Conversations With Cooper February 26, 2012

I wish I was quick enough to write down things my kids have said over the years.  This blog will have to do as my memory bank.  Right now, almost any conversation with Cooper is a gem.  He is quite a talker.  He has amazing ideas and will talk them through ad nauseam.  Here are just some of the recent conversations I have had with him.

Conversation #1

Cooper: When I grow up and have my own kids, all I am going to feed them is pizza.

Me: But they wouldn’t be healthy if all they ate was pizza.

Cooper: Well, then I’ll give them a fruit and pizza, but that’s it!

Conversation #2

Jeremy: You have the choice to play tennis and soccer, lacrosse or swimming.  Which one do you want to do?

Cooper:  I want to do bull-riding where I ride the bull and have a rope and swing it around over my head.

Conversation #3 (2 weeks after Conversation #2)

Cooper:  Mommy, we should get bull masks and wear them.  And I’ll be a baby bull, and you’ll be a mommy bull and Daddy will be a daddy bull and Mason will be another baby bull.  Then we’ll wear the masks all the time forever and ever.  And we’ll even wear them to Disneyworld, and then we can scare people with our bull masks.  But we’ll still be able to eat people food because we’ll still have our mouths and our eyes.

Me (Speechless)

Conversation #4

Cooper (in bed with a stuffed dolphin, lion, orca and horse):  Don’t kill us tonight, Orca!  Mommy, did you hear me say that?  I said it because orcas are killer whales and they like to fight.

Me (thinking in my head): Good night, buddy.  I can’t wait to hear what you have to say tomorrow.

30.7 Miles February 23, 2012

30.7 Miles.  It doesn’t seem like a lot.  It actually seems pretty close compared to some of the other distances we travel on a regular basis.  64.3 miles to my mom’s house in Shepherdstown.  49.1 miles to the in-laws’ house north of Towson.  123 miles to my sister’s house in Charlottesville.  When compared to those distances, 30.7 miles seems like nothing.  But compared to .4 miles (roughly 2 blocks), it might as well be a day away.

The question over the past couple of weeks, though, has been “Am I willing to drive 30.7 miles each way to work in order to keep my job?”  As of last Wednesday, the answer became “no.”  (Actually it was more like a “hell no!” but we’ll leave it at that.)  For anyone that does not live in the DC Metro area, you may be thinking that I am crazy to give up a job just because I have to drive 30 miles each way to work.  People all over the world do this every day, and many travel even more than that.  In any other place, 30 miles could mean 30 minutes.  In DC, 30 miles could mean 30 minutes, 1 hour, even 2 and a half hours!   You never know.  And that was the crux of the problem.

So here I am, 1 week away from being unemployed.  I don’t want a pity party.  Obviously, this was ultimately my choice.  It was the decision I made for me and my family.  We’re used to the lifestyle we have created here in our little 2-mile radius.  My office, Jeremy’s office, Cooper’s school and Mason’s school are all within 2 miles of our house, and during the week, there is rarely need to leave our little area.  To add an unknown commute to our schedule would derail us.  We could manage it – don’t get me wrong – but it wasn’t worth the stress of the commute and not seeing each other much to do it.  My family has always been my first priority, and this choice allowed me to prove that. 

I’m looking for a new job, but I’m also enjoying a little downtime.  Between the physical issues of my shoulder and our upcoming Disney trip, this could not have come at a better time.  I’m going to cherish the extra time at home, the extra time with the kids, the laid back lifestyle…  Don’t worry – it will just be for a few weeks, then I’ll start panicking about the job search.  But after the stress my job has induced over the past year, I feel I am more than deserving of this time off.

Taming the Colloseos! February 13, 2012

A needed weekend of fun and socializing for me!  After last week, I was ready for the weekend.  And I needed a good one to energize me again.  Thankfully it delivered.  From date night to a haircut to errands to a birthday party to a family date with some fab friends…

We have family friends (the Cramers) that we get together with about twice a year.  I wish it was more than that, but with busy schedules, actually finding a day that works for both of us only happens about twice a year.  I went to college with the husband/daddy, but have bonded with the wife/mommy, and the kids all get along too.  Our playdates with toddlers have now turned into big adventures.  We’re always looking for the next big thing, which is great because it keeps me on my toes and means that we actually do fun things with the kids rather than shying away from them due to long tiring weeks.

Yesterday, our adventure was a visit to Port Discovery in Baltimore followed by a delicious Italian dessert family face-off.   We had been to Port Discovery before, but it was when the kids were much younger, and we didn’t get to take advantage of all the great exhibits.  Now that they are older, we spent hours there!  It was so fun watching them run around and really get into things like the KidWorks “urban tree house” and the Adventure Expeditions through Egypt.  Jeremy and I were worried about how long we could keep the kids entertained, but our visit easily stretched past the 3-hour mark.  I think we could have been there longer, but the promise of gelato in Little Italy was too big and could not compete with another run on the indoor soccer field.

So off to Little Italy we went.  It was a cold and windy walk, but dessert was calling us and warming our bellies as we turned each corner into the wind.  Finally our destination was in sight.  Vaccaro’s is a Baltimore tradition.  Their cannolis are famous, but we were there for one thing only.  The Colloseos!  (A quarter, half or whole Belgian waffle topped with several scoops of gelato, whipped cream, chocolate sauce and a cherry.)  Our friends had tried the Colloseos several times before – easily finishing the half, but never finishing the whole.  Jeremy was all over this.  He offered up the challenge for a “half”, and Angela (wife/mommy friend) eagerly accepted.  Which family would tame the Colloseos first?

The Lake Colloseos - mint chocolate chip and vanilla chocolate chip gelato

The Cramer Colloseos - vanilla and vanilla chocolate chip gelato

 Although the Cramers had the advantage of a five-person family, Jeremy offered to make up for the difference.  (So noble of him, right?)  Ours came out first, so we counted to 30 before diving in.  Shortly after, the Cramer’s got theirs and dug in as well.  Within minutes, our plates looked like this…

It was a dessert to write home about. This thing was amazing!

The Cramers finished seconds before us (even with us counting down from 30 after we finished to make up for our early start)

It was so good, the kids were slurping up the melted ice cream with their straws.

I wish I had had a straw to do the same thing!

It was a delicious way to end the day (and the weekend), but we all agreed on one thing – we should have gone for the whole Colloseos.

Next time for sure!

Watch out, Cramers!

11 Questions February 9, 2012

I’ve been tagged!  It’s actually a good thing since I’ve been struggling to determine what to write about lately.   I’m just having a hard time finding the good each day.  Lots of stress = lots of negativity for me.  I need to push the negativity out, I know, but it’s taking some time.  And I have been told by my doctor that I cannot workout for a week or two to let a sore shoulder heal, so the workout stress relief is gone too.   Boy, am I looking forward to the weekend!

 

So thank you, Nain at View From Down Here for tagging me.  I can definitely honor rules 1 and 2 and half of 3, but I don’t know 11 people who blog.  So consider this just a window into more about me.

 

1. Post the rules

2. Post 11 fun facts about yourself

3. Answer the questions the tagger gave you in their post & then create 11 new questions for the people you tag.

4. Tag 11 people and link them in your post

5. Let them know you’ve “tagged” them

 

11 Fun Facts About Me

1.  I need a haircut.  My hair is longer than it has been in several years.  I actually think it’s about as long as it was for my wedding day 8 1/2 years ago.  My hair stylist is 8 months pregnant, so I better get my appointment set soon!

 

2. I love Top Chef, but I am the farthest from being a “foodie” than anyone could get.  I eat plain foods, don’t like seafood and am not adventurous at all.  But I love seeing what the chefs will create each week.

 

3.  I like going to movies by myself.  If I can’t get a girlfriend to go see a chick flick with me, I’m more than happy to go alone.  I get lost in the movie and enjoy the solitude. 

 

4.    My design style is a mix of cute cottage and craftsman.  One is light and airy, rustic and eclectic, and the other is dark and heavy, polished and traditional.

 

5.  I bought Us Weekly at CVS today when I went to get cough drops.  I have already read the entire thing from cover to cover.  (See question 3 below – there was a picture of Zac Efron on the cover that caught my eye.)

 

6.  Another real-time confession…  I’m currently eating almonds, chocolate chips and butterscotch chips.  The almonds make it healthy like trail  mix, right?

 

7.  I love waking my kids up in the morning.  They are both so cute nestled all cozy in their beds.  I slowly turn on the light and then watch them stretch and open their eyes.  It’s a peaceful moment, and I relish in it.

 

8.  I keep a post-it by my desk that says “I love you.  You’re my best mommy.  You’re sweet.  Love, Mason”  I think she had Jeremy write it when she was almost 5.  It makes me smile every time I look at it.

 

9.  I still keep in touch with 3 girlfriends from grade school.  We get together when we can and go for a walk or grab a bite to eat.  I love having them in my life still and love that we can still gab and enjoy each other’s company.  

 

10.  Domino’s thin crust pizza with roasted red peppers and bacon is my favorite! 

 

11.  I love the show Pan Am on ABC.  I really hope the rumors of cancellation are untrue and it gets another season!

 

And now for the questions Nain has asked of me…

 

1.  What’s your favorite thing to do on a rainy day? – I actually love to just curl up and watch TV with my family.  As long as everyone is getting along and willing to sit still for longer than 5 minutes.

 

2.  Who do you consider to be your real life hero? – My sister is my hero.  She has battled a lot and still holds her composure, stays cool, and sees life in a positive light.  I also think she is super smart, has a great fashion sense, and makes chocolate chip cookies better than anyone!

 

3.  Who was your childhood celebrity crush? – I have no memory of this kind of thing…  Perhaps Kirk Cameron or Michael J. Fox?  If I were a kid these days, I would have a major crush on Zac Efron – wait, I DO have a crush on Zac Efron even as a 34-year-old!  And Ryan Reynolds…  And Matt Damon…

 

4.  What was your favorite subject in school? – This is actually harder to answer than you might think.  I did love my English classes all through high school, which is why I became an English major.  But when I look back and think about all the stress that I went through with my writing and interpretation of books I read, I realized that I relished in my math classes when there were exact answers and no subjective interpretation. 

 

5.  Which do you prefer – being really cold or really hot? – I’d rather be cold.  I can’t stand being sweaty and flushed from the heat.  And I like to cuddle, and cuddling in the heat just isn’t the same. 

 

6.  What’s the one thing you’ve always wanted to learn how to do? – Blow glass.  I don’t know why.  I just love the art of blown glass.  We’ve been to the Simon Pearce store where you can watch them do everything in the workshop, and I think it is so cool to watch them work.

 

7.  Do you consider yourself to be more of a leader or follower? – I’m a leader.  There are times when I’d rather be a follower, and that is when my introvert self comes out.  But I’m usually more comfortable leading. 

 

8.  What’s your biggest accomplishment so far in life? – My kids.  Sounds cliché, but so true.  I share that accomplishment with my husband, though, and that is what makes it even more special. 

 

9.  What’s the one thing that grosses you out the most? – Throwing up.  I hate it.  Whether it is me or someone else, I just don’t want to be around it.  I will myself not to throw up.  I just keep telling myself, “I’m not going to throw up.” over and over and over until the feeling passes me.  Many people think they feel better when they can just get it out, but not me!  Until I threw up after my c-section for Cooper, I had not thrown up since my 10th birthday.  I think something about throwing up on my birthday scarred me, and I vowed to never do it again.

 

10.  Your weirdest personal habit or quirk? – I’m sure my family could come up with something good for this, but I can’t.  I bite my nails, but that is more of a bad habit than a weird one.  When I was younger, I would only eat chip sandwiches.   Rye bread and cheese Doritos was the best combo.  For lunch in high school, I would pack two slices of rye bread and a bag of Doritos or Fritos.   Yummy!

 

11.  Do you believe in love at first sight? – Yes.  Well, maybe love at second sight.  I say this because the first time Jeremy and I met, I really didn’t pay any attention to him.  But the next time we saw each other a couple of weeks later, I knew he would be my husband.  He was walking up a hill towards me, and his presence just hooked me instantly. 

 

Well that’s it!  It was fun answering these questions and thinking of fun facts about myself.  Definitely got me thinking.  Thanks, Nain!

 

Can’t (cough) Stop (cough) Coughing! February 8, 2012

Ready for some randomness?

I am literally overrun with coughs right now.  I think my throat is getting torn up by all the coughing, and I feel like it is hard to get anything done.  Now the smart thing would have been to get cough drops.  For some reason I have not yet.  But that is the first thing on my list for today!  I need to get some relief.

At the same time, I have shoulder pain that is majorly affecting how and what I do.  The doctor has told me I can’t do any activity for the next week or two while I try to let it heal.  She also prescribed some meds that I’m a little nervous to take.  I hate to “lose control,” especially when the notes say to not drive or operate heavy machinery.  That’s a little too much for me.

I have just over a week left in my current office that is only 2 blocks away from my house.  (Nice commute, huh?)  We’re in the middle of packing, shredding, and dumping all while trying to do our regular work.  I’m also learning a lot of new responsibilities and skills, which is exciting.

The thing that has kept me going this week was getting to hang with my family over the weekend.  I love when I get to hang with my sister, Hayes and Scott.  The kids and I took a road trip to see them just for the day.  Thankfully the kids were amazing in the car, and we all had a good time.  And we even got to pick up my mom and Jerry at the airport, take them to lunch and then watch them take off again.  Such fun, especially for the kids!

Nature walk at Chris Greene Lake

And I’m hoping the coming weekend is free of sickness and full of productivity and fun!