Mean girl...

Okay, I'll be honest. I hate some people.
I hate mean people.
I hate stupid people.
I hate rude people.
I hate incompetent people.

But....

I'm not a mean person...right?

There is only so much I can handle before I feel my sanity start to break down and last Friday I finally hit that point.

So, I sat in my office and cried. The tears rolled down my cheeks and dripped onto my keyboard and the thought of having to come back and do it all again this week just made me cry harder.

I thought the office was empty so I let it all go. And then my co-worker walked in. She didn't notice my tears because I didn't look at her. I just kept typing. It was awful.

I've been working long hours for weeks now; skipping lunch breaks, taking work home, and staying late at the office. I'm exhausted.
I have until Thanksgiving to hit my next goal weight. I set that goal for myself and would really like to reach it. I'm starving.
I started getting up at 4:45 again to make time for exercise because I know that waiting until after work is a lost battle. I'm sore and grouchy.
It's only the second week of the semester and already my husband's schedule is beginning to take a toll on me. I'm stressed out.

Stress. Hunger. Fatigue.

That would make anyone a bit "on edge", right?

But, I'm not a mean person. Really I'm not.

But, honestly....

I think my co-workers might think that I'm either
A. Completely strange or
B. A B&%$#@

Why, might they think this? Probably because I called the person who left colored paper in the copy machine a Schmoe. Or, maybe it was because I told my supervisor that I was going to be late to our meeting because it was 2:30 and I really needed to take my first bathroom break of the day. Or, perhaps they thought I was a bit grumpy when I trashed (no...vented about) another co-worker when she was out of the office (I know...totally immature and unprofessional).

Either way, I just hate the thought of people thinking that I'm a mean girl.

So, today I resolved to be nicer. I made the first pot of coffee. That's my good deed for the day. And, I feel a lot better (baby steps people).

Now, if I could just find my favorite pen I think today might actually be a good day.

Sweet caroline...

In loving memory of Caroline Jennifer
August 27, 2009

Thoughts and prayers are with Derek and Nici today.

The professional mother...

I am SO EXCITED for today's Casual Conversation Friday.

Theresa is the beauty and brains behind The Professional Mother, and she is my very first Guest Poster ever. How exciting, huh?

She's my closest Blog World friend and some day I aspire to enjoy a glass of wine with her in person. We met purely by accident- apparently I have a horrible memory and the first time I tried to type in the address of my brand new blog I left out a portion of the title, landed on her blog, and immediately started doing what any other blogger would do....lurked around her blog until I worked up enough courage to introduce myself.

So, here she is in all her glory and armed with her advice for the rest of us....Isn't she beautiful?

Thanks Theresa!



I swear I’m trying to be serious, but it was Champagne Thursday, so chances are slim. For example, I had a little photo session in my sexy pajamas with the loves of my life – wine and my dog Walter. Nah, Walter isn’t the love of my life, it’s really just the wine, but Walter was close, so there.

See the wine and numerous corks in the back and how I’m elegantly displaying our most common reading material at our home?




Me: What piece of advice do you have for working moms?
Her: The advice I have to offer working moms varies with the children’s ages. For example, when my kids were infants (two under two at one point), I was adamant that every working mother should check for spit stains, hand prints, and leaking breasts before entering the office. But the things that apply across all ages of the spectrum are remembering to not compare your child to other children, take off enough time to attend holiday performances, school plays, and birthdays. I promise you that you will hate yourself for missing open house or choir concerts (okay, admittedly, I’ve never had a kid in choir, but it could happen if one of my kids stopped sounding like a screeching coyote when they sing . . . maybe . . . or not). I digress.

And if all else fails, drink wine.

Me: What do you like most about being a working mom? What is the most challenging aspect of having to go to work every day?
Her: It really depends from day to day what I like about being a working mom. Sometimes I don’t like anything about it. But then sometimes I just love that I can say I have a career. I’m a lawyer. I have a J-O-B. I work. I am grown up. I have a salary. I have a 401k. I have a secretary. I have an office with a window – and my own printer (which is apparently a perk as a lawyer). I make a difference . . . somehow . . . I think . . . maybe. Uh, no, yeah, I totally make a difference. I do. (Ignore the hesitation indicated above.) But with all seriousness, I really do think I make a difference. Not only in the lives of my clients, but also as an example for my children. They see that I work hard. I’m committed to a cause. I am a woman and valued for my intelligence (limited though it may be.) I pursued my education and put it to work. I want my children to see that, recognize the value in it, and follow my footsteps to pursue a career that hopefully they will love.

I also love drinking wine at the end of the day.

Me: What is the most challenging aspect of being a working mom?
Her: The most challenging aspect is trying to separate your longing to hold your baby who is maybe feeling anxious about a first day of school, or not feeling well, or worried about a test, when you have to go to work. Mama said there’d be days like this, and she wasn’t lying. There are those days. Those times pass, but they are difficult at the moment. You will forget it. Your kids will forget it. It just may take some time. Splitting your time between motherhood and your career outside the home is almost impossible. You are literally employed at two full-time jobs. Actually, your job as a mother is 24-7-365 (pulling out slang from the 1990s thankyouverymuch). Without a doubt, there are those days when you have to wipe up the puke at 2:00 a.m., comfort your exorcist baby whose head is literally spinning around as she spews vomit and screams like a siren, and then pull yourself out of bed to show up at the office at 8:00 a.m. for a conference at which you are expected to expound on the variances between the Iowa statute of limitations on a claim for tortious interference of contract and the Texas statute of limitations on a claim for tortious interference of contract. (Did you see that? I totally worked in a reference to Iowa – Angie’s home state, a reference to Texas – my home state, and completely b.s.’ed my way through an alleged statute of limitations for a cause of action that may or may not exist in Iowa. I’m totally awesome and not afraid to pat myself on the back). This brings me to the most challenging aspect which is not beating yourself up for being a working mom and not being able to dedicate 200% of your life to raising your child. 110% will have to do.

And then the absolute most challenging part is making sure I get a sufficient intake of wine each evening while juggling soccer practice, homework, and baths. Okay, actually, we avoid baths because the steam fogs up my wine glass, but whatever.

Me: Any last words of wisdom?
Her: Really? I can’t imagine there are any more words to offer (since I’m sure I went over my allotted number of words. Whatever! Angie, fool that she is, forgot to enforce a word limit! Ha! Kidding! My last suggestions are (1) get yourself an amazing husband like my Chuckyluv who supports my every move as a parent and as a lawyer; and (2) to stock up on wine and dose daily . . . you know . . . for medicinal purposes.



How can you NOT love this woman?! She's fabulous!
Thanks Again for sharing with us.

If anyone is interested in being my next guest feel free to let me know (Okay so I need to work out the best way to do that, any suggestions anyone?). Otherwise, I will continue to hunt down more people to interview, or even worse....I'll interview myself again.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Guilty as charged...

Although I haven't had enough time to blog or eat right or exercise or catch up on sleep I have still managed to find time to feel guilty.

I've been working a lot of extra hours lately and was hoping that by this week things would start to slow down but after working until 10:00 last night I have had to rethink that pipe dream.

I feel guilty when I'm not at home.
I feel guilty when I'm not at work.
I feel guilty that my family is living off of frozen pizzas and mac and cheese.
I feel guilty for having given up completely on my garden when all of my neighbors are still harvesting their bounty and the only thing I can harvest is weeds.
I feel guilty that here it is, almost the end of August, and I am no where near my weight-loss goals for this time of year.
I feel guilty that I haven't exercised in weeks and have been caught several times getting off the elevator instead of taking the stairs (we make fun of people who take the elevator around here).
I feel guilty for not blogging regularly. I just can't get inspired when I'm this busy.

Oh well.

At least there is one thing I will never feel guilty about.

My drink at Starbucks can be ordered as non-fat and sugar free and that makes me smile...

As long as they don't tell me how much I just paid for that smile.

My kid's an honor student...

My child is a genius.

I think.

Jake and I are either first-time parents who don't know any better or we have what can only be described as Pure Brilliance on our hands.

Someone should probably set us straight or knock us off our pedestal because we're pretty sure that Rachel is the smartest child EVER.

Okay, maybe not.

But still, we are just amazed at what our little girl can do at just 19-months of age!

P.S. Can you hear us 15 years from now? We're the annoying parents sitting in the front row at the PTA meeting insisting that our child be allowed to take Advanced Organic Chemistry as a freshman. For that I apologize in advance.

Still though...

1. This morning she made it all the way to 'D' before her alphabet fell apart and she digressed to letters such as "Elmo", "Moo", and "alskdjfoasiej"

2. She asked her daddy the other day if her mac & cheese was hot. When he confirmed her suspicion she requested a spoon and began blowing on it to cool it down a bit.

3. Her problem-solving skills are quite amazing. She has a fairly advanced vocabulary. And, she can hold a decent conversation....kind of.

4. She knows what happens when we get to the last page of her last bedtime book....so she refuses to ever let us get that far in our reading.

5. Yesterday she informed me that she wanted fries for supper. When we decided to cave and give her fries she was absolutely thrilled and even remembered that she had made this request all by herself.

6. She has the eyesight of a hawk. Nothing escapes her.

7. Last night she was given a cup with a straw and even though it was her first encounter with such a gadget she took it on like it was yesterday's news.

8. She knows when are talking about her. This kind of sucks because it is getting increasingly difficult to keep secrets from her when she's in the room.

9. She can count to 9. Wait...I should probably explain. She starts her count at 8. But still, not bad, right?

10. She's our first child. Of course we think she's a genius.


We will be completing her application to Yale just as soon as we get her potty-trained.

Bad timing...

It's not really that it's bad timing, it's more like NO TIME.

I miss blogging.
I miss my social life.
I miss lunch breaks.
I miss bathroom breaks!

I'm not gone.

I'll be back soon. I promise.

Was that a cricket I just heard?

Wait, is anyone out there? Dim the lights, I can't see....

......

I'll be back with regular stories and complaints and joys and requests for advice...

As soon as I get through the next few weeks of work.

Sigh...

Say a little prayer for me, Please.

Or, just bring me a glass of wine. That will work too.

Introducing...

At some point during the week my visit count hit 10,000. How fun!

Let's take this opportunity to turn over a new leaf! Start fresh! Live on the edge! I'll have what she's having!!

Today begins the first in my new series...

Wait for it...

Casual Conversation Friday

I want to hear from my reader(s). What kind of advice do you have for other working moms? What parenting gems have you found? What should moms of all ages know or be on the look-out for? And for those WAHMs or SAHMs- I bet you have all kinds of great things to say. So you're not a blogger or a parent? No problem. Everyone and anyone is welcome to share their wealth of knowledge.

Here's your chance to tell us all what you think; what you know; what you hate; what you wish you knew; what you wish others knew.

If you are interested in participating just leave me a comment and I'll get in touch with you.

My first guest for Casual Conversation Friday is someone who is very special to me...me!

Me: What piece of advice do you have?
Me: Become an Amazon Mom and shop yourself silly on Amazon. Buy diapers there...lots of them.
P.S. No, Amazon isn't paying me to say this. But wouldn't that be amazing if they knew I exist?

Me: You work full-time, do volunteer work, have a young daughter and a husband who is a full-time student, live on an acreage that requires a lot work, and sometimes even have a social life (I know...gasp, right?). How do you do it all?
Me: I don't. About six months ago I finally came to terms with the idea of giving some things up so I started cleaning my house every other week. I know, that sounds lame but really, that was a HUGE step for me. Unfortunately I'm still working on learning how to take time for myself, which is why even though I have lost 52 pounds (hooray, 2 more lost this week) I still have 28 more to go.

Me: Any last words?
Me: Wear fun sparkly rings. Drink coffee. Read to your children (at any age). Don't pay $1.45 for soda when you can walk down the street and get it for $0.45.

What if...

What if we all acted like my 18-month old daughter?


1. We would run, not walk, everywhere and burn lots of calories.

2. We would only eat exactly what we're hungry for when we're hungry for it, which would also cause our waistlines to shrink.

3. We would find joy in running around the house naked.

4. We would laugh at everything, even if it really wasn't that funny.

So basically...

We would probably get arrested for streaking through the neighborhood like a crazy person who slightly resembles a skinny meth addict.

It's crazy how age dictates cultural norms.

What a shame.

Not that I want to run naked through the neighborhood like a crazy person who slightly resembles a skinny meth addict.

But wouldn't it be nice to have that kind of energy?

Today it begins, again...

So for those of you who are counting, today begins my third (recent) attempt at Operation Lose the Fat.

The way I see it, I have three months to make it back down to (almost) my wedding weight. That will give me about three weeks to bask in the glory of victory before holiday munchies set me back a few pounds. Although I fully plan on eating healthy meals and exercising and all of that stuff I am also in need of another good jump start. So, for this week I will be crash dieting. Yep, you heard it correctly. I will be doing something completely unhealthy and unsustainable in order to accomplish an end result that IS healthy and sustainable.

It has taken me 18 months to shed most of my baby weight- 50 pounds so far. And today, begins the next leg of my journey.

There is just one small problem... I'm dead tired from getting up at 4:45 this morning to exercise and dying of hunger.

But,

I say...

Bring. It. On.

Again.