A few things going on these days

Right now my entire family is at the Texas A&M/SMU game and I am at home with the baby. Someone else could have stayed home with the baby but that would have meant I'd have to pump. Or, I could have skipped pumping and opened a can of formula but Charlotte's never had that before and what if she refused it? That would suck for her baby sitter. Screaming baby for six hours? Oh, she'd never baby sit again. And then there's the problem where because I am such a lazy mother I have only given Charlotte two bottles in her entire four months of life and I know that's a HUGE HUGE mistake that is going to land me in breastfeeding jail (wait! already there!) but...whatever. I am a lazy mom.

Plus, it is hot at football games and I kind of didn't want to go in the first place.

***

Anyway. Things going on these days. I've been at home since mid-April and I am definitely having a few personal issues with walking away (temporarily) from my career. I just...kind of miss some parts of it. There are a lot of parts I don't miss but there are some parts I do. I am working on finding filler projects and carving out a different, new, better professional path. But just as much I am also enjoying the freedom from schedules, deadlines, deliverables and having to nod my head and smile at ideas I think are terrifically terrible.

Sometimes I shop the job boards and I see some really, really crappy jobs, jobs that I am far overqualified for at this point in my life, and I think, "Oh, WOW. I am so glad I do not have THAT job." And then sometimes (but not often) I see a really kick-ass job and I think, "Oh, WOW. I would so LOVE LOVE LOVE that job."

So, you know, am figuring all of that out. 

***

Claire is on a wait list for a new preschool that she'd attend three days a week. I confess, I have not researched the local preschool scene very much. Once I started, I figured out that I was so, so, so far behind everyone else and there was a wait list everywhere and, really, who wants beg someone to let you pay them money?

I put her on a list at the one closest to the house that looked kind of normal and it starts next week and they haven't called me yet. She is going to start swim lessons in two weeks and also a two-hour thing where the kids swim and play inside in some sort of combo child-wearing-out directed activity.

Claire has been swimming in pools all summer but she's never had a legit lesson. This is because I am only just now, four months after Charlotte was born, ready for scheduled activities in our life. I could have done it sooner, if I wanted to, but I just didn't want to. (See above, re: LAZY.) I figure this will be good...Something to schedule our days around and Claire can play and make some friends and learn a life skill. Perhaps I will like some of the mothers. We'll see.

We are also joining the local YMCA on Tuesday because they offer two hours of free child care while I work out. I have tried, really TRIED, to run on my treadmill while at home with the girls and it is flat-out impossible to get more than ten minutes in. Claire doesn't nap any more and the baby is wildly unpredictable. Plus, after two children and many years of bad late night ice cream habits I will be seeking professional help in the form of a trainer. I mean, at the age of 32 it is PAINFULLY CLEAR that I am not the kind of person who can kick my own ass into shape. I would like to be a Jennie or an Emily but I am just not. I have tried and I just cannot be trusted to work the right parts the right amount at the right time and this is a probably a personality flaw or a weakness or maybe it's just me being lazy again. But, yes. Am hiring it out. That's also going on.

***

Claire's third birthday is in early October and I am having issues with her party. Or, actually, lack of party. Last year I threw a very large party and we invited a whole bunch of people and it was just too much and I'm not going to do that ever again. I think people had fun but *I* did not have fun and I am not such a fan of throwing parties where I do not have a good time.

I like the idea of inviting some of her friends over and just doing something small and simple with Costco cake but then I remember that we are kind of anti-social people and I think Claire has exactly one friend that is actually her age and really, that's kind of sad, isn't it? One friend at a birthday party? What if the friend is busy that day? Or gets sick? Birthday party = ruined.

This is what happens when she's not in school and I don't know any mothers in my neighborhood and all of my other friends have kids either just a little bit older or just a little bit younger. So, it's my fault and I feel a small amount of guilt over this. (Small.) The other option is to invite the kids she does know (and they are kids that we all like, very much), in an age range of 1-8. Then we get into a Crazy Birthday Party Situation where the older kids dominate everything and the younger kids get walked all over (as happens with children 1-8, hopped up on sugar) and the parents need to supervise extra amounts because of all the ruckus and...that does not sound like fun for me.

I have also considered a Family Party and keeping it super small and super low key. But, that does not sound like any fun for Claire. I don't know. I'm going to ignore it for another week or two.

***

Semi-related to the birthday party conundrum, I test drove a cupcake recipe last week. It's the Strawberry Cupcakes with Swiss Meringue Buttercream from Annie's Eats. They're pretty, aren't they?

They were also a GIGANTIC PAIN IN THE ASS to make. Swiss Meringue Buttercream? Takes forever. Dirties a million dishes. Three sticks of butter. No three-year-old will appreciate THAT. (You guys, she asked me to SCRAPE THE FROSTING OFF.) (!!!!!!!!!!)

Look at this mess. I was not even finished at this point! I dirtied MORE DISHES, which is impossible to understand as I am not sure how I OWN more dishes than I already had out of the cabinets. There are even dishes out of frame that you can't see, plus the dishwasher is full and had already been run once.

(PS Yes I still have that gas stove top and yes, more than a year after moving in I still dislike it.)

(Also, do you see that small hand, grabbing a cupcake? She thought she was being sneaky.)

***

So, that's what's going on around here. The end of summer doesn't mean much to us and nobody is starting school and we're just sort of figuring out how to be a family with a mom that stays at home. I think we're doing pretty okay at it. Room for improvement, but pretty okay.

Comments

[Jessica]

Paul has had several bottles in his life, but he still hates them and won't drink more than an ounce at a time. I don't mind being on round-the-clock feeding duty, but the poor kid is going to have a rude awakening when I go back to work...

[Julie]

You're doing more than okay at it. No question.

At 3 years old, we went the route of a hybrid friend / family party, by which it was mostly family, plus a couple of kids in the nearish age range that we knew from the neighborhood, church, whatever. 3 is a tough age for birthday parties for sure. You'll be fine whatever way you decide to go. And I'm more than willing to a) help, and b) farm out Sabrina to be a birthday party attendee since she's well practiced as a participant in her big brother's shindigs, and she's 3, too, so she knows the gig. Or we can forget it all and take the kids to burn off some energy at McDonalds. Whichever.

Go Aggies!

[HereWeGoAJen]

Elizabeth would take bottles. But only until she turned three days old. Then she decided she was old enough to know better. And it SUCKED.

For our last birthday party, I had three of her friends over on like a Tuesday morning. I called it a playdate with cake.

I am impressed with the four months and starting scheduled activities. Because Elizabeth is two and a half and I am still not ready for scheduled activities. That would mean that I'd have to be on time to places on a regular basis?

[Elsha]

I am way to lazy for anything but family parties. Fortunately Kalena thinks if there are presents and cake we're having a GREAT time. So I probably won't plan anything else until she thinks differently.

Also, I clicked over and read that cupcake/frosting recipe and MAN that sounds like a lot of work! Couldn't you just use meringue powder instead of doing that whole heating egg whites in sugar bit? Or does that defeat the purpose of a "meringue buttercream?"

[Affordable Medical Insurance]

Your pictures made me so hungry! My stomach grumbles! LOL

[meghan]

I told Sophie she could invite 3 friends since she was turning 3 and it worked out perfectly. Threw in some cousins and it was the perfect size. I think I'm going to keep the guests to the age she's turning. I read somewhere that it matches were they are at developmentally and it will be a good way to keep the parties from getting Out Of Control...like so many are. Anyway, she'll be excited for presents and cake and it being all about her that she won't care if it's family or friends.

[Emily]

We have yet to do a "friends invited" party - Lucy has always been too little; Asher has yet to make a friend that isn't a family member. I mean, we have friends with kids his age, but he doesn't actually TALK to them, even though he indicates when we are home that the kid is his friend. So it hasn't been worth it for us.

What we do instead is treat him to a special day out. Last year we went to Six Flags America for the day because they have an entire Thomas the train-themed area, and he loved it and we are going back this year. We invite family to go along, and then on his actual birthday, we have cake and ice cream and presents with family. The end.

There is a chance, a VERY SLIGHT CHANCE, that if he wants to have a party with friends from school this year (I DOUBT IT) we will have all the kids over to my parents' house and my friend Anna will bring over her pony for the kids to ride. But this is only if Asher WANTS this, which he probably will not.

Do you want to borrow Anna and her pony?

[natalie]

I love that you caught Claire's hand sneaking a cupcake! So cute!

[beth]

Girl. She's three, she won't know the difference! Get a Costco cake, maybe have some people that *you* like over (whether they have kids or not), drink some wine, and take a picture of her blowing out a candle. Done.
:)

[Hillary]

I'm with Beth. Our kids' birthday parties always end up being more our parties. The kids have fun, but I'm just not ready to get all hot and bothered trying to impress a bunch of preschoolers. They don't care.

[K]

I SNORT LAUGHED when you pointed out her little paw snagglepussing a cupcake in the corner of the frame. LOVE IT.

And three sticks of butter sounds heavenly.

Along those lines, I used a trainer at our gym to get the last bit of Ezra-weight off before trying to get knocked up again with Noah and Iris. It worked as I repeatedly got my ass handed to me by the trainer. Sometimes you just have to turn to the professionals.

[Jennie]

I don't know if Kyle is the one friend her age (probably not) but I can guarantee he won't be busy. Guaranteeing he won't be sick is a whole 'nother story, of course. SINCE HE IS SICK RIGHT NOW AS I TYPE THIS.

[Mel]

I haven't done a single bottle yet and Scarlett is 7 weeks. Landry only ever took a handful of bottles in 12 months, either, and she never really had an issue. Nursing straight from the source is just too darn easy when you aren't working out of the home. The process of dealing with bottles is a real pain and don't get me started on pumping. Blah.

I find the working from home about 10-20 hours a week satisfies my career needs while letting me fill the SAHM need void as well. I'm not going to lie, it isn't easy sometimes, but is worth it to me.

I will not do another at home birthday party. Its too much work, stress, etc. I will outsource for someone else to clean up after next time. The party is really more for the adults at this point anyways, yes? As long as there are cake and presents, I don't think the kids care a lick at this age.