Just call me "Auntie MaryBeth"

As some of you may know, our good friends in Durham recently had a baby boy, Jeffrey. He is now about a month old and is cute as can be. He has an older sister, Claudia, who is the most adorable little girl and is a whole heap of trouble. (You know, trouble in a cute and adorable way!)As it turns out, Jeffrey doesn't like to sleep well at night, and Mommy gets roughly 4 hours of sleep per night. Of course, this makes life miserable. Daddy works all day, and he get up with the baby at 5am so Mommy can have a break. But Mommy chases around a two-and-a-half year old in addition to little Jeffrey, so she gets pretty worn out. In addition to it all, Mommy and Daddy sleep in seperate bedrooms because Baby Jeffrey is so fussy. They haven't slept in the same bed since his birth! That is unacceptable. As a new baby gift, I volunteered to spend all of Friday and Friday night with the family so that they could spend more quality time with Claudia and so Mommy could get a little bit more rest.

I got to their house around 9:30am on Friday, and we left shortly after because Mommy needed to go to the doctor to get her allergy shots. I couldn't imagine having to do that simple task all alone with two little ones. It was enough to wrangle the two of them with two of us. I don't know how she does it every day alone. After allergy shots was a play date with a friend and lunch. Once lunch was in us, we went home and Claudia laid down for her nap. I insisted that Mommy take a nap as well since I was there to deal with Baby Jeffrey. Everyone says that you should sleep when the baby sleeps, but that is a bit impossible with a two-year-old as well! So Mommy and Claudia slept for about three hours while I entertained Baby Jeffrey. He's a fussy one and takes FOREVER to drink a 4 oz. bottle. I'm talking, 45 minutes to an hour to drink it. Sometimes you just want to squeeze the bottle to make him eat faster, but that would be bad.

After naps, we all had dinner. The Boy had just arrived into town from Richmond (job interviews) and Daddy was home from work. We ate outside on the porch and Daddy, Claudia, and The Boy did some "big jumps" on the trampoline after dinner. (I wish it had been light enough to take some video of that!). The Boy left after dinner, and Claudia went to bed around 9. After Baby Jeffrey had his last feeding of the night (at about 10:30), we all went to bed. Mommy and Daddy actually got to sleep together, and Baby Jeffrey and I headed to the guest bedroom for the night.

It wasn't too bad, but it was rough. Baby Jeffrey slept from 11pm until about 2am. Then he was wet and hungry, so we had a change and a bottle. He finished eating around three, and then he didn't want to go back to sleep. He fussed and bleated (like a little goat), and eventually I laid him on my chest and he quickly fell asleep. Of course, he slept soundly, but it is rather hard to get a good sleep with a little baby laying across your chest. You're just so hyper-sensitive to movement and sound. He woke back up around 5:20am and fed until 6ish. At that point, we were really over the whole sleeping thing. I tried the "sleep on the chest" thing, but he wasn't having it. He was really hungry again at 7:30, so we ate again. At that point, it was too late to go back to bed so we went downstairs and started our day. Mommy, Daddy, and Claudia didn't wake up until 8:30!! They had a good night's sleep.

Of course, it wouldn't have been so bad if I didn't have to work the next day at AT. I was a friggin' zombie. I can't operate on 4 or 5 hours of sleep. I don't know how Mommy does it every day. One day practically killed me.

Despite the exhaustion, I had a lot of fun. It was great to be able to help them out and make their lives just a little bit easier ... even if it were only for a day. I got to bond with the new baby and Claudia, and that was pretty cool. More importantly, I confirmed my desire to never have children. I love babies, and they are adorable. But I especially love giving them back when they have muddy pants or they throw up or they get cranky. Short term, I can handle it. Long term, I think I would go insane from sleep deprivation.

Last Day of Freedom!

Today is the last day of the summer. Le Sigh. How sad. Of course, I mourned the passing of summer in appropriate style. I took the day off (for the most part) and chilled. I woke up at 9am (after a very rough night of sleep ... I woke up like twelve times and couldn't fall back asleep ... ugh, I hate nights like that) and lounged around the house until about 11am. I went to Target and stocked up on a few gym and office necessities (and I got to see the Queen of the West Bank doing some indulgent shopping of her own ... don't you just love financial aid checks?!?!). After I hit the Target, I went to the office to drop off my meals/snacks/water for the week and then to the gym to set up my locker for the semester. LL and I had lunch at this really crappy Mexican place up the street (note: Don't eat at Tequila Joes. It's rather scary), and I came home and took a two hour nap. However, I did do some work, reading a bit of material for my 19th century list! Yeah me!

Now I'm heading to 7pm mass and then will be going to bed early to prepare for tomorrow. I need to be up at 5am to be at the gym by 6. Ugh. Just the sound of that kills me. But I can do it!

Cute newborns and cute toddlers

The Boy and I met up with friends tonight to go to the Durham Bulls game. It was also the first time that we got to meet their new little guy, Jeffrey David. He's about a month old now and is very cute. Almost as cute as his older sister, Claudia. We had mucho fun-o, especially since the company that The Wiz (our friend in Durham) covered the ticket costs and the great food spread that they offered.

The new male heir, waving hello.

Claudia watching the game, waiting for the Home Run Bull to light up and blow smoke.

The Prince ... asleep

Claudia taking off like a bird

And my camera takes panoramics!! How fantastic!

On a related note, I volunteered to spend all day Friday and Friday night at their place, helping with the cherubs. I offered to take night duty so Momma could get a good night's rest. I hope I know what I'm getting myself into.

I want a new pet

How can you not simply love this face?He definitely wants to come home with me.

(See what happens when I wake up at 7:30am on a Saturday and start watching Jack Hanna's Into the Wild? Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaad news.)

Busy Blog Day!

Wow. This is like my third or fourth post of the day! See what happens when I get a whole day off to do nothing but putz around?

Anyway, The Boy sufficiently apologized last night for his former indiscretions with a fabulous dinner at Table 16 which included THREE desserts! You know that's how we roll. I'm glad he made up with me, so I could be happy for him and all of his recent job-related good news. He's had three job fairs -- one in Atlanta, one in Richmond, and one in DC -- and he's had FOUR callbacks for interviews! Three are really big firms (including one in BOSTON!) and one is a smaller firm. He's pretty stoked about this as am I. We've already talked about the fact that if he gets a great job next summer making 3k a week (yeah, you read correctly. THREE THOUSAND A WEEK!!!!!), Bailey and I will be moving in with him for the summer. We'll pay the rent on the apartment (or perhaps sublet it to someone) and just chill for the summer. Of course, I'll get bored and end up transferring to an AT in the Boston area for the summer. I'm really happy how things are working out for him. God is certainly smiling down on him.

Fall Schedule

I'm excited for next week because that means that a normal, regimented schedule will finally be in place again. I like having flexibility, but I really like having a regular schedule detailed out. Call me a creature of habit, but I look forward to having a predictable, regular schedule.

So, here it is!

Monday	6am - Workout	8-Noon – Office Hours	PM – Study/AT
Tuesday	6am – Workout	8-Noon – Office Hours	PM – Study/AT
Wednesday	6am – Workout	8-Noon – Office Hours	PM – Study/AT
Thursday	6am – Workout	8-Noon – Office Hours	PM – Study/AT
Friday	6am – Workout	8-Noon – Office Hours	PM – Study/AT
Saturday	SLEEP	Study/AT/Errands	Study/AT/Errands/Mass
Sunday	SLEEP	Study/AT/Errands/Mass	Study/AT/Errands

Boring, but predictable. It seems to compensate for all of the other craziness going on in my life!

Appropriate Use of Quotation Marks

Good times, good times!

No vaca for me

The Boy decided yesterday that he couldn't wait for me to get out of work to go to DC for the weekend. Yeah. He made that decision without consulting me. Clearly, I'm a bit pist. I was really looking forward to tooling around the city and hanging with Kia (I'm so sorry I suck. Or, more accurately, my boyfriend sucks.) and enjoying a quiet weekend with the man I sometimes love. He's coming back tomorrow night rather than on Sunday and is convinced that we can have a "romantic" weekend here in the 'boro. Um. No. We spend EVERY weekend in the 'boro. I'm bored with that. It's not romantic when you have to cook your own meals, wash your own dishes, pour your own wine, and make your own beds. Call me crazy (or just plain spoiled), but it is what it is.

I'm still really pist that I don't get to see Kia. Damn stupid boyfriends!

Real Progress

Guess who just finished all of her preliminary readings for her comps?

It's me! It's me!

What a nice milestone to hit right before a vaca with The Boy and the semester begins. I'm breathing a little easier.

Literary Comics

A nice way to start the day!

(If you click on the comic, it will open in a bigger window. I couldn't figure out how to make it bigger. Technology escapes me.)

The picture I wish I hadn't lost

So, all the pics were lost with the stolen camera. And there was one I REALLY wanted to share. Luckily, other people have the same sense of humor as I do, so I was able to steal it from Google.

Yep. Po'white. That's what it says. I love it.

Back from Richmond

The Boy and I are back from our trip to Richmond. We saw the Poe museum, Maymont estate, and we ate really great food. I bought a cute new dress at this vintage shop in Carytown, and I cannot wait to find an excuse to wear it!

I'd show you pictures, but someone forgot to lock the car when we got home last night (I'm sure you can guess ... If not, I'll give you a hint. The person in question has a penis.), and someone rifled through my car, stealing my camera. Yep. I'm pist.

The Coddling of Children

**Spoiler Alert**

I just finished reading the entire Chronicles of Narnia collection in the order that they were intended to be read (opposed to the order in which they were written). I enjoyed the series, and I can certainly see how children and young adults enjoy these stories. As an educated woman, I can see the "preachiness" of the books, but I think I'm coming at them with a mind that is too critical. The fantasy and magic in the texts make them palatable and enjoyable for kids. And if they are reading AND getting a decent moral message, I'm happy. While reading, I find myself thinking about how these books would be received in today's world.

While there are many battle scenes in the series, there is remarkably little blood. It is rarely -- if ever -- mentioned but the battles are pretty hard core. I mean, after all, we are fighting against all forms of evil here! One cannot expect that to be neat and tidy. Of course, little blood makes these books more PC for the kiddies and their helicopter parents. This element of blood-less violence doesn't affect my feelings towards the book. I think that they are powerful with or without the blood. But, without the blood, we don't mind our kids reading them. Add the blood back in and they suddenly become questionable.

My biggest surprise came at the end of The Last Battle. Every central human character dies in this book. They are in a train wreck and ascend into heaven to be with Aslan. Of course, the train wreck is only mentioned in passing and there are no gory details, but EVERYONE DIES. How is that okay? I mean, I'm fine with it, but parents are always complaining about un-happy endings (Although ascending into heaven is a rather happy ending ... isn't it what we all aspire to?) and death in kiddie lit. How did this text, from arguably THE MOST celebrated juvenile series of all time, not receive all kinds of backlash for having the characters die? The ending works well with the themes and morality of the text, but they die. Weren't parent's pist about this?

Don't get me wrong. I think the ending is wonderful. I'm trying to figure out when we stopped letting kids experience life as it is and started fashioning a perfect little life with no sadness or struggle for them. I certainly wasn't coddled as a child, but I look at some of my relatives and their children live in a bubble! They can't be exposed to sadness or truth or reality (but they can watch horrifically violent TV and movies) because it will "traumatize" them or "scar" them. What? Does that mean that we are all scarred and in need of a good therapist? I think not. While I don't think that life should be a school comprised solely of hard knocks, I do believe that those experiences mold us and prepare us for the real tests of life. Wouldn't a parent prefer their child to gain some experience with death and mortality through well written literature so that when the reality of death and mortality actually appear (and no amount of coddling will prevent it from happening), the kids will be somewhat more prepared for it?

The coddling of our children has produced an entire generation of feeble forever-children who lack the independence and life skills to adequately fiction in the real world. I mean, young men are returning to their parents' hoes after graduation from college to live for up to 8 years (3 on average). These Man-Boys have no real life coping skills. Our girls still believe that Prince Charming is going to ride in on a white steed to take them away to a perfect little suburban castle. They make stupid decisions when they go out with their friends and then suffer the horrible consequences later. By coddling them, we've stripped them of essential skills.

But, they're better off innocent, right?

When do we learn to hate?

I was at work the other day (it was actually a few weeks ago, but I've just now had the opportunity to write about it), and I witnessed a truly amazing, adorable, and thought-provoking scene. It really got me thinking about our culture and race relations.

I was in the front of the store, happily greeting clients as they came in. Clients often shop with their kiddies, and it is fun to see their happy and mischievous little faces as they look around. A small Korean family entered the store with an ADORABLE little boy. He was probably two or three. Old enough to walk around on his own but not really talking all that much. He hung out with his dad in my area as his mom shopped. He played in the clothing and Dad kept a close eye on him. About five minutes after they entered the store, another mom and child (Caucasian) entered. The boy she had with her was about the same age as the little Korean boy, and, as soon as the two little boys saw each other, they stopped dead in their tracks and smiled.

They were instantly friends. They sat down beside each other on the floor and "talked" in their own little language. They walked around together and held hands. They played in the racks as their parents watched over them. They made fast friends and were quite the chums. When one mom picked up her son to keep him from causing trouble, the two little boys reached for each other and cried out. It was heartwarming and sweet. I watched them for as along as I could before the duties of Sales Lead came rushing back to me.

I haven't been able to shake the image of these two boys. I really wonder, "When do we learn to hate?" At what age do we learn that skin color is an acceptable basis for judgement? At what point in our lives do we stop making friends simply to make friends and start making friends that fit into a certain mold? We all know that racism and prejudice is instilled early on from our families, our culture, and our society, but when does it really take hold? Clearly these two little boys hadn't been indoctrinated into the racism of our culture (and I hope that they never are!), but I found myself wondering when it would happen. Rather than simply watching two little boys play together in a women's clothing store, I observed a Korean boy playing with a Caucasian boy with no boundaries or pre-set rules. This scene should not have amazed me so. It shouldn't have made me so happy inside. It should be regular and ordinary.

But it's not. All too soon these boys will learn that you "stay with your own kind" and you don't trust those who are different from you. Will they be that way next year? In two years? In six months? When will their open-mindedness and loving natures be suddenly directed only to those who share the same pigmentation and cultural heritage?

I think about these little boys a lot. They really make me wonder about our culture and how race functions. I also wonder if it will ever change. I pray to God that it does and that these little boys will be an example for the rest of us.

Food for thought

When I think about the last three years (and, in reality, most of my life), I've been sick. I've always had head colds or stomach issues or general ickiness. I mean, just look at the blogs I wrote just a year ago. Here, here, here, and here. Of course, the insurance issues only amplified the feels of yuckiness, but I was sick a lot. That's pretty much the story of my life. As long as I can remember, I've been a sicky. Or, as The Boy likes to say, I have a "delicate constitution."

However, I made a startling realisation the other day while in the shower. (You know, that's where I do my deep thinking.) I'm healthy. And I feel good. I haven't been sick (other than premenstrual which really doesn't count as "sick") in months. The last time I can remember feeling truly crappy was January. That was when I got tubes in my ears, and I really think it was a cure all.

I don't think the tubes were the total cure though. In the last six months, The Boy and I have worked VERY hard at eating better. Not just good food but food that is good for us. We shop at Earthfare and Fresh Market and only eat organic meat. No extra hormones, no cruelty, no unnecessary antibiotics ... all free range and humane. Our produce is all organic and/or local, and we pay close attention to the things that we put into our bodies. We rarely consume preservatives because we use so many fresh meats and vegetables and fruits. High fructose corn syrup is a thing of the past. Of course, we aren't insane-o about this, and we still enjoy food that doesn't fall into the organic category but we try really hard to put good things into our bodies. A lot of this started from working with Joe. His family is very careful about the kinds of food that they consume, and, being around them as much as I am, it rubbed off on us.

I honestly attribute my new-found health to my greatly improved diet. I no longer wake up in the mornings feeling achy or in a haze. I no longer feel tired and low all the time. I don't get sick -- head colds, the flu ... -- and my stomach rarely hurts. I can't tell you the last time I had an unexplainable headache. I feel fantastic. Of course, my joints occasionally hurt, but that is because I've beat the hell out of my body in the past and now I pay for that. But the little mystery illness that used to plague me on a very regular basis are all gone. (Knock on wood!)

I like this new lifestyle. The food is more expensive, but it is totally worth it. I feel confident knowing that the food I consume is helping me be healthy rather than just sustaining me. I feel healthy and happy, and this has had a dramatic affect on my relationship with The Boy. He doesn't have to deal with me feeling crappy all of the time, and I always feel good so we can be active and do things.

I never really bought into all of the organic hype, but I am certainly a believer now. It's amazing the affects that the foods we eat have on our bodies. They really do have the power to make us feel good, make us feel low, make us feel happy, and make us feel healthy. I see the things that people eat now, and I stare in amazement. I can't believe the toxins that people ingest because "it's quick!" or "it tastes good!" Worse yet, the food we feed our children -- fast food, everything processed and full of chemicals, full of empty calories and crazy amounts of corn syrup -- is terrifying. The best thing a parent can do for their children (other than read to them every day) is to feed them good food that won't pickle their insides with poisons. It doesn't have to be organic (although I think the difference is amazing), but it should be processed as little as possible.

Here's to your health!

i hate you, mother nature

Yep.

It's back. Woo hoo. I took a three-hour nap today while The Boy cooked my meals. He's pretty fantastic that way. Which is why I love him. He's definitely a keeper.

It's gonna be a long week.

Guess who?

Somebody's got company coming over tonight.

And Somebody's baking a cake in her new cake mold.

And Somebody's gonna post pictures of the masterpiece later.

Can't hardly wait, can ya?