Up and coming

So I did something this week that I've never attempted before: I made an appointment to have my hair professionally colored. Personally, I'm pretty proud of myself that I've made it this long without needing to, but frankly, the grey is slowing taking over. So, I bought myself some time to get used to the idea, and the week before Thanksgiving, I'll be spending a couple of hours relaxing, sipping tea and reading trashy magazines while my hair is returned to its natural shade. I'm already looking forward to it. As it turns out, being an adult isn't half bad.

In other news, we're contemplating making a change that will shake up everything about how we live. I'm excited about it...very excited actually. But, it's a serious decision that the Mister and I need to make together, and if we're not both 100% okay with it, then we'll stay put. We've begun some preliminary investigation into other real estate markets, and the such, but it's still in the very very early stages. I anticipate the next few weeks will be heavy on the discussion and light on decision making, and I am super okay with that.

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Away we were

Absence does indeed make the heart grow fonder.

This past weekend, the kiddo and I joined up with two of my girlfriends from high school, their sons, and one of their moms, and trekked out to my mom's bed and breakfast in Western PA. (Someday I'll talk about how awesome it is to have my parents: my mom and stepdad run a B&B and my dad is a professional, and super great baker.)

It was a great weekend, and a lot of fun...despite the snow and screaming children. Rusty was a bit intimidated by his slightly older pals, but it didn't stop them all from playing relatively* well. (*there was one biting incident, one thrown toy flashlight, and one grandma caught a decorative wooden acorn in the face). By the second night, Rusty had had enough, and decided to go on a sleep strike. Looking back though, I tend to think that he just wanted to be home. The Mister and the Kiddo aren't often apart for that long (usually when we're away, the Mister and I are together), and it was pretty clear that they missed each other like crazy.

So on Sunday, we made it home and settled back in. Rusty promptly plopped himself in the Misters lap and stayed there for at least a hour. It was postively adorable. The three of us had a pretty terrific "family date," and got to regroup after a few days apart.

And while it was nice to see my mom and visit with my friends, I also realized that there really is no place like home. Truly, positively, there is no place I'd rather be than right here...on the couch, with a floor covered in toys, a messy kitchen, laundry exploding, and surrounded by my beautiful family.

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Sleep on it.

So the Mister works wonky hours (3/4 time, partial overnights) so we can keep the kiddo out of daycare. Personally it's not my preferred schedule (I'm always left to do the after dinner cleanup, bath, bedtime, and post bedtime chores alone), but it works. The major downside to it is that the Mister is then up until the wee hours once he's finally home. I am a light sleeper and regularly toss and turn until he finally comes to bed. Are you seeing my problem?

UGH.

This fine morning, I woke at 5:30 (after tossing and turning for several hours) to find my spouse asleep on the couch. I dare you to ask how furious that made me. Miserable wench that I am, I promptly woke him up and reminded him that beds are for sleeping, and in 10 minutes I'm going to be stomping around the living room while I get ready for work. He went upstairs. I laid back down. The baby then woke up. I simply could not catch a break this morning.

And now I know that I'll get a call at work this morning asking why I was so PO'd about him sleeping on the couch. My answer is this: I refuse to be one of those couples that doesn't share a bed. Flat out refuse. We have a lovely bed, with plenty of room and blankets. If I wanted to sleep alone, I would be single. But I'm not. So hop in.

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Things to do (Part II)

I'm once again renewing my Things to Do list. Here's the updated version with additions and completions:

Remove wallpaper border in office
Clean out coat closet
Paint master bedroom
Paint Florida room
Replace hardware on Florida room cabinets
Finish painting the upstairs hallway
Organize linen closet
Clean out office closet
Clean out basement
Install shelving in basement
Schedule ophthalmologist appt.
Schedule dermatologist appt.
Freecycle pots and pans in basement
Freecycle old lawnmower
Clean out storage area underneath bookshelves
Clean out drawers & donate clothes - DONE
Rewash, fold, and pack away Rusty's old clothes
Make an extra set of keys (house and Honda) - DONE
Rabies shots for cats
Get new lamps for dining room
Repaint front steps
Repaint porch above steps / high traffic
Send out updated photos of Rusty
Thank you notes from birthday party - DONE
Enroll Rusty in swimming lessons - DONE
New shades / blinds for master bedroom
New shades for office
Find fabric for new office curtains
Return extra party items to Party City - DONE
Put Balloon Time tank in basement - DONE
Get a new wheeled garbage can
Pull out annuals from garden
Dig out tomato plant
Return Amazon package
Schedule Market Street Mission pickup

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FALLing back into things

Haha...FALLing back into things. Get it? Bueller? Bueller? Anyone?

Wow - so guess who kind of sucks at blogging? (silently raises a hand from the keyboard).

So the summer...umm. Yeah. It was great. Crazy, and busy, and loads of fun, but now it's over and I'm going to try and actually made good on this blogging business. Back in action!

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Sunshine on my shoulder...

Sensing that I was not having a good day yesterday, my husband suggested that after I was done working for the day we take Rusty out in the yard to play while we put up some tomato cages. Not really thrilled, but feeling guilty, I agreed. Sometimes I don't give the Mister enough credit...he knows me well. Well enough, in fact, to know that perhaps a water fight would perk me up. That's right - a water fight.

After stuffing out 3-month old tomato plants into cages, Mister suggested that I needed to cool off. He was right. It was an all-family event, with Rusty splashing around his water table and Ken and I tossing pails of water at each other. What can I say, it was hot, we were all slightly miserable, and after 15 minutes of running around and laughing, everyone was in better spirits.

So today is already looking brighter and I'm feeling rather productive. Next Thursday, the Mister and I are taking off for a long weekend to celebrate the marriage of my college friends. To say that I'm excited is a huge understatement, seeing as this will be the first time in nine months that we've had a weekend away. AND, it'll be a weekend spent catching up with friends, and visiting the college town where I attended school. PSYCHED.

So that's that. The weekend will be spent cleaning and organizing in preparation for my mom and aunt's arrival to take care of Rusty, and also getting myself organized. I've got to get a haircut, mani, pedi, pick up a pair of shoes, and if time allows, repaint our office.

Suffice it to say, things are looking most definitely up.

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A homeward bound heart

I'm having what I like to call a day. You know, the kind of day where you're in funk and miserable? Yep, that's me - grumpy and ill-tempered. I don't know what set me off...though I'm guessing it's the fact that I've been working from home all this week with a husband who tries to be helpful, and a toddler who just wants to play. I'm also working from my son's gliding chair, which I've set up in our office, since my loving spouse hasn't done much in terms of clearing his crap off the desk. I love him, but the man needs to get more organized. Anyways, knowing that my department was going to have to work remotely this week, I dreamed of doing crazy things like catch up on laundry and go to the gym. Cutting my commuting time out of the mix should have let me do stuff like that. But so far? No dice.

So generally, this week had been sub-par. On top of that, I am (yet again) finding myself immensely and ridiculously homesick. I ache to move back to Rhode Island. I hate to admit it, but if I knew that K wouldn't want to move back to New England, I probably wouldn't have ever moved down to New Jersey. I didn't realize it was a one-way trip.

And so I am miserable. Spending free time on real estate websites looking for a catch, and looking for a new job...something that makes me less homicidal, perhaps. What really pushed me over the edge, and near to tears though, was a birthday gift for Rusty from my aunt and uncle. They sent two shirts...one with a lobster, and a much larger one with the logo of the federal agency that my uncle retired from. Along with the shirts was a wonderful note from my uncle, written to my son. It was all about how he knew we were going back to RI in a few weeks, and he then named all the things Rusty would do...go to the beach where Mommy grew up, see the boat that Grandpa worked on, visit the places that Mommy and her cousins grew up playing. He reminded Rusty to wear the large shirt as a cover-up so he won't get a sunburn, and to ask Mommy to take his to see the special crabbing place, because that's where all the crabs, fish, and periwinkle hide. It made me realize that living in New Jersey, the only times that Rusty will ever get to enjoy Rhode Island will be on infrequent visits.

I struggle with understanding why we live here. K's parents are here, but they both work full time and we see them maybe once a month. Aside from them, there is nothing for us here. I hate my job with the heat of a thousand burning suns, and K can find work anywhere. His job is most definitely transferable. There is absolutely nothing for me here. But he still wants to stay. I adore my family and miss them terribly. Friends are important to me, and I feel as though my entire support system is in New England.

For the first time in five years, I am more than just a little homesick. Terribly, terribly homesick, and between the real estate market, and jobs, there's just nothing to be done about it.

My heart is broken.

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