and was doing that going limp to the floor thing. So I picked his little butt up and carried him, trying to find Shawn. Meanwhile Q is twisting and trying to get down screaming "Go that way!" as I quietly ask him to calm down. I see Shawn in the distance and just point toward the door like "I'm taking him outside" Of course outside the screaming got worse, he was yelling for Shawn, trying to get down, etc. Shawn eventually just took him to get food while I finished shopping. It was probably my fault for trying to shop when it was basically dinnertime. But man, was that bad. I'm just so afraid that we're at the beginning of a new phase and I'm scared guys.

5. I'm still recovering from Q's meltdown, and combined with my freaking out about tomorrow I can't possibly come up with #5 today. I'm sure you're sad. So.

HAPPY FRIDAY!!!

This week

Can you believe I STILL don't have internet at the house?! I mean. Come on. Thus, more blah blah blahing, and no pretty pictures.

Realized the other day that poor little Archer's room was getting pretty cold at night. Colder than the rest of the house actually. So Shawn bought a space heater yesterday to try and warm things up. And I don't know if the two are related, but for the first time in like, two weeks, Archer slept more or less through the night (4:40am to be exact). I could dance a jig from joy!

I've finally got back to reading again. The last couple of years with the having babies and all, I hadn't been reading as much. I've read a couple great books recently, and have a few more lined up (Thanks to some bday presents.) I might even blog about it. What? A post that isn't about my kids? Say what?

I really want to get out to a corn maze/ pumpkin patch soon. We were going to go a couple weekends ago, but the kids both fell asleep in the car so we kept driving. We didn't make it back that day, and I was bummed because it was PERFECT weather for it. Now we're back to the typical rainy rain and I'm afraid we'll have to sledge through the wet and the mud. Guess that just provides me the perfect opportunity to finally get my rubbers, as my mom would say. I'm speaking of rain boots, of course. AND more importantly I can finally get some for Q.

Did you see up there I said something about a birthday? Well, I had one. Again. Stupid having one every year. I'm still trying to decide if I will be one of those women that embrace my age, all "Look at me! I'm a *mumble mumble* years old woman and I love life! It's aging GLORIOUS!!" or if I've gotten to the point where I will just tell people I'm 21. My aunt was famously guarded of her age. She was an actress so of course she lied and always said she was younger than she was. One of my favorite stories of her: She was in a situation where someone needed to know her age, and not able to speak for herself at the moment the question was aimed to my uncle. Apparently the look she shot him was enough to make him stumble over his words, and I think probably lie a little. Anyway for now, we'll just say I'm thirty something. Like the show, except not. Ok fine, I'm 34. Blech.

I have gotten to the point where I really need to trim my bangs (Oh yeah, I got bangs! It's weird!) but I'm afraid to do it myself. Shawn has volunteered, but I declined that train wreck waiting to happen.
I got my nails done for the second time ever a few weeks ago, and tried the shellac polish. I freaking love it! It's perfect for me since it lasts so long and I don't really care about changing color all the time. The only problem? It does eventually wear down and needs to be redone. If anyone can think of a way to justify paying $30 every three weeks to get it redone, lemme know.

I'm going to the PNW Blogger meetup next month in Portland! Well, I should say I bought a ticket and might go. I might also freak out and come up with an excuse why I can't go. Which, let's face it, is more likely.

I'm getting to the point that while I'm not necessarily done with breastfeeding, I'm pretty done with pumping. Archer will be 1 at the beginning of December, and I might just stop pumping then. Well, if I can make it that far. I have, I hope, a post coming about that too.

This was too long, wasn't it? Oh well. It's lunchtime now, and that means wandering aimlessly through stores looking at things I can't/shouldn't buy. It's one of the awesome/sucky things about working in the city. Hope you're all having a lovely week my dearies!