and to my surprise

our daughter is a "playa" she has been completely faking us out with still being sick! Last night she and I were up from 1 til 4 because her ear "hert" and she needed "medcin" G took her to the docs and found out nothing is wrong - just being a manipulator...... so tonight is tough love number 1. I'm sure we won't sleep but at least I'll be in our warm and cozy bed and not freezing my ass off in the rocking chair!
The time change is still an adjustment - I love how bright it is in the morning - makes it so much easier to get going - but at 4pm I'm ready for jammies, a warm fire and a hot toddy...
The holidays are fast approaching and we're going to Santa Fe for Thanksgiving yahoo. Nothing makes you more thankful then standing beside a mountain with your daughter and husband right there - in total silence and in complete awe of the beauty that surrounds you.....

and so it is....

I'm breathing a sigh of relief -bunny is playing with blocks, G is napping in "his" chair, the dog is chilling and I'm having my second cup of coffee and looking out across the tree tops -the yellows, reds and oranges are magnificent! Bunny is finally (touch wood) feeling better, although a relapse/whiny session is still possible.
Yesterday was a tough day - she slept through the night and was fine in the morning - until I said "no" to her -complete meltdown, sobbing,whining etc so it took 30 minutes to calm her down and then she fell asleep at 9:15 am!!! and slept for 2 hours!! needless to say things were a lot better after her nap although her schedule was completely screwed up.
We're going to Santa Fe for the Thanksgiving weekend and I'm so excited! I can't wait to have red and green chile on everything - not to mention seeing Brian and Jeanie and hopefully Delker! It will hopefully be exciting for Sierra too - first plane ride and all. Not long after that Christmas will be here and my family! Sierra is already asking about a Christmas tree and knows Santa Claus from her books but I don't think she really gets it yet! I have actually started shopping - just a few things but it's certainly not going to be a BIG Christmas for gifts -we'll be getting back to the family part of the holiday and not worry about the adults getting gifts - just the kids.....
Happy Sunday!

so many cliches so little time

umm well errr there's really no good excuse for the lapse in my blog - lazy, tired, moving, packing, traveling come to mind but really there isn't a good excuse. So I'll try to be committed once again. to the blog.
A lot has happened in the past few months - sold our house, stashed the cash and are now "renters". It's a new experience for us to walk into our "home" and not have to deal with any of the issues - HVAC went out - Call the property manager, the toilet's not working call the prop manager - it really is convenient but still takes some getting used to when it's not "really" ours.
Bunny continues to astound us with her vocabulary, comprehension and ideas. Constant amazement at the G house.
My brother's family was here for a quick visit - it was great to finally have them here and be able to spend some time with all of them and not have to run all over the country (province) visiting the rest of my family when we go north.......
It was so nice to have Bunny spend time with her big cousins who would do everything for her if she would let them. Adoration goes both ways with them. Ahh youth.....

where does it go?

If Time flies - and it really does, where does it go? It's insane that I haven't typed since May - been busy traveling and procrastinating I guess.
My 4-0 is fast approaching and I'm still fine with it. Friends are having a party for me - catered and bartender! so I'm very excited about having some food and drinks with friends and SURPRISE my sis and hubby are coming too. They say it's for my bday but I know it's really because my sis misses Bunny. We're also hoping to get an offer for a position in NM for G. He's very excited about it and it seems like some weight has lifted - I think he was doubting himself a lot as far as the ability to reenter his "field" now that the demise of the OTHER place is in sight it's perfect timing as he says to "ride off into the sunset"

So I'm NOT crazy?

Went to Doc yesterday talked about my anxiety level which has always been a problem - so much my father's daughter - anyway I realized that I'm not my usual laid back self and part of that I know is having a two year old, part OMG I'm going to be 40 and the rest is CRAZY. BUT my doc reassured me and happily put me back on meds. I'm a little disappointed that I couldn't do it myself but relieved to know it should be back in check very soon.
I hate being so uptight and bitchy! what if it doesn't make any difference and this is just how I am now. old and crotchety. and medicated. so there.

Looks like we made it.....

Sweet Success... Sierra's little party was a hit. And mommy didn't stress out too much and actually enjoyed it. The key is to keep adults happy with big kid drinks and the little ones with as many activity options as possible. Kept the food simple and easy.....even had a few hang out with us for a cook out. I love our life.

It was awesome having my sis and family around us too. Bunny loves them so much and gets so excited when she hears their names or sees them. Heart melt. BUT I will add that I realize how much space I really need and it was weird to hear all these rules fall out of my mouth - toilet seats have to stay down, Sierra doesn't get choices at meals, gate needs to be closed, gate stays open during nap time, no eating in the living room.....and the list goes on. It's so strange that I have become this person and actually state what I want or don't want. I think I cruised along for such a long time trying to make everyone else happy that I forgot to make sure I was happy. So now it comes to bear that people aren't sure how to deal with me.
NMP as G. likes to say not my problem. Besides I have a million excuses for being "different" starting the "change", have a toddler = less sleep, have a new lifestyle (sort of), etc etc or blah blah blah.....

Say what?

Bunny is saying so many words that it's hard to keep up - "go to school" is said with so much enthusiasm that it makes my heart happy - knowing that she is happy there and has friends to play with helps me feel better about the whole "childcare" thing. It is a struggle constantly for me to feel good about it but I think it's easier now that she has her words, signs, etc to say no! mine! and be able to stand up and defend herself - which she is doing very well thank you very much. I think part of my worry was that she was going to love her teacher just a little bit too much and that there wouldn't be any extra for G. and me. But that's silly talk - Daddy is her favourite word, well BOBO is a close second - then mama-ugh! is reserved for "help" "I'm tired" "I'm almost 2 and don't know what to do" etc I'm working on Mummy which she does use but mama falls out often.
We're having our first cookout - which will be interesting because of the new me it will be a mix of veggie and yucky burgers (I still need to find someone to make them) I'm looking forward to it because our neighbours are very easy going and we really enjoy spending time with them.

Last night was girls night - we've switched it up and have been going to R'p which is a nice change but kind of a pain to get there on a Tuesday night not to mention that we don't get there until 7:30 - so if I go home I risk the Bunny factor - not letting me leave peacefully and having G deal with a blubbering mess while I run out for a light hearted fun filled ladies night...... or finding something to do that will kill an hour or two - so I worked later than usual and stopped by TJ's for a quick fix - ended up being there longer than planned and didn't get to the bar until 7.20 oops. Since we start "later" I get home much later - after 10 pm last night a rock star I tell you - G. was already in bed but still awake, a little grumpy since he's night sucked with 2 dirty disobedient monsters... and no water (that's another story!) I was still wound up from my outing and wasn't ready to sleep so I was going to have a glass of wine - yes I needed another drink - and watch TV for a few minutes - G. decided to join me so we reviewed the evening and caught up on some stuff.
Now my ass is dragging - how is it I could do this "party" thing 7 nights a week and still function all day at work - yes I had naps and didn't have a toddler that likes to wake up at the butt crack of dawn or earlier if possible. I think I just answered my question.

that's it?

the days are flying by and the realization that in just a few weeks we'll be the proud parents of a 2 year old have hit me HARD...it was just the other day that Bunny was rumbling around in my stomache, pushing to get out, delivered, nursed, burped and rocked....now she knows what she does and does not want to eat, wear, hear etc - AMAZING to say the least. It's Friday which is always exciting for me. The anticipation of the weekend and having 2 full days with my family to play outside, snuggle in our pj's or whatever we want to do. I actually have another girl function tonight - very social lately which may be contributing to my happy happy mood. I really do love being around people - hmmm that's a good thing because it would be quite difficult to not like being around them......

and so on...

my curiousty is piqued by glimpses into vegetarian/vegan lifestyle - amazed that so many people find it almost offensive, cult like or a religious sect. I'm just grossed out by meat. Fortunately G supports it 100% and since he does the grocery shopping actually chose to shop at his least favourite store because it had the best "green/organic/vegetarian" selection. Lucky girl. He also perused some veggie cookbooks that we have to find interesting recipes that he would want to try (did I mention that he cooks too?) Bunny however has no interest in veggie burgers, soy milk or the "other" milk right now. She's definitely heading into independence with a vengeance.
Next step discipline and counting That's 1, That's 2, That's 3 take 5 (which she'll only get 2 minutes) we'll see how it goes.

another one bites the dust

the weekend that is... they all seem to disappear like a puff of smoke. We did have a great one though, although we didn't do anything extraordinary - G. had an appt. in Crossville so we all went with him...supposed to stop in Cookeville to eat at Bobby Q's -which is funny since I'm not eating meat anymore and fish is questionable. It was closed anyway so I didn't have to make any sacrifices.
We went to the Chase's for dinner -first cook out of the year. Sunday was the best - worked outside on my garden and planted peppers, sunflowers and then cleaned out the front beds. Progress for sure, then we went to the 'Pep - which is always the best way to end a weekend.

Gross - you're gonna eat THAT?

I recently purchased a book that I thought was light, fluffy fiction -So wrong! It's about adopting a vegan lifestyle and how it is the only way to be skinny. In order to get to the "skinny" part it takes you through all the different reasons not to eat meat, dairy, seafood etc. Effective like you wouldn't believe because as much as I love my red meat and cheese and everything else I can't even think about letting any of it cross my lips.
I did learn very quickly that it's not easy or cheap! to be vegan so I'm guessing it will be baby steps and hopefully a healthier lifestyle.
Our house is switching to soy milk - because the other stuff is just disgusting....and I have loaded up on fake meat, burgers, sausage and will learn to love them....

anyday now

I decided to start this blog as an experiment. All other attempts at "journaling" have failed miserably.. so maybe I'm more of a geek than I realized.
My other journal was supposed to be one of my family - from my wedding day to the birth of our child. The glorious plan was to capture all the thoughts and feelings, highs and lows and any other anecdotes worth noting - oh yeah a journal. I think the only thing I really kept up was the pregnancy so I would remember every moment of worry that something could be wrong, every doctor visit, every test, my scare with lyme disease and every ache & pain to the nth degree. I NEVER want to feel that way again. I'm just not strong enough but I would do it all over a million times for the Bunny.
Truly the best thing either of us have ever done and she's made us both so much better. And she makes the world a better place too. Magic she's pure magic.