Resolutions for October

Okay, we all know how I handle long-term resolutions (like not buying yarn for 6 months). I suck at it, but I think if I set a hand full of goals for a month, maybe I can handle it. I mean, it's only 31 days, how hard can it be, right? RIGHT?

So, here goes:

1 Shocker I know, but the first goal is not to buy any new yarn this month. None. Not even if I decide to make someone a gift that I somehow don't have the yarn for. If it ain't in the stash, it ain't getting made.

2 I will go to the gym three days a week over the course of the next month. I have to take Bean to school anyway, might as well hit the gym while I'm over that way.

3 I will avoid fast food and other crappy selections six days out of the week. If I can handle eating healthy for six days, then I will reward myself on Sunday with the return of No-Rules Sunday (as opposed to my No-Rules Every Day that I currently practice).

I have a couple of other things I would like to add to this list, but I feel I'm being fairly ambitious as it is, so I will save those for a later month. The goal here is to establish habits, so, once these items are habits, then I will build upon them, hopefully resulting in an improved Sarah. I know, I know, how does one improve on perfection? Well, the answer is, with difficulty, my friends! Ha, just kidding, you know better than to believe that I think of myself as perfect. Don't want to be perfect, it's gotta be dreadfully dull, but I would like to feel like I'm a little more put-together as a human being than I currently feel.

So, there you have it. What do you think my odds are?

Babysitters Facebook Updates

SB was awesome about posting on FB while we were in Chicago, so I didn't feel like I had to check in all the time. In fact, I only called at night to say goodnight to Bean, even though she didn't want to come to the phone....I've done my best to remove all of the "real" names, so if you see initials in a comment, it's most likely because I changed it. Other than that, this is completely unedited. I highlighted her name in purple to make it easier to follow. (Just to note, the weekend before taking care of my child, SB was taking care of another friends diabetic cat, I'm telling you, this girl is earning her place in heaven!)

Friday Morning at 12:10


SB - is 17 hours shy of a weekend of MY MISS SB duty... who has started the wager process and what are my odds?
September 25 at 12:10am ·

KD likes this.

BWF
What?
September 25 at 12:27am

SB
Spending the weekend with Bean, a three year old who is confident and clearly a tad territorial
September 25 at 12:40am

BWF
Nice!
September 25 at 12:46am

DA
Can I bet on the little girl?
September 25 at 1:29am

SG
tad territorial? What she is going to pummel you if Barney is not on the tele?
September 25 at 7:17am

CLO
I've seen Miss SB without cigarettes. Ten bucks on withdrawl.

Friday Night at 8:45



SB
: 3-year old asleep (tear free, at that), tree frogs singing, cheesy-melty-shrimpy goodness consumed, cold beer in hand, and the strange echos of hanville high school's (I think) version of friday night lights echoing across the golf course. And... y'all doubted my abilities as a munchkin rangler! I will say that whatever animal making that noise on the colf course (hopefully not in the yard) scares the poop outta me.

BWF
So proud of you! You can come take care of me anytime!!!
September 25 at 9:01pm

SB
You?!?!? You're more high maintenance than the insulin dependent cat!
September 25 at 9:03pm

BWF
Whatever! I am not!!!
September 25 at 9:05pm

Mommy aka ME
Wait 'til the racoons start playing on the roof! I love you!
September 25 at 9:46pm · Delete

Mommy aka ME
Oh, and it's destrehan high school. Go Wildcats!
September 25 at 9:47pm · Delete

SB
I'm sorry, the racoons do what!? Is that why the ladders are there? Ah, hell! Where's the pink gun?
September 25 at 9:47pm

Mommy aka ME
They don't need the ladders. Do you want me to send you the code for the gun locker?
September 25 at 9:56pm · Delete

SB
It is best for everyone if I remain unarmed. PS wildcats beat ehret tonight. They play at lutcher next weekend. Sound really bounces, huh?
September 25 at 10:00pm

CAC
I am loving this country stuff. Pink guns, raccoons, and high school football schedules.
September 25 at 10:48pm

JC
Should we get Bean a Wildcats cheerleading uniform?

Saturday at 8:28am

SB 3-year-old was up at 5:10 and magically convinced to go back to calm mode until 7... I've still got tricks! Today, some place owned by the Audubon Institute, the weather will decide which destination though. (She just looked at metyping and opened her kiddo laptop to get working! Too funny.)
Sat at 8:28am ·

Mommy aka ME
Oh I am so sorry about the early wake up call! Give her smooches from me!Btw, your status update and following comments got many laughs out last night! Love you!
Sat at 8:47am · Delete

RG
Be careful - babies are a contagious disease you catch from their cuteness.

Saturday at 3:22pm

SB
to recap: talked LB out of 5 o'clock wake up call, accomplished AM routine, did basic workout w/additions of an audience & occasional human resistance band, visited fish, attacked play equipment with gusto, ate lunch (at least, looked at the... food meaningfully for a while & ate some of it), picked up 45 pounds of cake ay a Haydel’s without munchkin consuming anything sugary or illustrious caregiver dropping the cake, maintained awake and alert munchkin until arriving home, & convinced her that even though she 'feels better' (not that she felt badly in the first place) a nap was in order. She was asleep before I left the room & I am on my way to power nap. (If you question the need for running munchkin commentary, try leaving your kiddo with a friend for the weekend. You'll appreciate the ability to stay informed without calling to check in!)
Sat at 3:22pm

CAC
I am duly impressed. Actually like running commentary. Would like even more info on 45 lbs of cake.
Sat at 3:28pm

SB
I am bringing it to a baby shower tomorrow. Childcare and a baby shower. Huh. I suddenly feel very grown up. DOn't worry. It will pass.
Sat at 3:31pm

KO
If you need help with Bean, let me know :)
Sat at 3:47pm

SB
Thanks! So far, we're having fun!
Sat at 3:48pm

PRF
I think I need you to babysit me sometime.
Sat at 9:55pm

SB
pay the airfare and buy the liquor (and benddy straws) and I am there!
Sat at 10:14pm

KW
We have bendy straws, lots of strange liquors, movies you can cry over and, best of all, NO ONE under 21!!
Sun at 1:33am

Saturday at 9:22pm

SB
Miz Bean asleep, Big Fish on tv, and I am having a cocktail, eating Easter candy. I have not broken her yet, and I with only fourteen hours of responsibility left I am cautiously optimistic that I will return a high-functioning two-and-a-half year-...old to her parents tomorrow. Of course, there is still time for me to irrepealably damage her psyche...
Sat at 9:29pm ·

SM
reading your updates on this has been one of the highlights of my weekend. I have not laughed this much in a while.
Sat at 9:50pm

SB
Glad you are laughing, because I am crying! The double whammy of the heart wrenching Big Fish ending and the discovery that my dear friends, who not only have a two year old but a fully stocked, built-in bar (and, of course, your illustrious caregiver as a frequent visitor) DO NOT seem to own BENDDY STRAWS! Oh, the indignity of having to lift the glass to my lips and tilt!
Sat at 10:18pm

CAC
You know, you probably should have your own monogramed benddy straws-in pink, naturally. I'd like more detail on the Easter Candy. Are we talking the classic Louisiana confectionery "Elmer's" or have you found something else.
Sat at 10:32pm

SB
better yet (at least this far out of season) I found unloved (or, at least, uneaten and therefore fair game) reeces pieces eggs. second only on my fav list to mini eggs... which have also been spotted... but I am trying to resist!
Sat at 10:34pm

CAC
You have achieved "post-Easter candy in early Autumn" perfection. There really should be an award for this.
Sat at 10:52pm

TB
Should I take this as the level of kidwatching available from Aunt SB in the future?
Sat at 10:59pm

SB
That depends. Do you stock benddy straws?
Sat at 11:01pm

TB
Not only do we have bendy straws...they are umbrella bendy straws! and they come in a variety of colors...
Sat at 11:02pm

SB
And, yes, TB. You get illustrious caregiver usage. But, I am much friendlier when supplied with banddy straws, a zoo membership car (though children's museum works, too), and some sort of evening amusement.

Sunday at 8:47am

SB
wonders how I could have ever doubted that these parents would have benddy straws!?!? These are not ordinary parents; they are amazing parents! And the Bean's needs for all things are clearly met. (Malow would suggest that benddy straws, like ...excrection, food, water, and sleep are fundamental to human survival.) Now, I wonder how I could have failed to spot them behind the splenda...
Sun at 8:47am ·

SB
And, of course, kiddo in my care is well... Hey, that whole eating-paint-chips-is-bad-for-you thing is a myth put forward by the non-lead based paint marketing teams, right? After I spread some peanut butter on the wall, she said it really improved the texture issues.
Sun at 8:54am

DYV
You are SO bad - but I love you anyway <:) Sun at 9:11am
SB
Forget anyway. You love me BECAUSE of how bad I am!
Sun at 9:13am

KJF
yay bendy staws! they make a kids life complete:)
Sun at 9:14am

DYV
True...
Sun at 9:15am

DYV
Are you still planning a NW visit soon, I hope????
Sun at 9:16am

TA
chunky or creamy peanut butter? :p
Sun at 9:36am

SB
KJF- forget the kidos, I require them for a complete life. DYV- looks like Thanksgiving week for a bit :)TA- crunchy, of course!All- I should note that these partents accomodate MY playtime needs to the extent that there is a swing on the swing set adjusted to my height requirements! I should have never doubted thw presence of bendy straws!
Sun at 10:21am

SB
BWF- if you read this, please note you arte not the coolest playhouse anymore. You need a swing set!
Sun at 10:22am

Mommy aka ME
I am sitting here at breakfast, laughing my ass off! Love you!
Sun at 10:30am · Delete

Mommy aka ME
And the bend straws were completely bought with daquiris in mind!
Sun at 10:31am · Delete

SB
See! Told you they spoil me rotten out here! I mean look out for my primary needs...
Sun at 10:33am

MLM
Malow=Maslow?
Sun at 1:19pm

SB
Typo, but yes!
Sun at 1:20pm

MLM
Yay hierarchy!
Sun at 1:21pm

VW
Enjoyed your babysitting weekend. Glad you got your bendy straws.

Happy Birthday, Hubby!

So, last week was Hubby's 40th birthday and I would love to tell you that he handled it gracefully, but I don't think that would be entirely honest. Now, he didn't come home with a red sports car or some other mid-life crisis toy, but he did complain a lot about getting old. Now let me tell you, I think he looks pretty great, but that didn't help him much last week.

Originally, I had planned on throwing him a huge party that would last the whole weekend with a surprise portion happening at the House of Blues followed the next night with a balcony on Bourbon Street with a band and lots of food. Well, right before I signed the contracts for Wes-Fest '09, he somehow caught wind of it and let me know that he really wouldn't be comfortable with such an extravaganza (he doesn't really like people to fuss over him). So, I pouted for a couple of days and then decided that it wasn't about me, it was about what he wanted (plus, I got the brownie points for planning the event without actually having to follow-through with the work).

Anyhow, what Hubby wanted was a trip to Chicago to see his buddies that he hadn't seen in ages. So, off we went this weekend! We were met there by his friend from New York and his Swedish fiance (NYC & the Swede). We were all staying at the Dana Hotel & Spa which was really cool. The rooms were a little small, but very chic and had the bonus of a little balcony. The biggest plus of the place was the spa and we all had massages scheduled! The guys got theirs on Saturday morning, the Swede and I waited until Sunday.

Friday afternoon when we got there, the first priority was finding something to eat! We made our way over to Lou Malnati's for some deep dish and were so fat and happy afterwards. God, I love melty, cheesy goodness. After that, we definitely needed a walk to work off the pizza, so we started walking toward the river and from there to the lake. I think we probably walked a good two or three miles. Then we found a little bar with some outdoor seating right on the river for some Irish coffee and lots of laughs. I haven't laughed as much in a while as I did over the course of this weekend. The Swede and I get along so well and she has the most amazing sense of humor, I am so thrilled that NYC is going to marry her. (Plus, they're getting hitched in Sweden, so I'll get to head over there for at least a week next summer)

After a while, we decided to head back to the hotel for showers and a little rest before heading out to dinner to meet up with a couple more friends. Dinner was at the Kinzie Chop House and we met up with Newbie and Mrs. Newbie, who live in Chicago and T-Sum who calls Dallas home. Dinner was phenominal and again, we were laughing our asses off the whole meal. It's great when you get a group of people who all get along so well together. No awkward silences for us. I think the only time we were quiet was when our mouths were stuffed.

Following dinner we headed out to one of Hubby's favorite old hangouts, Delilah. It was pretty much a dive bar, with great atmosphere and we continued to have a great time. Another friend met up with us, we'll call him Nugent because he looks just like Ted! There were a couple of other people with us as well, but NYC, Newbie, T-Sum and Nugent were pretty much Hubby's closest friends when he was in Chi-Town, so I think they're the only ones I'm going to bother making up nicknames for. We stayed there talking and drinking until last call (2:00am) and again, we had a blast. It was great not having to worry about whether or not we were going to have to get up early in the morning and take care of Bean. My friend, Sugar Britches (SB, nickname from the Vegas trip) was taking care of her for the weekend, how awesome is that?! I think I'm going to have to dedicate an entire post to her Facebook status updates, they were hysterical!

In spite of not "having" to get up early, for some reason we were both up by 8:00 the next morning. Uggh, I hate the internal alarm clock that happens when you have kids! Well, we had a great breakfast at the hotel, and then Hubby made his way to the spa and I ventured off with the Swede to Michigan Avenue to buy presents for SB and Bean. I also introduced the Swede to the joys of Ghiradelli, I think she shall love me forever!

That afternoon, we gathered up the boys and headed over to an event that the Newbies had put together, a smoked rib cookoff. Yum-E! It was held at a really cool bar called Moonshine, and they had one of the ribs that we voted for. Really good stuff! My kind of event, going around sampling ribs from 13 different teams and drinking beer! Plus, I got to meet Newbie Jr. who is 18 months old and absolutely adorable. I had lots of fun playing with that little boy!

After many ribs and much beer, we decided to go back to our rooms, so we could rest up a little before going out. Plus, I really wanted to catch a little college football. My Gators and Tigers both did great! The guys went and grabbed a little dinner at the restaurant in the hotel, but I grabbed a bite from the Whole Foods around the corner and stayed in the room to watch a little more ball. I gotta tell you, I was pretty tired! I'm definitely not accustomed to going out more than one night in a row with day-drinking thrown in. So, that night when it was time to go out, I wasn't terribly excited about it, but was happy to know that I would be making it back to the hotel early (we had promised the boys they could have guys' night).

We met up with everyone at the Matchbox, so named because the place is tiny. There was no place inside for all of us to sit and talk, so we grabbed a table outside and I was introduced to a gimlet. Yummy, yummy! It's basically like a key lime martini, with powdered sugar around the rim of the glass. So good! We were pretty much the same group as the night before with the addition of MW (Music Writer), who is best friends with Nugent. She was really nice, but I think a bit dissappointed in the rest of the girls when we headed home early. I had to go, though, I was just so beat! Plus, I wanted to be able to enjoy my massage the next morning. I'm glad I didn't decide to hang with the guys because Hubby made it back to the hotel around 6:30 in the morning and NYC didn't make it until after 8:30!

The massage was definitely the best way to end an already great trip. I was so relaxed when we got home and it was awesome seeing my Bean. SB did a great job taking care of her and even did a little housework for me while we were gone. Have I mentioned how lucky I am to have such amazing friends? Hubby was also recharged during this trip from being around his closest friends. I think sometimes the stress of work can get to him and being around people who can totally distract him for a little while is a great thing!

I know I need to post some pics, but I haven't downloaded them yet. I'll try and get them up soon!

Does anyone even come in here to check on me any more?

Or did you guys pretty much assume that I had finally lost my grip on the edge of the earth and fallen off?

Well, I'm still here and I cannot believe it's been over a month since I've bothered to write any thing. There have been so many times that I've been doing something and started my post in my head, but when it comes down to actually sitting down at my computer, well, apparently that's just a little bit too big of a commitment for me.

We've had a pretty good past month here at Casa Sarah. We've had a couple of get togethers around the house, one a cookout to basically kiss the summer goodbye. I love when an afternoon cookout morphs into something completely different and the last of your guests don't leave until well after midnight! (Oh wait, we had people not leave until the next morning this time!) I think that just shows that folks are really comfortable at our house and that makes me really happy. The other one was supposed to be a girls' day by the pool, but thanks to some rotten weather, it changed into us sitting around drinking daquiris, eating melty-cheesey goodness and watching really bad movies. Such a great time! I neglected my girlfriends for a while after I got married and had Bean, but I'm so glad that I'm reconnecting with this incredible group of women.

Also in the past month, Bean and I took a little trip up to Louisville to see my best friend in the whole-wide-world! Unfortunately we don't get to see her nearly often enough (in fact, it had been over a year between visits this time), but when we get together, it's like no time has past at all. This trip was also a great chance to talk about her upcoming nuptuals! I'm super-excited that she has found such a wonderful guy to spend her life with and that I get to be her matron of honor! Also, Bean is going to be her flower girl! I can't wait to see how cute she's going to look in her little dress. I think it's pretty funny that my friend has no real idea about what she's going to wear for the wedding, but she's already got Bean's outfit picked! Of course, this just means we have to get together again at the beginning of December so we can go wedding dress shopping!

Bean wasn't the best behaved kid during the trip to Kentucky. She seems to be going through a phase and testing all of her boundaries. She has been throwing some pretty major temper tantrums. In fact, one of them lasted about two hours while we were at BFWWW's (Best Friend in the Whole Wide World) house. Fortunately, she's pretty understanding about such things and helped me power through instead of just caving and letting the monkey get her way.

Once we got home from Kentucky, things didn't improve too much for a week or two. Tantrums became a daily occurence and my tactic has been a combination of time-outs and just flat out ignoring her. She seems to be looking for a reaction from me and when I don't give her that reaction, she gets fed up and quits. The biggest face off right now is over me waiting on her hand and foot. She wants me to come upstairs and get her after her naps even though she is more than capable of coming downstairs. I don't mind getting her if she asks me nicely, but she's been DEMANDING that I do what she wants, and I'm just not having that. It was pretty funny one afternoon, she started throwing her hissy fit and refused to get out of her bed unless I carried her "like a baby". This started around 4:00 in the afternoon and lasted until about 6:45 when she finally gave up, apologized for her screaming and came downstairs for her dinner. Well, by the time she got finished with dinner, it was time for a bath and bed. Ooops, she wasted an entire afternoon that she could have been playing!

She has started figuring out that she is going to have a lot more success getting what she wants by being sweet than by screaming her head off, so I hope we've turned a corner and are on our way to my sweet little girl back.

Let's see, what else has been going on this past month? Well, last week I got to go to a very fun event up of the North Shore. Which was a return to McNeedles for Pam's one year anniversary of the opening of the shop. She's been having a sale all month and it culminated with a bit of a party on Wednesday. She had food and even brought in a masseuse to give out 15 minute massages to her guests. I was only planning on popping up for a little while, but ended up staying for about three hours. I had such a great time and really enjoyed getting to spend time with the other women that were up there. As a little bonus treat, there was a yarn rep there as well and he dumped out an ENORMOUS pile of Claudia yarns on the table to Pam to peruse. I really wish I had my camera with me that day, it was so pretty!

I did my best to stimulate the economy in the store that day and came home with some really beautiful yarns. Of course, I'm thinking once again that some grounding is in order, I've been a bit over the top with my purchases again. Oh well, I'll think about that tomorrow, right?

I have one last thing to tell you about from the last month, but it's gonna have to wait for now. It's time to cook dinner!