Things & Stuff & Other Stuff

Just a jumbled, random bunch of stuff.

Okay, so I was out shopping a couple weeks ago with my girl Racheal looking for dresses to wear to a wedding we're going to. And as I'm trying something on that looks TERRIBLE on me, Rachy brings me a burnt orange colored tweed-like skirt. Normally not even something I'd consider. The kind of thing I'd see on someone else and like, but not for me. But I tried it on and liked it.  Then I thought the only logical footwear choice would be boots. So I bought boots.  Then this weekend I thought I should really have something else to wear these boots with. So I bought Skinny jeans. Which I SWORE I would NEVER EVER DO! Well, I mostly thought I'd look just god awful in skinny jeans and they'd make my ass & thighs look ginormous. Thus far everyone assures me I look good in them. And I like them. (Though I do suspect they are so tight in my calfs I might lose feeling to me feet.)  I don't think I can stress how much boots and skinny jeans are out of my comfort zone. Let's just say I'm not completely convinced there hasn't been some sort of hypnosis incident.

So like I mentioned, I'm going to a wedding this weekend. My sweet dear friend Lisa is getting married in Boise. (I met her when she lived all too briefly in Seattle before she RUDELY moved back to Boise, which I haven't entirely forgiven her for. I'm trying to move on, as it was several years ago. But it's hard.) I have a dress I really like, even though it's black and the wedding is at 2 in the afternoon. It was either that or um... skinny jeans & boots. Shawn is performing the ceremony (if he still has a voice. oh dear sweet infant jesus don't let him loose his voice) and I can't wait.

I've been thinking lately about how small my circle of girlfriends is these days (well, friends at all girl or otherwise). (If you want to know the truth I was trying to decide what to do for my birthday next month and was having a hard time coming up with anyone that would be able to come over/ go out with.) We all know how hard it is to make friends when you're a big old grown up. Throw in how hard it can be to coordinate schedules and actually get together with people, and well, there you are. I don't really know where I'm going with this point. Just that I would like more friends? Huh. I don't even know....

The boys & Shawn have been sick for the last week or so. Yesterday was one of the harder days we've had as parents. Shawn was still not feeling great & so had little patience. I was feeling worn down, and the constant sadness/whining of Q combined with Archer's clingyness just about did me in. It's a pain that when Q needs the most attention and patience is when it's hardest to give it to him. One minute he's crying and sad about who knows what, and the next he's silly and sweet. I'll be trying not to be annoyed about the crying over nothing but he's moved on. I can't keep up with that. But I know I need to. Anyway, I was ready for work today is what I'm saying.

I think we've managed to ditch Q's binkie without so much as a mention. I'm afraid to talk about it, as it's only been a week. We basically just stopped offering it to him (He was only allowed to have it at bed time/ nap time for the last few months). And he hasn't really asked for it. We did give it to him (we offered, he didn't ask) once this last week while he was sick. Just in hopes it would help him feel better (and let's be honest, would shut him up a little.)  But just like with bottles, he had no trouble giving them up. He sure does make some things easy on us.

I do believe I've blabbed enough for one post. I'm going to listen 'Morningside' by Sara Bareilles on repeat for my bus ride home now because I love it an unreasonable amount today.

That's incredibly rude, sir

Also titled: Things my kid is clearly learning from me.

Recently Quinn has taken to shushing us when he wants us to be quiet. It started when we'd turn a song on in the car he didn't like and he'd get kinda mad at us. We'd sing along really loudly to some awesome classic rock song and he'd tell us "NO!"  Oh, excuse me your highness but I can't listen to anymore freaking Katy Perry. (Clearly he spends too much time in the car with my husband listening to Pop music crap I can't stand- and he LOVES it. I need to work on that...)  Anyway, the other day Shawn told me Q flat out shushed him while he was talking AND THEN said "Be quiet! Archie's Sleeping!"  Archer was not sleeping.  And Q did it to me the other day. And maybe I need to work on making him be polite or not lying or whatev, but I'm sorry that shit is funny. And I cracked up. Loudly.
"SHHHHHHH! ARCHIE'S SLEEPING!!!"

Conversations With 2 Year Olds

Quinn: Whatsa doin mommy?
Me: Feeding Archie dinner.
Q: Whatsa doin mommy?
M: Um. Still feeding Archie dinner.
Q: Whatsa doin mommy?
M: What do you think I'm doing?
Q: Feeding Archie dinner!
M: Yup. What are YOU doing?
Q: Eating dinner!

Asking him what he thinks I'm doing seems to be the only way out of the endless loop. See Also: "What's Dis/What's dat?"  (Espeically hard to answer because he rarely points, is just looking at something unknown...)

Friday Five

1. I have these little blurbs that pop into my head, and I'll write them (in my head) and they're interesting/funny/awesome. And then when I'm ready to type them out I've forgotten all about them. Okay, and so they might not be interesting. Or funny. Or probably not awesome. Whatever. Shut up. So's your face.

2. Sorry about that, I didn't mean to lash out at you. I love you. You're pretty and nice. And your hair looks really good today. I'm just still stressed out with this whole moving my mom into my house. It should be done THIS weekend. I guess.

3. We went out last night to get new shoes for Q (Who by the way is now in a size 9! I can't even.)  and I was struck again about carefully approaching the boys things vs. girls things. We immediately start considering converse, old school style slip on vans, and black nikes with bright orange swooshes. Q sees a Dora box and makes a beeline for them. Like "I don't know this Chuck Taylor you speak of. But Dora? That's my girl!" They didn't have any Dora shoes in his size, but it didn't matter because he then saw the most hideous rainbow colored, bedazzeled, light up shoes I've ever seen. He put one on at once and started stommping around in it. Again, they didn't have his size so we couldn't get them anyway. And we ended up buying a pair of gray vans from the boys section. But... I don't know. I feel like it's more or less a losing battle- keeping him from deciding things are only for boys or only for girls. Doesn't mean I won't buy him a pink shirt or a doll if he asks. I won't tell him he can't turn his blankie into a dress. And I won't correct him when he puts something on his head and calls himself a princess. Still, it just makes me... Sigh

4. I saw some excellent stuff on the internet this week, but since I'm still blogging from my phone, I can't share. Oh well, you've probably seen them, right?

5. Work fried my brain today, so I can't think of a #5 and Friday is already almost over, so I give up.

Happy weekending my dears! And if you're here in the PNW try not to complain too much about the heat; it's hot as hell but so rare I think we can handle it ;) Besides, we need these days to get us through the rainy months.

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Friday Five

1. First things first: there will finally be a new look around here soon. I was lucky enough to win a Blog design from 17th Avenue Designs! I hope to get a chance in the next few days to actually get everything installed. It's Up now! Wahoo! Thanks Kate! (Also, hopefully I can get a few elements added back, like pages & a blog button, soon.)

2. This weekend is the big move with my mom. Crossing my fingers that it isn't a total nightmare. And, well if it is, at least it's almost all over with, right?

3. My favorite thing I read this week? This response to the Chick-Fil-A business. Many thanks to Jamie @ the Grumbles for tweeting it. Also, side note: I keep forgetting about Jane's site. I remember when Jane magazine was cancelled I was so annoyed.

4. I was listening to the Savage Love podcast (which I'd forgotten about but grabbed an episode of when getting some more Girl on Guy by Aisha Tyler podcasts) (She's hilarious btw) (also, I was listening with my headphones in and checked them 50 gabillion times to make sure everyone at the bus stop didn't have to hear the words anus or asshole over and over again) and was reminded when I first heard of Dan Savage. I'd just moved to the PNW after finishing high school, so 1996. (No YOU'RE old! Shut up!) I somehow came across a radio show he hosted on KCMU (now the beloved KEXP) called Savage Love Live. I used to tape it and send it to my girlfriend Z in Cali. I'm pretty sure everything I know about sex I learned from him (and co-host Mary, whom I loved), lol. So, uh, I guess- thank you Dan Savage. haha.

5. Can we all just give a big Hurrah for awesome husbands and best friends? Because, yeah.
Happy Friday! See ya on the other side of the weekend, with a little less stress and stress related headaches. Yeah?

Dig deep and breathe

In my head, over and over, to get me through...

"Times going to bring me something new
Whether or not I want it to
And the most I can do
Is take
Just
One
Step
And the rest doesn't matter
No, not just yet"

"Hey little girl are you crying
Cause you've been broken down?
Well you're not the one to blame
For all the motherfuckers hanging about
Oh but nothings gonna change
If you don't go and figure it out
So pack your bags get going
Let's go show em how you kick, scream, and shout

Breathe girl
Dig deep and breathe
Come on baby, breathe girl
Dig deep and breathe
Hey little girl
Have you gotten all your dreams written out
Well you better get em straight
If you wanna get the story on out
Cause nothings gonna change
If you don't go and figure it out
So pack your bags get going
Let's go show em how you kick, scream, and shout
Breath girl
Dig deep and breathe
Come on baby, breathe girl
Dig deep and breathe"


Lyrics from 'Not Yet' and 'Breathe' - Carrie Akre

Life, lately

So much going on, who knows where to start. I'm a bad enough writer anyway, but everything I want to write about is more of a jumble in my head than usual. Know what I am good at? LISTS! *With jazz hands!*

-No internet at home, which is the main reason for no blogging lately. See also, Comcast can suck it.

-Okay, I'm really lazy which is the real reason for no blogging. I could blog a little from my phone (which I'm doing now) or take my laptop to work if I wasn't so lazy.

-Also the laptop needs a new battery and we just haven't gotten around to it since we aren't using it much (See no internet at home)

-Both Shawn and I have hurt ourselves in the last few months (Actually I guess mine was in like Feb or March. huh)  I messed up my back and Shawn torn some muscles in his calf. That kind of stuff makes life crazy. In other news, WE LOVE PAINKILLERS!!! Haha, kidding. Sorta.

-Archer is getting too big, too fast. We have: 5 teeth coming through, he's sitting up, pulling up to stand all the time, sleeping in his own crib in his room finally, tells jokes (runs his binkie against the crib rails, while it's in his mouth, and laughs), is very attached to mama right now, screeching very very loudly, eating foods finally! He's about 19lbs (25-50 percentile), and very tall/long- I think it was 29in (97 percentile I believe), w/ a small-ish head (25th percentile). Mostly though, like his big brother (see also: his favorite person in the world), he's just a sweet, smiley, happy baby. Boy do I love that little pink lump (Shawn's weird terms of endearment are clearly rubbing off on me.)

-Q is talk, talk, talking up a storm. Current favorites: I hold da babe (Translation: I'll hold my baby), I don't want it (Said when food is presented he does not approve of, or if he doesn't want to do something that's been asked of him), Oh Shit! (we're working on getting rid of that one, lol. Replacement therapy in process to change to Oh shoot!), Cuddle mama! (I mean COME ON!), I find it!, Listen (Okay, that's just one word, but the way he says it when he hears something and he wants us to hear it to? So cute!), and just a bunch of other cute stuff. He tries very hard to make sure he is saying things correctly, so he'll repeat them over and over until he gets it right. He's still pretty sweet and affectionate, giving us run by hugs and kisses all the time. And we have not yet entered full blown toddler madness yet, so that's awesome. Cause I'm so, so scared to reach that stage.

-My mom is finally moving into our house. I think. So the next few weeks will be utter madness. I'm trying not to stress too much, but well... I'm stressed.

-This week/weekend is BlogHer and holy overloaded twitter and instagram feeds! Honestly though I actually like seeing the updates and living vicariously through everyone else. I don't know that I would ever have the guts to go to something like that, or really a good reason. But it's fun to see everyone else go.

-We have finally had some pretty decent days here in the PNW weather wise, and we are trying to take advantage of it. Mostly our big thing is sticking to the plan of getting the boys out to a park of some kind for a good long walk and bit of exploring. It's been pretty fun and am enjoying discovering new parks all over.

Whew! I think that's all I can manage for now. Hopefully I can get the laptop battery replaced soon, get some pictures uploaded and actually up on the blog. Maybe. Possibly?
Haha! Happy Friday dearies!