changes, they are a comin’

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I think there are at least a few people in this world who adapt to change better than I do. Wait, scratch that. I’m sorry to say that I have no idea what the world’s population is off the top of my head, but let’s just say that if it’s 609 zillion people – there are probably 603 zillion of them who accept change better than I do. Now, that’s not to say that I’m inflexible, but I do like to stay the course, if possible. For instance, whenever we go to Muchas Gracias for dinner, I always get a cheese enchilada and chicken taco. Why? Because it’s a sure (read: safe) bet.

Believe it or not, the same goes when it comes to matters involving parenting. Stability: good. Change: often not quite as good. When Ian came along, we lived in the Washington, D.C. area where you are more likely to see a politician acting like a mature adult than you are to get a spot for your baby at a daycare. It’s commonly known there that if you have any hope of getting your child into a “decent” daycare – meaning they at least feed them at some point during the day – you had better start going on tours and getting on wait lists before you get pregnant. Wait until conceive and you’ve already missed the boat. That’s all to say that it can be a beyond-stressful process to locate a place where you a) feel comfortable leaving your child and b) can actually get a spot to park them.

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crazy and stressful, sprinkled with some beautiful

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It’s been kind of a crazy week. Actually, crazy and incredibly stressful, if you must know. Not that you even asked, but hey, I told you anyway. But isn’t that kind of what blogging is all about? I digress. Now, where was I? Crazy and stressful. Right.

First of all, lots going on at work. But then again, there usually is. Second, Jeff was out of town so I was playing single mom. So, you know what I did the first night I picked them up? Yep, I hit the McDonald’s drive thru. Probably not going to win the Nutritional Mom of the Year award for that one but I was tired, stressed (did I mention that already?) and essentially in survival mode. And, I’m pretty sure that the Golden Arches were created for parents having days like that. Let the record show that I did not get anything for Elena, though. I did manage to dig up something semi-nutritious for her. I think I have created some unofficial rule that my children can’t have fast food until they turn three or something – and then all bets are off. Don’t ask my logic in this, because I have no idea but it seems like the right thing to do so I just go with it.

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the house with nobody in it

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My cousin, Dave, mentioned something on Facebook this weekend about looking up childhood homes using Google Street View and seeing them as they are today. I had never thought about doing this before, but I was all over it. The first thing I realized was that there were about five different homes I could look up, but the one I wanted to see first wasn’t even technically my home: it was my Grandma Ruth’s house. Of course, it wasn’t always just my Grandma Ruth’s house. It was also the house where my dad and two uncles grew up with Grandma and my Grandpa Glenn, who suddenly passed away when both he and I were relatively very young.

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the post you never saw

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When Jeff and I first got together – which will be coming up on 12 years the first part of 2012 – he was most certainly the “night owl” between the two of us. I don’t think I ever went to bed later than 10:00 p.m., whereas he could stay up much later than that. Over time, especially after we had Ian (I think), his bedtime started trending earlier and earlier while mine remained roughly stable. That is, until the past couple of years or so when we’ve had this complete role reversal.

Most nights, around 10:00 p.m., it goes something like this: Jeff approaches me as I’m on the couch, usually with HGTV on by that time, laptop in, well, my lap, and he informs me that he’s off to bed. I reply, with confidence:

Oh wow, yes, I’m right behind you!

 

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flashback friday

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This picture is the view from our room at a bed & breakfast Jeff and I stayed at in Mendocino, California in December 2003. We took this picture as night fell the first evening we were there. Later, in the middle of the night, a massive rain and wind storm blew in and the ocean fiercely pounded that cove just outside our window all night long. We had a gas fireplace in our room that was on while we slept, and it was all bit frightening, yet so cool at the same time. I’m still looking forward to being on the Oregon coast sometime for another big winter storm.