*Heard "Straight Up" just now on my way home from Panera! It unleashed an often-suppressed memory of singing it at Great Adventure when I was thirteen, at their proto-karaoke "Great American Recording Studio". I probably still have that tape somewhere. If so, it probably should be destroyed. I used that booth another time with my aunt, and we sang "Save the Best for Last" and "I Will Survive". I'm pretty sure I still have that as well...
*Underrated bands: ELO, Thin Lizzy, Scorpions. Overrated bands: Coldplay, Smashing Pumpkins, Bad Company. Discuss!
*Had a nice visit to the office today, where I picked up the large print job. Only one of my coworkers has grandchildren (though another has a pregnant daughter), and they're four hours away, so an office visit from the resident toddler is always appreciated. Plan is to drop off the envelopes Monday morning, then lunch/ yarn shopping with A. and the very cuddly L. I think L. is actually taller than Rosina now--though that should surprise no one.
*I signed up for web hosting with GoDaddy. It's only a year contract, so if they stink I can change again. Unfortunately the Costco deal doesn't apply to domain transfers, so I wasn't able to do that--but they were having a sale, and I think it adds up to about the same amount. I was able to cancel my account with WebHostingPad (awful) today as well; I had to do it now because it needed to be done at least two days before the bill came due (Tuesday), but they were pretty quick about it, and at the moment I have no website! Kind of discouraging--but considering it was down for months, thanks to serious customer service fail, at least I have actually been informed this time...
*Heading out to a local kids' consignment sale tomorrow, I think. Everything's 50% off on Saturday, but Mark doesn't want to go, so Friday it is. I'm only really looking for summer pajamas and shorts--and truthfully, I can sew knit shorts (when my mother gives me her spare machine, anyway), and can probably get away with bodysuits again this summer for pajamas, so if I don't find anything it won't be tragic. I'd also like to find a pair of Mary Janes in a size 5, but I can't hold my breath about shoes...
Thursday, February 28
Wednesday, February 27
Dammit, I did it again!
*Stayed up too late, that is. Reading the second book in the Pure trilogy, which came out in 2013 already. Two months into the new year! Daylight Saving Time starts any day now, doesn't it?
*Tried to give Rosina double French braids, but her hair is so straight and soft! It won't stay in unless it's wet. Even the it falls out pretty quickly. It's only just touching her shoulders--and she has a whole lifetime for complicated hair...
*Anticipating an enormous print job tomorrow morning. I am actually able to print remotely with no problem. I'll see in my email in the morning whether my manager wants me to pick up the job and stuff the envelopes myself, or if someone else in the office feels like it. I don't mind getting paid to stuff envelopes...
*Rosina is getting pretty decent with a spoon. She did quite well with some m&c at lunch. I just wish she would eat more!
*Speaking of food, I had a great idea for dinner tonight that actually worked: frozen gnocchi that I made last month plus precooked chicken from yesterday, sautéed for a while in cast-iron, add sauce and cheese, pop in oven. I'm still not happy with the way those gnocchi came out--I didn't do a thorough-enough job mashing the potatoes--but this was pretty good!
*Tried to give Rosina double French braids, but her hair is so straight and soft! It won't stay in unless it's wet. Even the it falls out pretty quickly. It's only just touching her shoulders--and she has a whole lifetime for complicated hair...
*Anticipating an enormous print job tomorrow morning. I am actually able to print remotely with no problem. I'll see in my email in the morning whether my manager wants me to pick up the job and stuff the envelopes myself, or if someone else in the office feels like it. I don't mind getting paid to stuff envelopes...
*Rosina is getting pretty decent with a spoon. She did quite well with some m&c at lunch. I just wish she would eat more!
*Speaking of food, I had a great idea for dinner tonight that actually worked: frozen gnocchi that I made last month plus precooked chicken from yesterday, sautéed for a while in cast-iron, add sauce and cheese, pop in oven. I'm still not happy with the way those gnocchi came out--I didn't do a thorough-enough job mashing the potatoes--but this was pretty good!
Tuesday, February 26
Briefly, because I'm up too late again!
*Talked to my mother--sounds like they are quite serious about moving in with my brother. They've already met with a few realtors, who seem to agree on a price for their house about $10,000 less than what they paid three years ago. I suppose that's not so bad, considering. They never should've bought that house. It's perfectly nice, but way too big for two people (they'd wanted to buy a condo, originally)--plus they just don't really like where they live, and I don't blame them! That town has one nice, relaxed coffeeshop, but is otherwise a hole. I will not soon forget the food poisoning Mark and I got from the "good" Chinese restaurant last summer...I had to go on Cipro!
*Cut Rosina's bangs--perhaps a bit too short, or maybe they're just bouncier after her bath. Her hair is getting long! I've been doing little French braids; she will have to learn not to pull them.
*Read about The Nu Project, which is really fascinating and cool. Somewhat tempted to volunteer, but I'm probably too chicken to be a nude model!
*Ate the last of our triumphant Trivia Night peanut butter pie. Oh, yummy.
*Three inches of rain today! I don't think it ever stopped. I ran out to the library around eight, and it was easily sixty degrees and really foggy. Also, our front walkway is under two inches of water. Tomorrow's supposed to be a nice day, though!
*Cut Rosina's bangs--perhaps a bit too short, or maybe they're just bouncier after her bath. Her hair is getting long! I've been doing little French braids; she will have to learn not to pull them.
*Read about The Nu Project, which is really fascinating and cool. Somewhat tempted to volunteer, but I'm probably too chicken to be a nude model!
*Ate the last of our triumphant Trivia Night peanut butter pie. Oh, yummy.
*Three inches of rain today! I don't think it ever stopped. I ran out to the library around eight, and it was easily sixty degrees and really foggy. Also, our front walkway is under two inches of water. Tomorrow's supposed to be a nice day, though!
Monday, February 25
A girl named Jumaana
* That's my dance name: Jumaana bint Kasha (Kasha being my teacher's name). I went with this, meaning "silver pearl", because picking the name that meant "queen of the universe" seemed a bit boastful. I suppose if I ever start rapping, I'd have to pick that one... The recital went well, and I was only in one dance because there were a lot of solos this time around. Rosina had a great time, as usual. She does this hilarious and adorable dance that I think is inspired by my practicing bellydance and Bollywood steps in front of her. I have to get it on video!
* I am glad to see that my vitriol toward Seth MacFarlane's performance last night has been seconded and thirded by like, everyone. Apparently there were terrible things to spare. I'm also glad that The Onion has disowned the truly horrible tweet made about that sweet little girl. I assume someone's lost a job over that...
* Apparently I know all the words to "Burning Love", which is definitely more embarrassing than knowing the words to "Suspicious Minds", a much better song... We caught some commercial for an Elvis DVD collection the other day, and I remembered that he was only 33 when he made the Comeback Special. That a 33-year-old would need to make a comeback from anything is so bizarre. I was also reminded of how I think leather pants look sexy. I doubt they are sexy at all in practice. I had a pleather pair in college (bought on clearance!), and they did not breathe at all--and were "surface wash only". Gross, but they were pretty cute...
* New project: a stole for my sister-in-law Suzie. I decided a while back that I wanted to give a big project to a woman in my family about once a year, and it's her turn. (I am definitely a process knitter, and I really don't need any more shawls!) I picked something with an easily memorizable pattern so I could carry on conversation while working on it, but not so easy that I'd get bored with it too quickly. I have about nine weeks to finish...and I hope she likes pink!
*There's something weird going on with my neck again, and I have this odd sore spot on my side that I think is radiating from my shoulder blade. I have a voucher from my favorite massage therapist (Uzima Springs--look them up, they are fabulous), but you have to wait a while to get a weekend appointment. I also have a spafinder.com gift card, which will get me most of the way to a massage, so maybe I should use that first. Oh, my first-world problems! ;)
* I am glad to see that my vitriol toward Seth MacFarlane's performance last night has been seconded and thirded by like, everyone. Apparently there were terrible things to spare. I'm also glad that The Onion has disowned the truly horrible tweet made about that sweet little girl. I assume someone's lost a job over that...
* Apparently I know all the words to "Burning Love", which is definitely more embarrassing than knowing the words to "Suspicious Minds", a much better song... We caught some commercial for an Elvis DVD collection the other day, and I remembered that he was only 33 when he made the Comeback Special. That a 33-year-old would need to make a comeback from anything is so bizarre. I was also reminded of how I think leather pants look sexy. I doubt they are sexy at all in practice. I had a pleather pair in college (bought on clearance!), and they did not breathe at all--and were "surface wash only". Gross, but they were pretty cute...
* New project: a stole for my sister-in-law Suzie. I decided a while back that I wanted to give a big project to a woman in my family about once a year, and it's her turn. (I am definitely a process knitter, and I really don't need any more shawls!) I picked something with an easily memorizable pattern so I could carry on conversation while working on it, but not so easy that I'd get bored with it too quickly. I have about nine weeks to finish...and I hope she likes pink!
*There's something weird going on with my neck again, and I have this odd sore spot on my side that I think is radiating from my shoulder blade. I have a voucher from my favorite massage therapist (Uzima Springs--look them up, they are fabulous), but you have to wait a while to get a weekend appointment. I also have a spafinder.com gift card, which will get me most of the way to a massage, so maybe I should use that first. Oh, my first-world problems! ;)
Sunday, February 24
Never again
*I was really tired last night, so I decided to skip blogging and get a few minutes' more sleep. Half a Benadryl and ten hours later, I felt so much better! I think I've just about licked this thing. Of course, Mark only recently got the cold, and is doing nothing but complain...what is it that turns men into four-year-olds when they get sick? I do feel bad, because he has a really busy week this week and can't afford to miss any work...but I don't recall being able to take a day off this week! I mean, I know I'm more able to take it easy because I'm at home, but I was still up at seven every day last week. Which reminds me that tomorrow morning is going to be a real headache...
*The party yesterday morning was kind of a wash. The play place (what are those damn places called, anyway?) was made up entirely of bounce houses, and even though they had preschooler-only ones, Rosina was too scared to go inside--and the one time I tried to go into a larger one with her, I had to get out right away because it had tunnels that set off my claustrophobia. She did eat some pizza and cake, and drank most of a juice box, and didn't cry when the freaky monkey mascot of the place came into the room for a visit. That was how we learned she recognizes monkeys!
*Lovely long nap yesterday afternoon, then Mark made dinner. :)
*Today we did some grocery shopping, then went to the playground at the school down the street. Then everybody else went to sleep! Quiet house to myself...
*...Which I took advantage of by cooking for many hours on end. Another batch of mini-muffins for Rosina (much nicer with the proper tin, even if it did take three batches), tomato sauce (not exactly labor-intensive) and lasagne with the sauce and the pasta I made last weekend. It came out very well, and three dinners' worth of lasagne is in the freezer. The kitchen is clean (reasonably), and I may get to bed a little early tonight!
*I normally watch the Oscars, even when I've only seen one of the nominated movies, but I'm never sure about Seth MacFarlane--Family Guy has been getting progressively more racist, and the constant violence against the female characters just turns me off. Then, in the first five minutes of the broadcast (a monologue, what?), he told one of the most offensive jokes I've ever heard: the one about Django Unchained and Rihanna. The next time that poor woman ends up in the ER (because it will probably happen again, poor thing--I hope she figures her life out, and soon), I hope Seth MacFarlane feels guilty. Domestic violence is NOT a punchline! For my part, I'm not wasting another minute on anything he has created.
To end on a happier note, Shirley Bassey sounded pretty great for her age a few minutes ago...
*The party yesterday morning was kind of a wash. The play place (what are those damn places called, anyway?) was made up entirely of bounce houses, and even though they had preschooler-only ones, Rosina was too scared to go inside--and the one time I tried to go into a larger one with her, I had to get out right away because it had tunnels that set off my claustrophobia. She did eat some pizza and cake, and drank most of a juice box, and didn't cry when the freaky monkey mascot of the place came into the room for a visit. That was how we learned she recognizes monkeys!
*Lovely long nap yesterday afternoon, then Mark made dinner. :)
*Today we did some grocery shopping, then went to the playground at the school down the street. Then everybody else went to sleep! Quiet house to myself...
*...Which I took advantage of by cooking for many hours on end. Another batch of mini-muffins for Rosina (much nicer with the proper tin, even if it did take three batches), tomato sauce (not exactly labor-intensive) and lasagne with the sauce and the pasta I made last weekend. It came out very well, and three dinners' worth of lasagne is in the freezer. The kitchen is clean (reasonably), and I may get to bed a little early tonight!
*I normally watch the Oscars, even when I've only seen one of the nominated movies, but I'm never sure about Seth MacFarlane--Family Guy has been getting progressively more racist, and the constant violence against the female characters just turns me off. Then, in the first five minutes of the broadcast (a monologue, what?), he told one of the most offensive jokes I've ever heard: the one about Django Unchained and Rihanna. The next time that poor woman ends up in the ER (because it will probably happen again, poor thing--I hope she figures her life out, and soon), I hope Seth MacFarlane feels guilty. Domestic violence is NOT a punchline! For my part, I'm not wasting another minute on anything he has created.
To end on a happier note, Shirley Bassey sounded pretty great for her age a few minutes ago...
Friday, February 22
Sad trombone
*So I was all set to sign up Rosina up for preschool, when I had the discouraging thought that the prices listed on the registration form might be per month, not for the whole session. There was nothing to indicate it on the form, but when I checked the preschool prices for some local churches, it became obvious that the price is definitely per month. I really had no idea how expensive preschool is. We're talking half of my annual take home pay for twelve hours a week--granted, I only work ten hours a week, but we really can't afford it! I'm driving around in a 21-year-old car that we will need to replace this year, and we're trying to avoid paying any more than half what they want per month. Ugh, rude awakening. I'm glad we live in a city with lots of programs for preschoolers that are actually in our price range (including free-play times at the rec centers). I feel bad that she can't go, though, because I know she would've liked it--and it would've been nice to have three mornings off every week! We have two years to think about and plan/save for preschool when she's four, which we agree is important.
*Watched the second Doctor Who DVD... Eek! I won't spoil it, but I think it ended in a way that served the characters.
*Fun discovery at Whole Foods. We'd been buying the natural peanut butter at Costco for years, but with the recent recalls, we've been buying Smuckers like we did pre-Costco. I checked the price of the grind-your-own at Whole Foods a while ago, and thought it way way too expensive, but it turns out I read it wrong: it's only three dollars a pound, which is actually cheaper than Smuckers! (I think I mistook the almond butter for peanut--it's eight bucks a pound!) Yuppie score of the day. ;)
*This afternoon I discovered that if you Google the name of my journal, four different homepages come up. How is our supposedly business-minded publishing partner capable of such dumb stuff? We're going to try to work it out next week.
*Must get to bed! I am a little hoarse from the dwindling cold and sleep deprivation, and we have a toddler's birthday party at ten!
*Watched the second Doctor Who DVD... Eek! I won't spoil it, but I think it ended in a way that served the characters.
*Fun discovery at Whole Foods. We'd been buying the natural peanut butter at Costco for years, but with the recent recalls, we've been buying Smuckers like we did pre-Costco. I checked the price of the grind-your-own at Whole Foods a while ago, and thought it way way too expensive, but it turns out I read it wrong: it's only three dollars a pound, which is actually cheaper than Smuckers! (I think I mistook the almond butter for peanut--it's eight bucks a pound!) Yuppie score of the day. ;)
*This afternoon I discovered that if you Google the name of my journal, four different homepages come up. How is our supposedly business-minded publishing partner capable of such dumb stuff? We're going to try to work it out next week.
*Must get to bed! I am a little hoarse from the dwindling cold and sleep deprivation, and we have a toddler's birthday party at ten!
Thursday, February 21
Big black boots and an old suitcase
*Heard this on the radio on the way home. Possibly the quintessential song of the '90s?
Also, this song reminds me of the day of my Jeopardy! appearance, because we took the bus out to the Santa Monica pier after my taping, and I had this song in my head for like, eight hours. According to Wikipedia, Everclear toured the US in 1998 with Marcy Playground and Fastball. Throw in a Monica Lewinsky reference and a dancing baby, and O.M.G. we are magically transported to the late '90s, a la Somewhere in Time.
*After yesterday's marathon in the kitchen, today consisted of no cooking. I accidentally missed taking my Prilosec this morning, and by 2:00 my reflux was in full fury. I definitely did not want to eat or even think about food at six, so I ended up getting some soup at Panera. Mark has just informed me that he has not eaten yet. Dude, there are so many options! Cold cuts! Peanut butter! Multiple options in the freezer! Just eat already.
*We are not totally 100% yet (and now Mark is getting sick), but we did get to go to Mommy and Me, and we had a good time. Rosina did not want to wear the plastic mask I embellished, but she did enjoy the Hamentaschen. Until the other day I was not aware that it was even an option to make them in non-fruit flavors. Chocolate, yum.
*Tomorrow I will probably be signing up Rosina for preschool in the fall. We just want to confirm the calendar. We were also planning on registering her for their camps over the summer, but they are ridiculously expensive, particularly when compared to the preschool. I'm sure I will find ways to keep her occupied and enriched over the summer--the city has some great programs--but I was hoping to have a few mornings free a week.
*The other thing on my mind: changing my professional website host. I've been with WebHostingPad for a number of years, and, well, they totally suck. Their customer service is a joke. My page was down for MONTHS because nobody bothered to tell me that the domain renewal didn't go through. (I hadn't checked my page for a while, since there was sadly nothing to add, and I had to find out through my bellydance teacher, well after the fact.) I think I am going to go with GoDaddy, because I get a good discount through Costco (plus there's the whole satisfaction guarantee thing), and other people I know have used them without any problems, but I really hate their ads. I suppose it can't be worse than what I have now.
Also, this song reminds me of the day of my Jeopardy! appearance, because we took the bus out to the Santa Monica pier after my taping, and I had this song in my head for like, eight hours. According to Wikipedia, Everclear toured the US in 1998 with Marcy Playground and Fastball. Throw in a Monica Lewinsky reference and a dancing baby, and O.M.G. we are magically transported to the late '90s, a la Somewhere in Time.
*After yesterday's marathon in the kitchen, today consisted of no cooking. I accidentally missed taking my Prilosec this morning, and by 2:00 my reflux was in full fury. I definitely did not want to eat or even think about food at six, so I ended up getting some soup at Panera. Mark has just informed me that he has not eaten yet. Dude, there are so many options! Cold cuts! Peanut butter! Multiple options in the freezer! Just eat already.
*We are not totally 100% yet (and now Mark is getting sick), but we did get to go to Mommy and Me, and we had a good time. Rosina did not want to wear the plastic mask I embellished, but she did enjoy the Hamentaschen. Until the other day I was not aware that it was even an option to make them in non-fruit flavors. Chocolate, yum.
*Tomorrow I will probably be signing up Rosina for preschool in the fall. We just want to confirm the calendar. We were also planning on registering her for their camps over the summer, but they are ridiculously expensive, particularly when compared to the preschool. I'm sure I will find ways to keep her occupied and enriched over the summer--the city has some great programs--but I was hoping to have a few mornings free a week.
*The other thing on my mind: changing my professional website host. I've been with WebHostingPad for a number of years, and, well, they totally suck. Their customer service is a joke. My page was down for MONTHS because nobody bothered to tell me that the domain renewal didn't go through. (I hadn't checked my page for a while, since there was sadly nothing to add, and I had to find out through my bellydance teacher, well after the fact.) I think I am going to go with GoDaddy, because I get a good discount through Costco (plus there's the whole satisfaction guarantee thing), and other people I know have used them without any problems, but I really hate their ads. I suppose it can't be worse than what I have now.
Wednesday, February 20
Mamma Leone
*Spent three-plus hours in the kitchen making pasta and a cannelloni recipe from Pinterest. It was decent, and there are a lot of leftovers, but seriously, I could've made a lasagne in way less time. I left some of the pasta strips uncut (and have a lot of ricotta leftover), so this weekend I may do just that!
*Day five of the cold. I am thankful that it's not bad, but am really tired of having a stuffy nose.
*Rosina is feeling mostly better as well, but this afternoon there was a coughing spell that ended in lots of puke. Ugghh... I will not get into details, other than that it was convenient that I had to do her laundry today anyway. Also, why do I think I can catch vomit in my hand? That does not work.
*Hopefully we will both be feeling well enough that we can go to Mommy and Me tomorrow. It's a Purim party! I'm dressing Rosina up like a farmer, since a plaid shirt and overalls involves no work. I will try to eat only one of the Hamentaschen (is the singular Hamentasch?), but I make no promises. I will have to brush up on Purim a bit before we go, because all I remember are paper crowns and Queen Esther and Hamen and cookies. I suppose that's as intellectual as it will get when the average kid there is ten months old...
*In knitting news: "No change." Well, that's not entirely true. I started knitting a garter stitch square to sew into a bunny for a birthday party this weekend. It is beyond compelling, as you might guess.
*Day five of the cold. I am thankful that it's not bad, but am really tired of having a stuffy nose.
*Rosina is feeling mostly better as well, but this afternoon there was a coughing spell that ended in lots of puke. Ugghh... I will not get into details, other than that it was convenient that I had to do her laundry today anyway. Also, why do I think I can catch vomit in my hand? That does not work.
*Hopefully we will both be feeling well enough that we can go to Mommy and Me tomorrow. It's a Purim party! I'm dressing Rosina up like a farmer, since a plaid shirt and overalls involves no work. I will try to eat only one of the Hamentaschen (is the singular Hamentasch?), but I make no promises. I will have to brush up on Purim a bit before we go, because all I remember are paper crowns and Queen Esther and Hamen and cookies. I suppose that's as intellectual as it will get when the average kid there is ten months old...
*In knitting news: "No change." Well, that's not entirely true. I started knitting a garter stitch square to sew into a bunny for a birthday party this weekend. It is beyond compelling, as you might guess.
Tuesday, February 19
Flying colors!
*Rosina did great at her neonatology appointment today--and it was a long one. Three hours! The diagnostic testing took almost two hours, but it was mostly playing, anyway. They'll call us to reschedule her audiology appointment, but otherwise she is officially released! The doctor even gave her some "graduation gifts": a very soft little girl doll and a copy of Goodnight Moon (somehow all of our copies had disappeared!).
*Long mid-afternoon appointment equals almost no nap equals crabby-ish toddler. It took us a whole to get her to fall asleep--she didn't want to be left alone in her crib. I ended up holding her for about an hour before she fell asleep. I don't get to do that too often these days! It's pretty nice.
*Great songs on the radio this afternoon on the way home! I even heard the last few notes of "18 and Life". ;)
*Got caught up on some of the surprise work from last week. And apparently we have a new paper-processing assistant to break in, huzzah. One more person to whom I will need to explain not to just approve deadline extensions at will...
*Still have the cold, though it is mild. Hoping to make it to Mommy and Me on Thursday...
*Long mid-afternoon appointment equals almost no nap equals crabby-ish toddler. It took us a whole to get her to fall asleep--she didn't want to be left alone in her crib. I ended up holding her for about an hour before she fell asleep. I don't get to do that too often these days! It's pretty nice.
*Great songs on the radio this afternoon on the way home! I even heard the last few notes of "18 and Life". ;)
*Got caught up on some of the surprise work from last week. And apparently we have a new paper-processing assistant to break in, huzzah. One more person to whom I will need to explain not to just approve deadline extensions at will...
*Still have the cold, though it is mild. Hoping to make it to Mommy and Me on Thursday...
Monday, February 18
Burning through the sky
* Oh, Glee. Just when I was complaining about the music, you give me this.
Darren Criss is no Freddie Mercury, but he's giving it his level best. I love this song so freaking much. I hope the performance has introduced more people to its awesomeness.
*Last class before the performance--and my naming ceremony! Tomorrow I will pick one. I also need to work on my continuity in this choreography. I know we haven't had it very long, but I hate having memory lapses.
*Feeling even better today. Tomorrow I may even go back to my usual daily dose of local honey (one teaspoon). I should probably research how much is actually supposed to help with allergies, but I guess I'm a little afraid it will be way more than practical.
*Rosina had a decent day--she still has a runny nose, but isn't coughing, or even sneezing much, and hasn't had a fever. Her neonatology followup is tomorrow afternoon, and I called this morning to see if they still thought she should come in. Over the phone they were more concerned about fever, bad coughing or a sinus infection, and said it should be okay. I would hate for her to get some immuno-compromised kid sick, you know? They also decided to cancel her audiology appointment, since it's at the main hospital and would involve driving a mile and paying for parking twice. If she seems to need it, they'll reschedule it. I'm not worried. My kid sings in tune! :)
*In other baby news: today Rosina learned how to roar like a lion. Also, I sang Bingo to her for (I think) the first time. How could I be so remiss?!
Tomorrow is a big day for some people I know. I wish them all the best, in the most secret way possible.
Darren Criss is no Freddie Mercury, but he's giving it his level best. I love this song so freaking much. I hope the performance has introduced more people to its awesomeness.
*Last class before the performance--and my naming ceremony! Tomorrow I will pick one. I also need to work on my continuity in this choreography. I know we haven't had it very long, but I hate having memory lapses.
*Feeling even better today. Tomorrow I may even go back to my usual daily dose of local honey (one teaspoon). I should probably research how much is actually supposed to help with allergies, but I guess I'm a little afraid it will be way more than practical.
*Rosina had a decent day--she still has a runny nose, but isn't coughing, or even sneezing much, and hasn't had a fever. Her neonatology followup is tomorrow afternoon, and I called this morning to see if they still thought she should come in. Over the phone they were more concerned about fever, bad coughing or a sinus infection, and said it should be okay. I would hate for her to get some immuno-compromised kid sick, you know? They also decided to cancel her audiology appointment, since it's at the main hospital and would involve driving a mile and paying for parking twice. If she seems to need it, they'll reschedule it. I'm not worried. My kid sings in tune! :)
*In other baby news: today Rosina learned how to roar like a lion. Also, I sang Bingo to her for (I think) the first time. How could I be so remiss?!
Tomorrow is a big day for some people I know. I wish them all the best, in the most secret way possible.
Sunday, February 17
I got a name
*Working on my dance name! All the Arabic names that start with J are hyperfeminine. Should I choose Beautiful, Jewel or Pearl? For real.
*Finally figured out the secret to the chicken parmesan bake on Pinterest: wide, shallow pan + 425 degrees + 45 minutes. Came out great!
*Poor little noodle got the cold. :/ It's just a runny nose, really, with no fever so far. My throat is still a little sore, but I'm feeling much better than last night--even after being woken up at four, when Rosina started crying (a bad dream, probably). She didn't nap much today, and she was pretty upset before Mark took her upstairs, but she fell asleep really quickly.
*Weird news from my parents: they plan to sell their house and move in with my brother and his family (who are planning to move to a less-expensive part of their ridiculously expensive county) so my mother can watch the kids and my parents can live rent-free while they start paying off a house on the North Carolina coast to which they will eventually retire. If your reaction to this plan is WTF?, we are in the same boat. Mark and I have been discussing it, and we're not really sure if any of it is actually going to happen. I am not really sure what to think! I know they're not happy where they are, and my sister-in-law is really upset about having to put a three-month-old into daycare in April when my older niece is constantly sick. More on this as it develops.
*In non-weird parental news, my mother does indeed have two functioning sewing machines, despite the fact that she sees like, once a year. She's planning to bring it down for me next time they come, in a month or two.
*Finally figured out the secret to the chicken parmesan bake on Pinterest: wide, shallow pan + 425 degrees + 45 minutes. Came out great!
*Poor little noodle got the cold. :/ It's just a runny nose, really, with no fever so far. My throat is still a little sore, but I'm feeling much better than last night--even after being woken up at four, when Rosina started crying (a bad dream, probably). She didn't nap much today, and she was pretty upset before Mark took her upstairs, but she fell asleep really quickly.
*Weird news from my parents: they plan to sell their house and move in with my brother and his family (who are planning to move to a less-expensive part of their ridiculously expensive county) so my mother can watch the kids and my parents can live rent-free while they start paying off a house on the North Carolina coast to which they will eventually retire. If your reaction to this plan is WTF?, we are in the same boat. Mark and I have been discussing it, and we're not really sure if any of it is actually going to happen. I am not really sure what to think! I know they're not happy where they are, and my sister-in-law is really upset about having to put a three-month-old into daycare in April when my older niece is constantly sick. More on this as it develops.
*In non-weird parental news, my mother does indeed have two functioning sewing machines, despite the fact that she sees like, once a year. She's planning to bring it down for me next time they come, in a month or two.
Saturday, February 16
Snow, what?
*The three hours of snow predicted for this afternoon actually turned out to be an entire day of snow and sleet. At least it didn't stick to the roads.
*I think I'm getting a cold! Boo, hiss!! Well, if I already am feeling crappy, at least I can try to make sure Rosina doesn't get it.
*My parents arrived at about 2:45, and we ended up going to Chipotle for dinner. The Cheesecake Factory had a two-hour wait! As I say all the time, the bourgies of Raleigh share a hive mind. I'm glad I called ahead!
*Rosina had an excellent day for the first time in a while! :) We gave her some Tylenol before bed--and she needed it--and she did take a while to fall asleep, but all in all, a very happy, smiley day spent playing with her Papa and pointing at babies and birds.
*Tomorrow is KIP day! I will sit at the end of the table and try not to breathe on anyone. Hoping this hot toddy does the trick!
*I think I'm getting a cold! Boo, hiss!! Well, if I already am feeling crappy, at least I can try to make sure Rosina doesn't get it.
*My parents arrived at about 2:45, and we ended up going to Chipotle for dinner. The Cheesecake Factory had a two-hour wait! As I say all the time, the bourgies of Raleigh share a hive mind. I'm glad I called ahead!
*Rosina had an excellent day for the first time in a while! :) We gave her some Tylenol before bed--and she needed it--and she did take a while to fall asleep, but all in all, a very happy, smiley day spent playing with her Papa and pointing at babies and birds.
*Tomorrow is KIP day! I will sit at the end of the table and try not to breathe on anyone. Hoping this hot toddy does the trick!
Friday, February 15
Never gonna get it
*Mark was talking about some episode of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia about an old nightclub, and it made me think of this:
Dude, if any one song could bring back the 1992 election, this would be it! Well, anything from that album, really. I was always mystified by the super super short dresses in the "My Lovin'" video. Were they wearing spankies underneath?
*Lots of work this morning, definitely more than the three hours I could put in today. Rosina woke up at ten and was happy for about two minutes--not even long enough to drink her milk--before the crabby teething monster set in. Half an hour later, I was finally able to convince/con her into having some Tylenol. The same thing happened tonight, really--Mark put her to bed, and she got really shrieky until I gave her more. Ugh, this is really starting to sound like a broken record. Every day I think that the worst has passed, and every day I'm proven wrong. She needs a break!
*Speaking of breaking things, I came in to get Rosina up from her nap to find that the really wonderful book I foolishly put in her crib was in very bad shape--she'd ripped out most of the last half of the pages, and one of the pages was ripped into eight or nine pieces. It's a really beautiful book about the process of making wool into a woven blanket (The Pen that Pa Built), and all of us love it. There are lots of animals and a baby for Rosina to get excited over. Mark tried to make me feel better about it by saying that her ripping it means she really loves it, which is probably true. I just wish the book didn't look like Frankenstein's monster now...
*In post-apocalyptic book news, I just finished reading Pure. I liked it, but I'm not sure what to think about the ick factor. There are some Clive Barker levels of grotesqueness going on here, but it isn't quite so nauseating because it isn't described in such horrible detail. I don't know if I should consider this a failing of the book, or if it's a good thing because I was actually able to get through the book without nightmares.
*Parents still coming tomorrow. House is still a wreck. Mark is planning to get up early to clean, but I just don't trust myself to do so! I can clean the downstairs bathroom and kitchen tonight, and bring the laundry upstairs, and take care of the dining room and upstairs bathroom in the morning. Mark gets to do the living room and vacuuming/sweeping and help me in the dining room. Rosina has a swimming class tomorrow, which complicates things. The possible snow tomorrow afternoon is another complication! We're hoping it doesn't really materialize.
Dude, if any one song could bring back the 1992 election, this would be it! Well, anything from that album, really. I was always mystified by the super super short dresses in the "My Lovin'" video. Were they wearing spankies underneath?
*Lots of work this morning, definitely more than the three hours I could put in today. Rosina woke up at ten and was happy for about two minutes--not even long enough to drink her milk--before the crabby teething monster set in. Half an hour later, I was finally able to convince/con her into having some Tylenol. The same thing happened tonight, really--Mark put her to bed, and she got really shrieky until I gave her more. Ugh, this is really starting to sound like a broken record. Every day I think that the worst has passed, and every day I'm proven wrong. She needs a break!
*Speaking of breaking things, I came in to get Rosina up from her nap to find that the really wonderful book I foolishly put in her crib was in very bad shape--she'd ripped out most of the last half of the pages, and one of the pages was ripped into eight or nine pieces. It's a really beautiful book about the process of making wool into a woven blanket (The Pen that Pa Built), and all of us love it. There are lots of animals and a baby for Rosina to get excited over. Mark tried to make me feel better about it by saying that her ripping it means she really loves it, which is probably true. I just wish the book didn't look like Frankenstein's monster now...
*In post-apocalyptic book news, I just finished reading Pure. I liked it, but I'm not sure what to think about the ick factor. There are some Clive Barker levels of grotesqueness going on here, but it isn't quite so nauseating because it isn't described in such horrible detail. I don't know if I should consider this a failing of the book, or if it's a good thing because I was actually able to get through the book without nightmares.
*Parents still coming tomorrow. House is still a wreck. Mark is planning to get up early to clean, but I just don't trust myself to do so! I can clean the downstairs bathroom and kitchen tonight, and bring the laundry upstairs, and take care of the dining room and upstairs bathroom in the morning. Mark gets to do the living room and vacuuming/sweeping and help me in the dining room. Rosina has a swimming class tomorrow, which complicates things. The possible snow tomorrow afternoon is another complication! We're hoping it doesn't really materialize.
Thursday, February 14
Be mine
*Started off with a very busy morning--a barrage of email and wrinkles to iron out. Sometime in the next week I'm going to have to go into the office and take care of two big mailing projects, with lots of international stuff. A mail merge will be implemented. At least it keeps things interesting.
*Went to my friend's house and got LOTS of hand-me-downs. There's at least one pair of overalls in there that will fit right now, and a bunch of stuff that will be great for the summer. After that, it's hard to predict what size Rosina will be wearing. She is comfortably wearing 12-month clothes now, though we've already had to put a few things away because they're too short. I look at 24-month clothes, and they seem impossibly huge. Granted, this time last year I said the sane about the 12-month clothes. I'm washing everything now, and will sort it into bins tomorrow, and we'll just play it by ear!
*I made Mark a wine cork trivet for Valentine's Day; I also gave him some chocolate, a bag of hot wing-flavored pretzels (as a semi-joke), and a "drawing" from Rosina that I wrote "I <3 Daddy" on. He gave me some fancy chocolate, Burt's Bees hand salve and the usual lovely card. :)
*Went to Aladdin's for dinner. Unfortunately it wasn't as good as it normally is. The lentils in my mujadara were undercooked, and it kind of ruined it. I brought about half of it home, and I'm hoping that reheating it will cook those beans a little better. The cheesecake was pretty good, though!
*Reluctantly looking foreword to cleaning the house tomorrow in anticipation of my parents' visit this weekend. We don't have any particular plans--maybe we'll end up at The Cheesecake Factory, since my parents like it there and there isn't one within two hours of their house. That would involve some crafty dietary planning on my part...
*Went to my friend's house and got LOTS of hand-me-downs. There's at least one pair of overalls in there that will fit right now, and a bunch of stuff that will be great for the summer. After that, it's hard to predict what size Rosina will be wearing. She is comfortably wearing 12-month clothes now, though we've already had to put a few things away because they're too short. I look at 24-month clothes, and they seem impossibly huge. Granted, this time last year I said the sane about the 12-month clothes. I'm washing everything now, and will sort it into bins tomorrow, and we'll just play it by ear!
*I made Mark a wine cork trivet for Valentine's Day; I also gave him some chocolate, a bag of hot wing-flavored pretzels (as a semi-joke), and a "drawing" from Rosina that I wrote "I <3 Daddy" on. He gave me some fancy chocolate, Burt's Bees hand salve and the usual lovely card. :)
*Went to Aladdin's for dinner. Unfortunately it wasn't as good as it normally is. The lentils in my mujadara were undercooked, and it kind of ruined it. I brought about half of it home, and I'm hoping that reheating it will cook those beans a little better. The cheesecake was pretty good, though!
*Reluctantly looking foreword to cleaning the house tomorrow in anticipation of my parents' visit this weekend. We don't have any particular plans--maybe we'll end up at The Cheesecake Factory, since my parents like it there and there isn't one within two hours of their house. That would involve some crafty dietary planning on my part...
Wednesday, February 13
Best-laid plans
*Remember how I hoped Rosina would sleep in this morning? That was hilarious. She woke up at 7:45, and was not happy about it. Luckily the rest of the day was uneventful toddler-wise.
*Finally got to watch Doctor Who Season 7 Part 1 Disc 1! (Yes, that is really what it's called.) I'd only seen the first episode (sniff) and the first third of the second. I'm glad there doesn't seem to be an overarching villain storyline this time (though I may be wrong--and I hope that's not a spoiler! Speaking of spoilers, will River Song be making an appearance this season? One can only hope). I probably won't get the second disc until Saturday, so it'll be Monday before I get to watch it. I've heard enough to know to break out the tissues...
*I was all set to use the sewing machine this afternoon--I had to redo the seams of a circle shirt I made way too large, and sew up a drastic Franken-shirt--but when I stepped in the pedal, the motor ran but didn't move the needle. I tried messing with all the settings, but nothing helped. I bet some plastic gear or something is broken in there. (It's a very cheap machine.) I ended up sewing the second top by hand, since I'd already cut it, but now I'm even contemplating buying one of those $20 handheld mending things. I wonder if my mother has an extra machine; she has her grandmother's, but I don't know if she uses it more than once a year... I bet there are plenty on Craigslist.
*Baby bath observation: Rosina has such low body fat that she almost always shivers when she's wet. Also, her lips turn blue. I am not kidding, and it's a little unnerving.
*Headed out to look at some toddler clothes at a friend's house tomorrow morning--then the playground! The small daredevil didn't get it from me...
*Finally got to watch Doctor Who Season 7 Part 1 Disc 1! (Yes, that is really what it's called.) I'd only seen the first episode (sniff) and the first third of the second. I'm glad there doesn't seem to be an overarching villain storyline this time (though I may be wrong--and I hope that's not a spoiler! Speaking of spoilers, will River Song be making an appearance this season? One can only hope). I probably won't get the second disc until Saturday, so it'll be Monday before I get to watch it. I've heard enough to know to break out the tissues...
*I was all set to use the sewing machine this afternoon--I had to redo the seams of a circle shirt I made way too large, and sew up a drastic Franken-shirt--but when I stepped in the pedal, the motor ran but didn't move the needle. I tried messing with all the settings, but nothing helped. I bet some plastic gear or something is broken in there. (It's a very cheap machine.) I ended up sewing the second top by hand, since I'd already cut it, but now I'm even contemplating buying one of those $20 handheld mending things. I wonder if my mother has an extra machine; she has her grandmother's, but I don't know if she uses it more than once a year... I bet there are plenty on Craigslist.
*Baby bath observation: Rosina has such low body fat that she almost always shivers when she's wet. Also, her lips turn blue. I am not kidding, and it's a little unnerving.
*Headed out to look at some toddler clothes at a friend's house tomorrow morning--then the playground! The small daredevil didn't get it from me...
Tuesday, February 12
Exit light, enter night
*Heard a few hours ago in Harris Teeter, in the cosmetics aisle: Enter Sandman. I've heard Zeppelin sometimes in a different location--but always in the evening.
*My appointment went fine as far as the GI stuff, but it took four tries to take my blood pressure, and then it was super high. I am understandably skittish about having my blood pressure taken, and I suppose that drove it up a bit (and my heart rate was, too), but it was scary high. Then I had to wait a while for the PA, which made me more anxious. At the end of the appointment the nurse took it manually twice, and the second time my diastolic was still high. Once I got home I took it again, and it was normal. I will keep an eye on it for the next few weeks, and I'll be scheduling a physical soon, but damn, just when I thought I didn't have to worry about that anymore...
*I went to bed pretty late last night, and after the blood pressure drama, I was totally wiped out this afternoon. I had some work to finish during Rosina's nap, and she woke up after only an hour...so from about three to five this afternoon I was basically half asleep on the couch. I have somehow mastered the art of semi-alertness... Rosina would bring me books, and I would pull her up under the blanket with me to try to get her to back to sleep, but it didn't work. She's in bed now, and hopefully she will sleep late tomorrow.
*Made some pretty good pad Thai from a Pinterest recipe. I wish people wouldn't write such dumbass captions to their pins. This one mentioned that the recipe didn't call for any "weird peppers" (ethnocentric much?) and said that the blogger had lived in Thailand, when she specifically stated that she had been there on vacation. I wonder if people actually look at the links they're pinning before they post them.
*Hint from Heloise: Rosina colors in her high chair, and the ink from the pages was transferring to the tray. I had no problem with the crayon marks, but I just couldn't get the ink off. The other day I tried putting some cooking oil on the tray, and the ink just came right off. Miraculous! ;)
*My appointment went fine as far as the GI stuff, but it took four tries to take my blood pressure, and then it was super high. I am understandably skittish about having my blood pressure taken, and I suppose that drove it up a bit (and my heart rate was, too), but it was scary high. Then I had to wait a while for the PA, which made me more anxious. At the end of the appointment the nurse took it manually twice, and the second time my diastolic was still high. Once I got home I took it again, and it was normal. I will keep an eye on it for the next few weeks, and I'll be scheduling a physical soon, but damn, just when I thought I didn't have to worry about that anymore...
*I went to bed pretty late last night, and after the blood pressure drama, I was totally wiped out this afternoon. I had some work to finish during Rosina's nap, and she woke up after only an hour...so from about three to five this afternoon I was basically half asleep on the couch. I have somehow mastered the art of semi-alertness... Rosina would bring me books, and I would pull her up under the blanket with me to try to get her to back to sleep, but it didn't work. She's in bed now, and hopefully she will sleep late tomorrow.
*Made some pretty good pad Thai from a Pinterest recipe. I wish people wouldn't write such dumbass captions to their pins. This one mentioned that the recipe didn't call for any "weird peppers" (ethnocentric much?) and said that the blogger had lived in Thailand, when she specifically stated that she had been there on vacation. I wonder if people actually look at the links they're pinning before they post them.
*Hint from Heloise: Rosina colors in her high chair, and the ink from the pages was transferring to the tray. I had no problem with the crayon marks, but I just couldn't get the ink off. The other day I tried putting some cooking oil on the tray, and the ink just came right off. Miraculous! ;)
Monday, February 11
Bang your head!
*Poor noodle, still teething. I hate to give her Tylenol every day, but she really is miserable. She has also reached that point in toddlerhood where she likes to bang her head on things repeatedly--probably for the shock value, since I'm sure I make a horrified face while she does it.
*Watched the other week's Glee episode. Fast-forwarded through all but like, two of the songs. Ugh, they were just bad and boring! The ones I liked were songs I already knew and liked (both of Rachel's songs--also, Santana can basically do no wrong). Am I too distanced from pop music (and modern country, ugh) to still be into this show? I think I was more interested when Mr. Shue kept giving them Journey songs. ;)
*In other video, oh, Lizzie Bennett Diaries, you are breaking my heart...
*Great workout tonight at bellydance class. My teacher hasn't mentioned the naming ceremony, which I think I am due for! I promise I won't pick the name Jasmine. ;)
*GI followup tomorrow. It should be uneventful, I think. Hopefully they'll let me come back in six months instead of three...
*Watched the other week's Glee episode. Fast-forwarded through all but like, two of the songs. Ugh, they were just bad and boring! The ones I liked were songs I already knew and liked (both of Rachel's songs--also, Santana can basically do no wrong). Am I too distanced from pop music (and modern country, ugh) to still be into this show? I think I was more interested when Mr. Shue kept giving them Journey songs. ;)
*In other video, oh, Lizzie Bennett Diaries, you are breaking my heart...
*Great workout tonight at bellydance class. My teacher hasn't mentioned the naming ceremony, which I think I am due for! I promise I won't pick the name Jasmine. ;)
*GI followup tomorrow. It should be uneventful, I think. Hopefully they'll let me come back in six months instead of three...
Sunday, February 10
Learning experiences
*Three days post-facial, and my skin is a bit unhappy with me--even though I was told otherwise. Definitely not going back there! Hydrating facial my ass. I should've known from the pseudo-scientific "body wrap" bullshit on their website. /yet another rant about anti-science
*Fun at the playground! We took advantage of a non-rainy day to take Rosina to a small, hidden-away playground about two miles from home. They only have toddler swings, but they have playground/slide structures for big and little kids. I think we may have Rosina's next birthday party at the pavilion there, provided it's not too expensive to rent.
*Crepes for lunch at a local place down the road from the playground. It has some pretty mean-spirited reviews online, but I can't imagine why--the food was good, and the service and atmosphere were wonderful. Great chai latte, too.
*We had a few days' respite from the teething, but then somebody woke up crying only an hour into her nap, then proceeded to yell and beat her head on the carpet and pull my hair until we finally gave in and gave her some Tylenol. People with early teethers don't know how good they have it! ;)
*Down about seven pounds since New Year's! I doubt it will keep up this pace unless I really start working out in earnest, but for the moment I am happy. Soon I should notice a difference in my clothes.
*Fun at the playground! We took advantage of a non-rainy day to take Rosina to a small, hidden-away playground about two miles from home. They only have toddler swings, but they have playground/slide structures for big and little kids. I think we may have Rosina's next birthday party at the pavilion there, provided it's not too expensive to rent.
*Crepes for lunch at a local place down the road from the playground. It has some pretty mean-spirited reviews online, but I can't imagine why--the food was good, and the service and atmosphere were wonderful. Great chai latte, too.
*We had a few days' respite from the teething, but then somebody woke up crying only an hour into her nap, then proceeded to yell and beat her head on the carpet and pull my hair until we finally gave in and gave her some Tylenol. People with early teethers don't know how good they have it! ;)
*Down about seven pounds since New Year's! I doubt it will keep up this pace unless I really start working out in earnest, but for the moment I am happy. Soon I should notice a difference in my clothes.
Saturday, February 9
It rubs the lotion on its skin
*Searching online for a recipe for DIY chest rub (which I learned is as simple as a carrier oil and a few drops of eucalyptus and lavender), I was stunned, as usual, by the insane amount of anti-scientific bullshit out there under the guise of being "natural" and "organic". It's amazing how people who are afraid that petroleum is going to leach into their skin (sorry, it can't), and won't take antibiotics even when they're needed (and don't get me started on the anti-vax assholes), have no problem ascribing magical properties to "natural" oils and applying (or ingesting!) them with no qualms. Sorry, putting peppermint oil on your feet will NOT fix your cold. And coconut oil is great, but it does not cure cancer. Grrrr...
*Had a nice lunch with my cousins and attempted to go prom dress shopping. There aren't all that many dresses out yet, and my cousin recently had a big growth spurt (tall and busty and a size four--tough life, hmm?), so she didn't find anything today. There are some pretty hideous things out there!
*Did a (tiny) bit of extreme couponing today--$5 Gud coupon plus Gud sale = free vanilla body spray! I didn't get some enormous rush or anything, though. :)
*Made reservations for Valentine's Day. We normally don't go out, but our local Aladdin's has a prix fixe that night. Yay! Now I just have to figure out what to get for Mark. (We only ever do small things--last year Mark got me locally-made chocolate, which was pretty fantastic.)
*One more horn to go, and the monster is done! I did want to sew on some extras...
*Had a nice lunch with my cousins and attempted to go prom dress shopping. There aren't all that many dresses out yet, and my cousin recently had a big growth spurt (tall and busty and a size four--tough life, hmm?), so she didn't find anything today. There are some pretty hideous things out there!
*Did a (tiny) bit of extreme couponing today--$5 Gud coupon plus Gud sale = free vanilla body spray! I didn't get some enormous rush or anything, though. :)
*Made reservations for Valentine's Day. We normally don't go out, but our local Aladdin's has a prix fixe that night. Yay! Now I just have to figure out what to get for Mark. (We only ever do small things--last year Mark got me locally-made chocolate, which was pretty fantastic.)
*One more horn to go, and the monster is done! I did want to sew on some extras...
Friday, February 8
Traditionally built
*Finished the body of Rosina's monster. It is indeed a very quick project.
*Bad tummy today. I have a gastroenterology followup on Tuesday, but I'm not sure if they need to adjust my medication or anything. I did eat pizza two days in a row, which could've set things off.
*Uneventful trip to Costco, where I had a "Polish sausage" (which I hope I won't regret, ibid.) and griped about how the price of gas has gone up fifty cents in the past two months or so.
*Watched the first DVD of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, and enjoyed it as much as I thought I would. Either Jill Scott is a truly incredible actress, or she is a really sweet person in real life, too.
*Finally meeting up with my cousins (two of my father's first cousin's daughters, whatever that relationship's called) tomorrow! They moved to the next town over in August, and we just haven't met up until now. (The older girl is twenty, and she totaled her car just a few weeks after moving down.). I haven't seen them since my brother's wedding in 2010, which was the month before I got pregnant--so it's been a while. After lunch the three of us are going prom dress shopping, which I've never actually done before (no regrets about that, plus I do have opportunities to wear gowns--usually more than once!). I'll have to tell their mother that I played Cleavage Police for her fifteen-year-old. ;)
*Bad tummy today. I have a gastroenterology followup on Tuesday, but I'm not sure if they need to adjust my medication or anything. I did eat pizza two days in a row, which could've set things off.
*Uneventful trip to Costco, where I had a "Polish sausage" (which I hope I won't regret, ibid.) and griped about how the price of gas has gone up fifty cents in the past two months or so.
*Watched the first DVD of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, and enjoyed it as much as I thought I would. Either Jill Scott is a truly incredible actress, or she is a really sweet person in real life, too.
*Finally meeting up with my cousins (two of my father's first cousin's daughters, whatever that relationship's called) tomorrow! They moved to the next town over in August, and we just haven't met up until now. (The older girl is twenty, and she totaled her car just a few weeks after moving down.). I haven't seen them since my brother's wedding in 2010, which was the month before I got pregnant--so it's been a while. After lunch the three of us are going prom dress shopping, which I've never actually done before (no regrets about that, plus I do have opportunities to wear gowns--usually more than once!). I'll have to tell their mother that I played Cleavage Police for her fifteen-year-old. ;)
Thursday, February 7
Moisturize me!
...And now a Doctor Who reference! I'm on a roll here.
*Uneventful trip (i.e., one that lasted under 15 minutes) to Time Warner to exchange our 11-year-old modem for one that reliably works for more than an hour at a time. I should thank said former modem for letting me sleep in this morning, though it also meant I had to cram in my work during Rosina's nap.
*Amused by Rosina's exploration of the new furniture. She had fun closing her favorite baby doll inside the cabinets. Live it up, kid--there'll be child locks on those cabinets by Sunday night.
*I had purchased a Groupon for a pedicure from a small spa, but they discontinued the nail services, so I thought I'd have a facial instead. How my custom-tailored facial ended up being a "hydrating" one, with exactly four extractions, I will never know. Seriously, I see my face in the mirror every day. Hydration is not normally one of my skin's needs--and extractions totally ARE. Hopefully I will not end up with serious zits by the weekend. I have been considering chemical peels to get rid of some sun damage. Am I insane for this? Should I just buy some skin-lightener and slap it on my forehead and nose every night? Peels are not cheap. Maybe for my fortieth birthday (some years away, happily).
*Started the monster for Rosina tonight. The pattern is really a breeze, so I should be done pretty quickly.
*Everybody else in the house has been in bed since I got home an hour ago. I am about to take an uninterrupted shower! I'll need it to slough off all that moisturizer...
*Uneventful trip (i.e., one that lasted under 15 minutes) to Time Warner to exchange our 11-year-old modem for one that reliably works for more than an hour at a time. I should thank said former modem for letting me sleep in this morning, though it also meant I had to cram in my work during Rosina's nap.
*Amused by Rosina's exploration of the new furniture. She had fun closing her favorite baby doll inside the cabinets. Live it up, kid--there'll be child locks on those cabinets by Sunday night.
*I had purchased a Groupon for a pedicure from a small spa, but they discontinued the nail services, so I thought I'd have a facial instead. How my custom-tailored facial ended up being a "hydrating" one, with exactly four extractions, I will never know. Seriously, I see my face in the mirror every day. Hydration is not normally one of my skin's needs--and extractions totally ARE. Hopefully I will not end up with serious zits by the weekend. I have been considering chemical peels to get rid of some sun damage. Am I insane for this? Should I just buy some skin-lightener and slap it on my forehead and nose every night? Peels are not cheap. Maybe for my fortieth birthday (some years away, happily).
*Started the monster for Rosina tonight. The pattern is really a breeze, so I should be done pretty quickly.
*Everybody else in the house has been in bed since I got home an hour ago. I am about to take an uninterrupted shower! I'll need it to slough off all that moisturizer...
Wednesday, February 6
Dream of the '90s
Yes, this is a Portlandia reference. You will understand soon enough.
*Furniture delivery! The box was indeed extremely heavy (my goal weight, coincidentally). The truck driver was super nice--with a nearly impenetrable eastern NC accent, to boot--and he did indeed bring the box to the door, and even up the front steps, for $20. I wasn't really able to help Mark with the construction, since I was pretty busy with baby-wrangling, and it did indeed take one person about four hours to construct! We haven't put it into place yet, but I'm sure we will tomorrow evening.
*Despite the fact that we now own a perfectly functional converter box and non-rabbity antenna, I still watch most of my new-run broadcast TV on Hulu; this means I am always a week behind on Fox shows, but I can deal with that. Anyway, there was a '60s song on Glee the other week that I knew I had heard covered before, but I just could not remember where. Then it finally popped into my head:
Oh yes, Vonda Shepherd. Then it occurred to me that the character singing the song on Glee was a sophomore in high school...and would have been an INFANT when this aired. Sheesh. So this song is impenetrably stuck in my head now.
*Finished Eats, Shoots and Leaves, largely in a marathon session this afternoon. I wish this book had been written when I was in high school! I had a bit of an addiction to semicolons myself. In fact, I ran across a semicolon-hater my senior year of college: one of my honors thesis readers. I did tend toward a kind of stuffy, Anglophilic style back then (the late '90s, again!), and this woman just hated it. I mean, she was crossing out semicolons that were actually necessary, like in lists! (I ended up converting at least one of those to a short chart, but still.) Anyway, I really liked the book--though I took a bit of exception with her hatred of emoticons, which I think are a perfectly rational response to the impersonal nature of email and other internet-based speech (though I wouldn't use them at work!). I just hope it doesn't make me too self-conscious when I'm typing!
*In order to keep Rosina occupied while Mark was building the entertainment center (the purchase of which was almost entirely motivated by concern for Rosina's safety, not because we desperately needed another big bulky piece of furniture), we put on a Classic Sesame Street DVD. We watched the very first episode! Interestingly, there was an introduction to the episode that mentioned that the DVD was meant for adults to watch, not children. What could possibly be wrong with 1969-vintage Big Bird?! Well, we figured it out about halfway through: in a segment meant to teach kids about prepositions (over, around, under, through), a group of kids roam this semi-apocalyptic landscape. Running around a clothesline was no big deal, but how about going through a storm drain culvert, or over a pair of sawhorses at an abandoned construction site, walking on 2x4s three feet off the ground?! I suppose we don't want to encourage that sort of thing; though I've gone through a storm drain in my time, the balance-beam trick was definitely a bad idea. And nowadays, when everybody's supposed to wear bike helmets...well, I just can't imagine the righteous indignation! ;)
*It was also a day of baking: granola in the afternoon (with probably a bit too much molasses, though it is really tasty), and hidden-vegetable "toddler muffins" in the evening. We tried the muffins tonight, and they're good--kind of a cross between banana and carrot cake, with sweet potatoes as well--but Rosina hasn't tried them yet. The woman who submitted the recipe said that her son likes to eat them right out of the freezer when he's teething, but I'm not sure how Rosina will feel about an ice-cold muffin; she's way too used to regular food now!
*Furniture delivery! The box was indeed extremely heavy (my goal weight, coincidentally). The truck driver was super nice--with a nearly impenetrable eastern NC accent, to boot--and he did indeed bring the box to the door, and even up the front steps, for $20. I wasn't really able to help Mark with the construction, since I was pretty busy with baby-wrangling, and it did indeed take one person about four hours to construct! We haven't put it into place yet, but I'm sure we will tomorrow evening.
*Despite the fact that we now own a perfectly functional converter box and non-rabbity antenna, I still watch most of my new-run broadcast TV on Hulu; this means I am always a week behind on Fox shows, but I can deal with that. Anyway, there was a '60s song on Glee the other week that I knew I had heard covered before, but I just could not remember where. Then it finally popped into my head:
Oh yes, Vonda Shepherd. Then it occurred to me that the character singing the song on Glee was a sophomore in high school...and would have been an INFANT when this aired. Sheesh. So this song is impenetrably stuck in my head now.
*Finished Eats, Shoots and Leaves, largely in a marathon session this afternoon. I wish this book had been written when I was in high school! I had a bit of an addiction to semicolons myself. In fact, I ran across a semicolon-hater my senior year of college: one of my honors thesis readers. I did tend toward a kind of stuffy, Anglophilic style back then (the late '90s, again!), and this woman just hated it. I mean, she was crossing out semicolons that were actually necessary, like in lists! (I ended up converting at least one of those to a short chart, but still.) Anyway, I really liked the book--though I took a bit of exception with her hatred of emoticons, which I think are a perfectly rational response to the impersonal nature of email and other internet-based speech (though I wouldn't use them at work!). I just hope it doesn't make me too self-conscious when I'm typing!
*In order to keep Rosina occupied while Mark was building the entertainment center (the purchase of which was almost entirely motivated by concern for Rosina's safety, not because we desperately needed another big bulky piece of furniture), we put on a Classic Sesame Street DVD. We watched the very first episode! Interestingly, there was an introduction to the episode that mentioned that the DVD was meant for adults to watch, not children. What could possibly be wrong with 1969-vintage Big Bird?! Well, we figured it out about halfway through: in a segment meant to teach kids about prepositions (over, around, under, through), a group of kids roam this semi-apocalyptic landscape. Running around a clothesline was no big deal, but how about going through a storm drain culvert, or over a pair of sawhorses at an abandoned construction site, walking on 2x4s three feet off the ground?! I suppose we don't want to encourage that sort of thing; though I've gone through a storm drain in my time, the balance-beam trick was definitely a bad idea. And nowadays, when everybody's supposed to wear bike helmets...well, I just can't imagine the righteous indignation! ;)
*It was also a day of baking: granola in the afternoon (with probably a bit too much molasses, though it is really tasty), and hidden-vegetable "toddler muffins" in the evening. We tried the muffins tonight, and they're good--kind of a cross between banana and carrot cake, with sweet potatoes as well--but Rosina hasn't tried them yet. The woman who submitted the recipe said that her son likes to eat them right out of the freezer when he's teething, but I'm not sure how Rosina will feel about an ice-cold muffin; she's way too used to regular food now!
Tuesday, February 5
Please, Sir, may I have some more?
*This hat is overtime. And I don't use that word frivolously. (Sorry the photo's so blurry--she moves quickly!)
It was a nice day, so we played outside for a while. Rosina had a chance to play with her little scooter-thing for the first time in a while. Unfortunately it was full of water! Mark is going to drill some extra holes in the bottom.
*Speaking of drills, our entertainment center is coming between nine and one tomorrow. I have to negotiate with the driver to help get the almost 200-pound shipment to the door. (Hopefully twenty bucks is enough incentive.) We're going to build it tonight. The online reviews all say it takes a few hours--I'm hoping with two of us working on it, it'll be a bit faster.
*Our daffodils are blooming! I cut one and put it in the bud vase on the kitchen windowsill, where it serves as a reminder that I need to start my tomato seeds ASAP...
*Rosina's favorite color is blue, if her crayon choices are any indication.
*I started the second Bex sock, since I'm trying to save the stockinette feet for public/mindless knitting. It's a lot easier the second time around! I had wanted to make another Adorkable Monster for Rosina for Valentine's Day, so I ought to start that--but the first one I made only took two days, so I guess I have some time.
It was a nice day, so we played outside for a while. Rosina had a chance to play with her little scooter-thing for the first time in a while. Unfortunately it was full of water! Mark is going to drill some extra holes in the bottom.
*Speaking of drills, our entertainment center is coming between nine and one tomorrow. I have to negotiate with the driver to help get the almost 200-pound shipment to the door. (Hopefully twenty bucks is enough incentive.) We're going to build it tonight. The online reviews all say it takes a few hours--I'm hoping with two of us working on it, it'll be a bit faster.
*Our daffodils are blooming! I cut one and put it in the bud vase on the kitchen windowsill, where it serves as a reminder that I need to start my tomato seeds ASAP...
*Rosina's favorite color is blue, if her crayon choices are any indication.
*I started the second Bex sock, since I'm trying to save the stockinette feet for public/mindless knitting. It's a lot easier the second time around! I had wanted to make another Adorkable Monster for Rosina for Valentine's Day, so I ought to start that--but the first one I made only took two days, so I guess I have some time.
Monday, February 4
Suburbia
*Fun trip to Tar-zhay this morning, which included the purchase of two super-clearance tops for me and one absolutely adorable newsboy cap (also on sale) for Rosina. Pictures will be taken ASAP.
*Crockpot favorite--chicken with olives, raisins and capers--for dinner, served with roasted sweet potato wedges...yum.
*Discussed our plan to enroll Rosina in preschool in the fall (just eight hours a week). The school has already posted the application, so we may need to move more quickly than we thought.
*Good bellydance class--there's a new step I will have to practice a bit, but that's a good thing!
*Just busted a hole in my Binghamton T-shirt! I guess it's fifteen years old and was due to be replaced, but will I be able to find one without a Bearcat on it?
*Crockpot favorite--chicken with olives, raisins and capers--for dinner, served with roasted sweet potato wedges...yum.
*Discussed our plan to enroll Rosina in preschool in the fall (just eight hours a week). The school has already posted the application, so we may need to move more quickly than we thought.
*Good bellydance class--there's a new step I will have to practice a bit, but that's a good thing!
*Just busted a hole in my Binghamton T-shirt! I guess it's fifteen years old and was due to be replaced, but will I be able to find one without a Bearcat on it?
Sunday, February 3
Briefly...
*Rosina is coming down with a cold, we think: runny nose, coughing. Oh, sad baby night coughing. :( She got three colds in two months this fall, so we've been spoiled for the last few months. Poor thing! I hope this is a quick and mild one.
*I guess the Superbowl is over by now, not that I care. I just can't get invested unless a team I care about is playing, and since the Jets haven't been in FORTY YEARS, I only ever watch if the Giants are playing. We celebrated an anti-Superbowl by watching lots of trailers for musicals on Amazon Prime. (Mark has a free month, and wants to get the most out of it. Honestly, I don't think it's that great, unless you already like pay-per-view.)
*Took a nice long nap! I really should do that more often.
*Yummy lunch at Neomonde. They know me by sight now, since I get full-fat Greek yogurt there three times a month. It's so cheap!
*Finally finished the leg and heel of the sock. Using the decrease row for the toe worked out great. I guess I'll know soon if it's going to be too loose around the ankle...
*I guess the Superbowl is over by now, not that I care. I just can't get invested unless a team I care about is playing, and since the Jets haven't been in FORTY YEARS, I only ever watch if the Giants are playing. We celebrated an anti-Superbowl by watching lots of trailers for musicals on Amazon Prime. (Mark has a free month, and wants to get the most out of it. Honestly, I don't think it's that great, unless you already like pay-per-view.)
*Took a nice long nap! I really should do that more often.
*Yummy lunch at Neomonde. They know me by sight now, since I get full-fat Greek yogurt there three times a month. It's so cheap!
*Finally finished the leg and heel of the sock. Using the decrease row for the toe worked out great. I guess I'll know soon if it's going to be too loose around the ankle...
Om nom nom...
*We just got back from a delicious Indian dinner (Tower India, if you're local) with some friends we hadn't seen in a few months. They live in the next town over and are incredibly busy with new businesses and MBA programs, so it is always a treat. Vegetable kofta curry, paneer butter masala, dosai--we were sated and full of carbs. Which is why we had froyo afterwards. (Fun fact: Autocorrect wanted to change "froyo" to "group". It makes sense if you think about qwerty, but still.) Rosina didn't do so well at first, but once we stopped trying to shove yogurt in her face and took her out of the high chair, she was happier, and even ate roti and some tastes of our food.
*Part of the reason for the general grumpiness is last night's disturbance. It was late, and I was about to go upstairs when Rosina started crying. It sounded like she was pretty unhappy, so I went in to check on her. Between trying to give her some Tylenol and milk and bringing her downstairs, she probably wailed for about half an hour before I managed to cheer her up with an array of Sesame Street video clips (how about Billy Joel and Marlee Matlin serenading Oscar the Grouch with "Just the Way You Are"?). I didn't get to bed until after two...
*More Rosina: she had the first meeting of her second swim class this morning. It had been a year since the last one, but she's still pretty comfortable out there. Apparently most of the kids are around her age (Mark goes with her), but she was the only one who wasn't freaking out. So at least there's that.
*We (or mostly Mark) have been watching It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia on Netflix, which is just a crazy show. There are no redeeming characters, and the writers seem hellbent on offending as many people as possible. (Like Family Guy, but not as racist and sexist--jeez, I can't even watch that anymore.). But even multiple seasons in, it's still actually funny. They even had the prerequisite "let's put on a musical" episode, and now we can't get the big song out of our heads. It's too convoluted to explain...
*Only four more pattern rounds on the sock! I took a look at the foot chart, and there's an easy way to decrease all the extra stitches in one. Tomorrow!
*Part of the reason for the general grumpiness is last night's disturbance. It was late, and I was about to go upstairs when Rosina started crying. It sounded like she was pretty unhappy, so I went in to check on her. Between trying to give her some Tylenol and milk and bringing her downstairs, she probably wailed for about half an hour before I managed to cheer her up with an array of Sesame Street video clips (how about Billy Joel and Marlee Matlin serenading Oscar the Grouch with "Just the Way You Are"?). I didn't get to bed until after two...
*More Rosina: she had the first meeting of her second swim class this morning. It had been a year since the last one, but she's still pretty comfortable out there. Apparently most of the kids are around her age (Mark goes with her), but she was the only one who wasn't freaking out. So at least there's that.
*We (or mostly Mark) have been watching It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia on Netflix, which is just a crazy show. There are no redeeming characters, and the writers seem hellbent on offending as many people as possible. (Like Family Guy, but not as racist and sexist--jeez, I can't even watch that anymore.). But even multiple seasons in, it's still actually funny. They even had the prerequisite "let's put on a musical" episode, and now we can't get the big song out of our heads. It's too convoluted to explain...
*Only four more pattern rounds on the sock! I took a look at the foot chart, and there's an easy way to decrease all the extra stitches in one. Tomorrow!
Friday, February 1
Whirling dervish
*Eek, look how big my baby is! I think I may have gotten her to jump today, just a tiny bit off the ground. Tonight before Mark put her to bed, she was spinning around in a circle. And she tried meatballs for the first time today--inhaled them, I should say. She is definitely my child...
*Work was actually very productive this morning--even if it did mean compiling statistics manually. Seriously, who would design peer reviewing software without the capability to run reports on the reviewers? I was really hoping this new system would be better than the last, but I've learned three new systems in three years now, and this one is clearly the worst. It is horribly non-intuitive.
*Finally got to the post office--I mailed my monster for the 600 Monsters project (it's probably not going to Newtown, but I trust the organizers will get it to a kid who could use a monster hug) and some gifts for my nieces. Then we went to Costco, where I finally bought the temporal artery thermometer (on sale, no less), along with other supplies and an impulse-purchase 5-pack of eos lip balm. Hey, I use a lot of lip balm, and I like to have a change from Burt's Bees once in a while.
*Still plugging away on the sock. I have about 26 rounds now before I get to decide how to decrease for the ankle. On second thought, I ought to take a look at the foot chart to see how they're decreased there. I think it's a decrease worked into the large cables...
*OMG. If you watch The Lizzie Bennet Diaries (YouTube series), you have probably been buying your nails for the last few weeks, wondering how the Lydia-Wickham situation was going to be handled. Well, now we know. And spoilers aside, I think it works with the gestalt of the show--new media, fourth-wall breaking... If you haven't been watching, there'd be a lot of catching up to do (84 episodes, plus like, 24 of Lydia's, and Maria Lu--and I just noticed that Gigi has a new channel), but I promise it's worth it! Plus it's not like the Interwebs are going anywhere...
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