It's Snow Problem

Well, apparently it takes a snowstorm to get me to post. Twelve and a half inches fell on Indy yesterday and I've got the school closings to prove it. But unlike my last post, where I seemed all oh-my-gosh-I-can-hardly-stand-to-be-cooped-up-with-little-people, I wanted to add something brighter to this space. Something that says, "I like being with me kids. Really. And I'm so glad I got to spend 2+ years at home with them without the worry and stress that comes with outside employment." So, here we go.

This morning, as I saw Q's school name go scrolling across the bottom of the TV screen, I crawled back into bed and decided that the first remote check of e-mail and voicemail could wait another 30 minutes or so. And a few bleary-eyed minutes later, it was feeling like the old days again. When Keira woke up (thanks to Mr. Q-isn't-for-Quiet), she sleepily asked to eat "beck-fist" in her PJs. Usually, Monday through Friday, my response is a kind and gentle not-today-we-have-to-get-to-school/work/preschool/all of the above. But today, I said yes. Once we hit the kitchen, as I sneak in a e-mail/voice-mail check, Keira rummaged through the freezer to find her waffles and plopped them down by the toaster. This part...not so much like the old days (where I lovingly put the waffles by the toaster). But nonetheless, I got a kick out of her 3-year old self-sufficiency. And at the same time, I managed to feel a twinge of guilt - - couldn't I have just waited until after the waffles to check e-mail? Some mom I am.

But you know what? She didn't mind one bit. In fact, she was very proud of herself. When I told her what a great helper she was, she did a monkey dance around the kitchen. Keira clearly wasn't thinking that she had a lame-o corporate mom who was more worried about teleconferences than her daughter's nutrition. (At least I hope not!) She seemed to be thinking, "Aha! I got to do something for myself! And I did it! I can do it! Yea, me!!"

And then I thought, OK- so you really can't have it all (this I've figured out over the last few months), but you don't have to blame yourself for every little thing. For all those times I've feel like a bad mom for one reason or other (like going back to work, for a big one!), the real opinion that matters is that of the kids. You know, no harm - no foul. If they don't perceive it as bad, I don't have to either. I'll have plenty of other things to beat myself up over the coming years, I might as well give myself a break where I can.

So Miss K - have at it. Soon you'll be making your own breakfast and signing your own permission slips, all in the time it takes me to reply to voice-mail.

Besides, she's got management written all over her, don't you think?

I Don't Know How I Did It

Here's how it went down....

Friday: Too darn cold here, school was cancelled. Kids home, mom therefore home, too, albeit working from home (armed with laptop and Blackberry). Heavy doses of TV and video games seems to work OK and gets us all what we need.

Saturday: Hubby putting in his every-4th-weekend shift, so again - mom home with kids. Still about 50 degrees below zero (an improvement on 100 below previous 2 days). Trying to limit activities involving TV with some degree of success but wishing it was springtime so we could run it off outside.

Sunday: See Saturday.

Sunday afternoon: Fighting over the V-Motion (kids, not mom). Whining about who just won Hullabaloo. Kicking. Throwing basketballs near very large and expensive HDTV. Lost blankets. Lost Nintendo DS (actually just hidden). And nearly, a lost mind. (Did I mention somewhere yet that amidst this all, about 3am Saturday morning, I think, Keira woke up with a 102.7 fever? No? Not yet? Ok. Consider it mentioned now.)

And guess what's next? No school again on Monday. Thanks for all you did, MLK; but this is a little much.

Someone, please remind me: how was it that I was a resident of Stay-at-Home-Mommyville for over 2 years? Was I a happy resident? Did I emotionally scar my children while living there? I'm sure it was a very lovely place, I just can't seem to remember it all right now. Give me a minute....

In the meantime, enjoy the lovely new spring-like blog background. I had to think-spring as a remedy for cabin fever. (As a life-long midwesterner, I really do love the change of seasons, but after about Jan 5, I'm done with winter. And as all midwesterners know, spring is always, always too short.)

Anyway, as I said, enjoy the new background, cuz there are no new pix this time around. I did get an awesome new camera for Christmas, but I just have get more adept at making it talk to my less-awesome laptop.

Oh. OK - fine. Stop whining like the kids. I'll post a couple of photos. Sheesh. I know that's why you all stop by anyway. ;-) Plus, this will provide photographic evidence that indeed, no kids were harmed in the production of this weekend.

Happy Now?

Yeah, well...another 3 weeks....another vacuum in bloggerland. Apparently this whole back-to-work thing is cramping my style more than I thought. But that's another post. (So is our fabulous Christmas, my Nintendo DS Brain Game addiction, and so on.)

Here's tonight's topic (it'll be short and sweet: Leverage is on TNT in 18 minutes!....Yes, I may be back to work, but I still make time for TV!): Quotable Quotes from Quinn and Qeira...I mean, Keira....I wanted it be totally alliterative, but I guess 3 out of 4 Q's ain't bad. Anyway, here we go...

1. "I not very happy wif you!" - Keira, after I put her in a mini-timeout for excessive use of toothpaste. As it turned out, I wasn't very happy with her at that moment either.

2. "You know what they say, Save money. Live better. Wal-mart." - Quinn, after reluctantly agreeing with his dad about saving his money instead of buying more Kooky pens. I think he watches a bit too much TV.

3. "Each sold separately." - Quinn, to Keira, while playing "store". When your son sounds like a TV commercial as a part of his normal speech pattern, you can confirm that, indeed, the TV is on too much. Or his brain is too sponge-like. Or both.

4. "Mommy, I love you most of the world." - Keira. Just because.

And yes, I am very happy with her now.

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We hope you all are having a great start to 2009!