Hugging the Midline

Watch for Signs

I'm not always one of those people who says: "everything happens for a reason," but it's a nice idea, isn't it? I like to think there's some grand purpose, and a universe lining itself up to make sure that purpose is realized.

These days I feel like I'm plenty busy, really I do. Between leading a big project for my day job, working with Glen to open our new store (details to come soon), and trying to make sure "Mom" is still my number one job, there's not much room on my dance card. I've been proud that with the amount of time Glen and I are both working and the amount of stress we're both feeling, there's still some semblance of balance in our lives: I'm exercising almost every day, we actually sit down at the table together most nights, and Jack gets some quality time with his parents every evening. 

My work project ends in about four months, the store will open in less than (gulp) one month. Lately I've been giving myself lots of pep talks: I can do this, I can do this. I can get through this intense period of hard work. As long as, you know, nothing ELSE gets piled on the proverbial plate.

So after a certain letter arrived in the mail a few days ago, I have to wonder: Is this some sort of sign? Am I supposed to be learning something here? Or am I just the recipient of an early April Fools joke from the universal trickster?

You Can't Make This Stuff Up

Gramma Carol: "I'm going to an Oscar party Sunday night."

Jack: "Gramma's going to dress up like a grouch?"

Slice of a Slice

In an e-mail conversation with my friends Dave and Brian today, Dave was being his usual curmudgeonly self when Brian said, "To quote Missy's blog, you have a case of the crabbies!" 

Oh God, is that a direct quote? Do I really talk like that? Mostly on the blog, I think.

Makes me think about the persona I portray here, which might skew a bit toward my Pollyana side. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but I do have other sides. Sometimes I think this space is a pretty good representation of my life; other times it feels like barely a slice of a slice of who I am, especially these days when my brain is kind of consumed by my work, and I've chosen to keep this blog a mostly work-free zone.

On second thought, "a case of the crabbies" could sound quite sophisticated in the right context. It was just Brian's filter that made the quote sound capital D Dorkwad. Let's go with that.

The Crazies & the Funnies

Funny, when I started this blog about a year ago I planned to write primarily about how I keep my life in balance. Haha. Hahahahaha, that's a good one. I am not feeling particularly balanced at the moment. I am afflicted by a touch of the crazies and a smidge of the crabbies. I am working too much. I am stressing too much. I am getting hooked needlessly by too many little dramas. It's possible that Jack thinks my work laptop is just another one of Mommy's appendages, because it seems to be by my side most of the time these days.

Something's gotta give. This is not the first time I've written such a post, come back to this little touchstone and admitted that I'm feeling like a bit of a wreck. And that's always a good start, right? Admitting out loud that I'm OUT! OF! BALANCE! is usually the first step to getting back to where I want to be.

***

Luckily Jack continues to keep me laughing. Even with the occasional moment of terrible two-ness, he is the light of my little life, and being around him reminds me I don't have lots of room to complain.

A few gems from this evening:

• I mentioned in a recent post that I often mis-hear song lyrics. Tonight I was singing Beyonce's Single Ladies (Glen's fault -- he downloaded it!) and soon Jack started singing back to me: "All the single babies, all the single babies..."
  
• When I asked him if he was enjoying his chocolate milk he responded: "Thumbs up!"
  
• When Jack uses his potty he sometimes gets a lollipop. Tonight's bedtime story showed a cartoon lion licking a lollipop, which perplexed poor Jack for obvious reasons: "The lion doesn't get a lollipop! He didn't weewee in the potty! He doesn't have a penis!"

Like Mama, Like Son, Part 937

"Mommy is Obama Mama, Daddy is Obama Daddy, I Obama Jack!"

Undecided?

The two presidential candidates are so different that I don't understand how anyone could be undecided at this point.

Here's a hilarious David Sedaris essay to that point that Glen shared with me. Thanks, honey.

To put them in perspective, I think of being on an airplane. The flight attendant comes down the aisle with her food cart and, eventually, parks it beside my seat.

“Can I interest you in the chicken?” she asks. “Or would you prefer the platter of shit with bits of broken glass in it?”

To be undecided in this election is to pause for a moment and then ask how the chicken is cooked.

I mean, really, what’s to be confused about?

[Update: Funny, my last post mentioned that sometimes I think it would be fun to post edgier material. I was especially thinking of my admiration for blog superstar dooce. Then not five minutes after I posted this quote, I saw that she posted the same quote today, plus a very funny David Sedaris video clip.]

GratefulMo: The Great Schlep

Have you seen Sarah Silverman's (known around our house as Glen's second wife...) video for The Great Schlep? It's super funny, and is part of a campaign to get Jewish grandchildren to educate their grandparents in Florida about Obama, and to encourage people to talk to their relatives about Obama in general.

As I watched this video I started making my list and checking it twice, and realized that every relative I can think of is present and accounted for in the Obama column, even a couple surprise surporters here and there. Which leaves me feeling like we could blow this one out of the park, and a little grateful. (#211)

We Interrupt this Family Blog to Bring You an Important Message

I don't usually do a lot of cursin' on this here family-friendly blog, but I had to share a couple gems via Pundit Kitchen and Will.

Like Mama, Like Son

If you read my last post, you know I've become rather attached to a certain cleaning device. Apparently my obsession with this vacuum cleaner has rubbed off on the youngest member of our household...

Yesterday, while stroking Rosie's plastic case, Jack said: "Oh, I wuv Rosie. She so cute. Rosie my best friend." 

Despite his stated preference for Rosie, Jack does also enjoy the company of actual human friends. Yesterday he had a few opportunities to have fun with other kids his age, and seems especially fond of little Alex who we ran into last night at the Art Walk. How cute is this picture?

Silly Mommy

This morning on his way downstairs, Jack turned around, waved, and said "bye bye!" to no one I could see.

Mommy: "Who are you saying goodbye to, buddy?"

Jack: "I say goodbye to upstairs!"

Mommy: "Of course!"