One word answers

Where is your mobile phone? counter
Where is your significant other? couch
Your hair colour? brown
Your mother? assertive
Your father? honorable
Your favourite thing? sleep
Your dream last night? worried
Your dream goal? artist
The room you're in? disaster
Your hobby? crochet
Your fear? spiders
Where do you want to be in 6 years? happy
Where were you last night? home
What you're not? energized
One of your wish-list items? relaxation
Where you grew up? Wisconsin
The last thing you did? facebook
What are you wearing? work
Your TV? black
Your pets? none
Your computer? here
Your mood? indifferent
Missing someone? friends
Your car? blue
Something you're not wearing? earrings
Favourite shop? clothing
Your summer? stressful
Love someone? yes
Your favourite colour? green
When is the last time you laughed? today
When is the last time you cried? Thursday

Try it yourself! Put it on your blog, if you have one, and leave a comment here.

Restraint is overrated

So, I showed a tremendous amount of restraint today. For, you see, it seems that Walmart had all of the Bastion Novels by Stephanie Laurens on sale today. And I really love Ms. Laurens. And I only have a couple from said series. But I couldn't remember which ones and we want to sell the house this spring and my truck just had it's transmission fixed so I restrained myself.

Now, don't you think I deserve a reward? Like maybe a new pair of shoes or something?

Fine, you all are wicked mean to me!

I Hate September

I know it's a strange title, but it's true. Many people that I love have birthdays in September (like half my relatives it seems) but really that only serves to heighten the stress that is month 9 on the calendar. Because you see, September is when classes start up and professors bring their classes into the library for instruction and there are new student workers to train. And this year I also have two people on staff and a new department that I'm in charge of. So, sigh, I hate September.

Last weekend, however, we celebrated the 5th birthday of my oldest. I don't know where the last 5 years went but I feel like I blinked and one day he was 5. I love 5. But I know that someday soon it won't be cool to hug and kiss mom. So I am stockpiling them for later. I have him trained to give me a kiss when he asks for something! I love that! And as I always do I made him a cake. He wanted Batman this year, so here he is with said cake. All 43 inches and 38 pounds of him. He is wicked tall. And growing up a bit too fast for his mom.

So I have been AWOL for awhile. But things have actually been good. Two newbies at work who are GREAT. Visiting family. Painting and doing some stuff around the house. And working A LOT.
But overall life is good right now. Everyone is healthy and work is good. And I can't complain. Until next week when classes start at least.

I think we did it

Yes, Xander has had a couple of accidents but more often than not he's been doing his duty in the toilet. Praise the Lord, I think he's got it.
In celebration we're going to start on the three year old in a week and a half. Cause why not make me cry in frustration again?
This weekend, Xander and I are going to pick out special big boy underwear (Transformers, Ironman and whatever else he wants). He gets that the ones with characters don't like getting wet or dirty. He's kept his Superman ones amazingly clean.

And that is how sad my life is. I'm excited because my child is finally doing something as simple as using the toilet. Oh, what motherhood does to a person.

Beautiful Irises

That's right. I grew 'em. And they are huge!

Welcome Summer!

Crazyness is my life

So it's been a while.
That's cause I've been crazy busy. We've finished two searches in the last month at work. Now we're getting things up to date for those new people while preparing to say good bye to colleagues we've worked with for 7+ years. I'm excited and sad and terrified about the next year.

In addition, the warmer weather has made the children into crazy little no sleep EVER machines. They don't want to go to bed on time or take naps or slow down or anything. Apparently they both had too much winter as well.

And me, well, I need a vacation. Months of stress about J's health, searches at work and potty training have taken a toll. I can't take a vacation however because I'm weeks behind at work and did I mention I have two new people starting soon. Sigh. "Summer break." Snort.

And then it was May

I don't know what happened to the last month. I know I had a conference and Jason had more doctors appointments and tests (he's FINALLY feeling better). I know there were 300 things going on at work but suddenly the calendar flipped and it's May 1. Well, hello May! (May you bring warm weather...please.)

Anyway, we are now 2 weeks into Xander in underwear. Progress is being made, he only had one accident yesterday. Yeah! I already know today won't be as successful since he had an accident on the way to daycare this morning but that's my fault for rushing him. Sigh But we're getting there. Yesterday he realized he had to go and made it there on time twice. That's a big deal for a kid that a month ago didn't want to at all.

Ryker's birthday party was last weekend. He won't be 3 yet until next week but he loved the party. He wanted a Mickey Mouse cake and so I did my best (see pictures)

The party was a success and he was very happy with his cake and that is all that matters.

On the work front, we're interviewing candidates this week for our Resource Services (ILL/Serials) Librarian. Going great so far. Hopefully I'll be able to post the other opening this afternoon. Then I'll have more resumes to review and interviews to do.

I guess there is just no rest for the weary! Off to do laundry now before I have to go to the airport and pick up a candidate. =)

Back to the reality of April

This weekend was GORGEOUS. 60 degrees and sunny and wonderful. We played outside, I got rid of the dead stuff in the flower bed and was just in love with the great outdoors. And then today and 40 degrees hit. Sigh.

Xander had his first friend's birthday party on Saturday. That was interesting. I wasn't sure how it was going to go but he and 4 of his friends had a ball. They got to play pirates and break open a pinata. (I can't figure out how to get the ~ over the n. Hmmm). At any rate, it looked like something that could be doable. But I'm not sure I'm quite ready for that. That's one step closer to school age type activity and I'm not quite ready to let go of the little boy who gives me all of those hugs and kisses. I guess I'm stock piling for later when kissing mom isn't cool anymore.

Sunday we had my niece's second birthday party and spent more times out of doors. Did I mention it was 60?

Today was back to work with meetings and reviewing candidate files and looking at my to-do list that is 5 miles long. Double sigh. I'm going to close my eyes and pretend it's still Saturday. That's better. =)

Learning to say no

And not to my kids.
It's my professional life that is a mindless tangle of meetings and committees and well...work because of some inability I have to say no to things. Take my current commitments for example:

1. Chair of the department
2. Chair of search committee for new librarian
3. Secretary of regional organization
4. Member of campus technology committee
5. Member of campus self study committee and chair of subcommittee 2
6. Member of a conference planning committee and head of local arrangements

I've received several calls for volunteers recently and I've thus far avoided volunteering for anything else. I've also started to ask for help which, I think, really shows just how overwhelmed I am.

So here is to learning to say no and hopefully a reduction to the stress levels in my life. My you all learn from my near nervous breakdown.

The (Relative) Slow Down

Things are beginning to calm down now. Jason is starting to feel better and is back to work. His body is still readjusting but he's getting there. This is our big push week at work ending with a Friends of the Library meeting on Friday and a used book sale running through the weekend. I'm taking today off to rest because I'm feeling a little run down and the next three days are going to be crazy at work.

We had a lovely Easter. The boys were really excited. Xander is an excellent egg finder. Ryker wasn't interested in finding eggs until he found his basket. When he found it I think half the city could probably hear since he screamed, "BIG QUEEN!" (He got a big "bling, bling, McQueen"). Xander was equally excited but quieter when he found his basket with Voltron in it. He jumped up and down and my eardrums thanked him. We also went for brunch with the Carriveaus and played some spades. All in all a nice day.

All in all the last couple of months have just flown by. It's hard to believe that it's almost April and my lovely niece will be 2. A month later my baby boy will be 3. Where does the time go?

Now I need to make a list and go grocery shopping. =)

All is well

Jason came home this morning. He ended up staying in the hospital two nights because they needed to do a second procedure to make sure he didn't have any stones stuck anywhere else. He didn't, so yay! Otherwise he might still be there.
Thanks to everyone for all the kind words and support. He's resting and not in any pain. We feel really lucky and relieved.

Keep us in your thoughts

And wish us good luck. Jason's having his gall bladder out this afternoon. Here's hoping for a speeding recovery and that he'll be feeling better soon.

Thanks all!

Too much excitement

Some good, some bad.

Let's start with the good.
So last weekend was the much anticipated, never to disappoint Girls Weekend. It was wonderful, refreshing and far too much fun. My girlfriends from college are fabulous, witty and know how to have a good time. It still amazes me that after nearly 10 years of post college life we get together and it feels like no time has past at all. Yes, we've all got jobs, pets/kids, husbands and responsibilities; and we've all grown personally as well. But at the heart we are still the same people that became friends in college. I'm very grateful for you all!

This week however has been a roller coaster. We found out last Friday (on my way to said Girls Weekend) that Jason had gall stones. So this week had more tests (looks like he has to have it out), and a false alarm yesterday when one of the doctors thought he needed it out immediately. That didn't happen and now we have an appointment on Monday to figure out when he's actually going to do the surgery.

Plus I'm chairing a search committee for a new librarian at work. And redoing department budgets. And working on subscriptions for 2008-09. And...and...and...

You get the idea. Anyone ready for another Girls Weekend? =)

Happy Tuesday

We're voting here in WI today. I did it right away this morning at 7 so I didn't have to wait in line. I'll find out later tonight how my picks did. I hope they did good.

Headed off to work to have a far too productive day and help a bunch of students with their research projects. Knocked a lot of stuff off of the to do list and left with the only thing on my desk being my current project that I'm waiting for another office to get me information for.

Came home to hyper kiddos that are being relatively good and a hubby who is still not feeling up to snuff. He's going to the doc tomorrow to figure out what's up. But the kids finally seem to be feeling better and I'm finally feeling better, so I guess I can live with hubby being under the weather.

And today was apparently my one day this week that my hair looks great. All in all not a bad day. (Unless you're the hubby).

Woo-Woo

Xander went on the potty twice yesterday! We are making progress which is great.

The last few weeks have been rather cruddy. Both the boys have had colds, ear infections and Xander topped his off with a sinus infection. I then decided to miss two days of work this week with sinus pain and a migraine.

Also, is anyone else sick to death of all of this FREAKING snow? Yeah, I thought so.

But Xander is trying and Ryker is trying and I'm actually believing that someday I may live in a diaper free zone. Woo-Woo.
=)

Mini Breakthrough

Ok. So according to daycare and both sets of our parents Xander has used the potty. Of course he has never done it for us so we were working under the theory that maybe they were making stuff up to make us feel better BUT then IT HAPPENED! He actually put his peepees in the potty. Celebrations galore at the Carriveau's.

1 time down, 1 million to go....and then there's Ryker... shake it off... For now I'll take the little win with the big kid thank you.

Crazy busy

My life is like a big whirlwind of stress and crankyness right now (and for the last two weeks). Classes started and we've had one fire after another to put out at work. Add to that disaster that I'm on two conference planning committees and have a Friends of the Library meeting coming up and I'm not so happy and getting nothing done at work. GRRR.

Added to the lovely mix is the fact that Xander is not cooperating with the potty training AT ALL. We tried switching him to underwear yesterday and having him try every half hour. HE WAS WET EVERY TIME! We just don't get it. It seriously makes me want to cry because obviously there is either something wrong with us as parents or something wrong with him or both. AH GRRR. Oh and we've already taken away half his toys. He still doesn't care. *Sob*

So at any rate, that is why I haven't been posting. Because I'm trying to keep from going postal.

K? bye.