XYZ: The Wengers Are Out

Done with "Done"

2009-11-05T21:31:00.003-06:00

I've been sitting here stewing for a while and thinking about all the things that make me crazy. They're really just little things like dishes, laundry, vacuuming, personal hygiene, my bedroom that hasn't looked clean since we moved in, and the like. These are all everyday things that shouldn't make me want to cry when I think about them, right? Well, I've broken it down and figured out the culprit behind my madness.

It's the deceiving concept known as "done."

No wonder it makes me crazy to think about the dishes. Every time I declare them to be "done" I turn around and the sink is full again.

Every time I fold and put away 3 loads of laundry and declare it "done" Claire poops through her outfit, I find a pile of dirty clothes in the closet and Danny needs me to wash his slacks for work.

Every time the stars align long enough for me to shower, as soon as I'm "done" I get pooped on or puked on and my "clean" feeling goes out the window (there's another culprit..."clean"...).

I only have a two options here:

I can either invest in disposable dishes, disposable clothes and LOTS of deodorant and body spray

OR

I can do away with "done."

I've always been a list maker. I live for checking something off a list. Making room for more. Wiping the slate. Moving it from my mental RAM to the recycle bin.

I can't make a list for chores. How can I ever be "done" with the daily casualties of life?

I'll never be "done" with dishes until we stop eating.
I'll never be "done" with laundry until we move to a nudist colony.
I'll never be "done" showering until Danny and I lose our olfactory senses.

I can't stop making lists. I've been doing it for too long. Instead I'm going to try changing my "To Do" list into a "Work in Progress" list or an "Projects Inbetween Snuggling Claire" list.

Check marks are dead to me. And so is "done."

Thank You, Max!

2009-11-05T12:43:00.005-06:00

I received a delightful package today from a friend from work back in Illinois. I was able to deliver something for him last week and, to show his appreciation, he sent me this beautiful, delicious gift:

Claire really enjoyed the balloon:

Did I deserve such a treat for such a small service? Maybe not. But who am I to snub a vase full of strawberries, grapes, chocolate-dipped orange wedges, pineapple, chocolate-dipped orange wedges, melon, and chocolate-dipped orange wedges? Did I mention the chocolate-dipped orange wedges? Thank you so much, Max! I'll run errands for you anytime.

This Little Piggy Likes to Laugh

2009-11-01T15:29:00.002-06:00

Danny was sick today so we stayed home from church. It's a good thing, too. I would have shown up an hour early since I had NO IDEA about the time change. My apologies to the few people in the ward that I called way too early seeking a sub for my class. Anyway, I was playing with Claire and got her laughing so we made Dad hold the camera.

Werewolf Bar Mitzvah (spooky! scary!)

2009-11-01T08:57:00.003-06:00

It was another Halloween where I let my creative side shine only to fall on blind eyes. We attended our ward Trunk-or-Treat and chili cook-off. My chili blanco arrived late and I attribute our failure to win to our tardiness. I also made some chocolate cupcakes with meringue ghosts on top but didn't get a chance to picture them since, as I mentioned before, we were running late. Claire was dazzling in her White Tiger costume and she got plenty of compliments but nobody asked what Danny and I were supposed to be.

Can you guess? Five Monopoly dollars and all the appreciation in the world to anyone who truly knows who we were!

How about now?

I was Sigfried.
Danny was Roy.
Claire was Montecore, the tiger who attacked Roy on stage.

I thought it was a cute family theme but nobody could guess what we were and Danny was a grump-a-lump about dressing up in the first place. Aren't I the meanest wife ever? he had to gel his hair, wear a shirt he already owned and don a bow-tie I made in 60 seconds flat. I kept catching him with the bow tie in his pocket while I was walking around in a man's wig. Who got the short end of the stick there?

Here's Claire and I haunting the back hatch of our car waiting for trunk-or-treaters

My sister Aimee made our Halloween treat jar. Thanks, Aim!

It was definitely a different party then last year. Our ward in Carbondale was much smaller but the parties were more fun because we knew everyone. I still had fun, even if I had to talk Danny into participating and everyone in our new ward thinks we're crazy.

If you're wondering where the title of this post came from, you need to watch 30Rock. It's a hoot. Hope ya'll had a Happy Halloween!

Happy Fall!

2009-10-30T13:15:00.000-05:00

Sunny Day Pics

2009-10-28T11:54:00.001-05:00

I'm trying to figure out how to keep from double posting everything. I've been putting up pictures and videos on Facebook but for all of you who don't FB (and you know who you are) I'll see if this works. Here's a link to a little photo album of Claire. We took pictures last Saturday.

Click Here

Spooky Treats

2009-10-27T21:00:00.002-05:00

I tried my hand at spooky treats today and here are the end results:

The icing was a bit of a headache. I'm used to using buttercream so the sticky runny stuff was a pain. If you want to see how I made them I posted the recipes here. They weren't my finest creations but it made me feel domestic.

In other news from today we have something for you to chew on: Claire can fit her entire fist in her mouth.

Now that's talent.

Still Got It

2009-10-23T20:11:00.002-05:00

I had to write a quick post because this made my night. I ran to HEB to grab some Friday night snacks. While scoping out treats in the Ice Cream aisle I was stopped by a man who asked if he could ask me a question. At first I was offended because I figured he had mistaken me for a store employee.

While I was mentally running through my wardrobe choice and how it lead this man to think I worked at H.E.B. he surprised me by asking if I was single. When I told him I was married he said he didn't mean to bother me and that I should take it as a compliment. You'd better believe I did.

A frizzy ponytail with no make-up on a Friday night shopping for ice cream? Maybe he was desperate, but maybe I've still got it.

Blessing Day Pages

2009-10-21T19:20:00.002-05:00

Blessed

2009-10-21T08:53:00.008-05:00

Well, last weekend was a crazy one. It was my birthday on Friday, the 9th, we blessed Claire that Sunday, the 11th, which also happened to be my brother-in-law's birthday. It was an action packed weekend of FFF (forced family fun). Here are the last two weeks in a nutshell:

Claire and I were both spoiled rotten on Friday because both my parents and Danny's parents took us shopping. We each got a new wardrobe, a fabulous dinner and fun memories. Danny tried to be a good sport but he came down with the flu that day. (I became much more sympathetic to his symptoms after I came down with it the following Monday.) My sister Kendee joined us for dinner at Outback in San Marcos. She brought me beautiful flowers which Lake, my nephew, thought might make me "very sneezy." She also made a DELICIOUS chocolate cake which didn't last very long.

Saturday, Danny's sister Anela came. We all chilled and got the food ready for the blessing. I even stayed home and passed on a much needed pedicure just to take care of a sickly Danny and have some quiet time for the 3 of us.

Sunday was crazy. The blessing was very nice and both Danny and his mom bore very nice testimonies. It was pouring rain so we couldn't eat outside which forced us to cram EVERYONE into our tiny apartment. Kendee made another beautiful and delicious cake, this time it was German Chocolate for Lance's birthday.

Monday morning my mom came by and loaded Claire and I up to go with her to my sister's house in San Angelo. We babysat all week while Aimee and Lance were on a cruise with Kendee and Steve. I supposed I can't really claim that I helped babysit all that much since, as I mentioned before, I came down with the flu. I realized that I was just a glorified paper weight because my mom could leave me at home with napping children while she ran the older ones to school, lessons, etc. I wasn't up for much more than that.

This is Macy and Tyson, Aimee's two youngest kids.

Macy may very well be the cutest child on the planet, but she runs off of 100% attitude. Don't get me wrong, she has her angelic moments, but she loves to torment Tyson and make him scream. Her sassy deeds include, but are not limited to stealing his toys, playing "keep away" with his pacifier and dumping water on his dinner. I got to spend the most time with these two since the oldest two are in school. They're both sweet and lovable but lets just say I'm ok with one baby for now.

The final adventure of that week was when my mom took me halfway home where we met Danny. We pulled off the road about halfway between Brady and Llano and we jumped in the car with Danny. After my mom took off we realized our car wouldn't start. YIKES! Stuck in the middle of no where is bad enough without worrying about your baby, too! I found myself praying while we walked down the road and came upon some houses to ask someone to give us a jump start. We eventually found Ed, an older man who left his cold beer and Saturday afternoon football game to give us a jump. Thank you Ed! Both for helping us and for not being a crazy violent person like I imagined while I was stressed out and stranded. I'll never watch another horror film ever again, I have a vivid imagination.

And finally, Claire wanted to send a quick shout out to everyone who came for her blessing:

My mom and dad; Aimee, Lance, Sage, Randee, Macy & Tyson Skidmore; Kendee, Steve, Lake and Maile Rowley; Danny's mom and dad; and Anela. Also our local friends The Powells and the Kings.

"Thank you all for coming but...
...it's just so hard to see you go!"

Gurgle-Yelling

2009-10-21T08:09:00.000-05:00

Danny and I found a common language with Claire. I call it gurgle-yelling. She's so fun and talkative these days. She sounds like an excited Chewbacca

Diaper Bag

2009-10-09T07:19:00.003-05:00

So I've been searching for a new diaper bag since the adorable one I have started tearing the first week Claire was born. All the decent ones were $50 or more so I set out to make my own. Bad idea....it took way too long! Who has time to make a diaper bag with a 2-month old? It's finished, but looking back, I would have gladly paid the $50 to avoid the headache!

I used all the left over fabric to make a changing pad, diaper & wipe holder and mommy sack.

Over all, I'm satisfied with how it turned out. It's not nearly as cute as I had hoped it would be, especially with my shoddy seamstress skills. The ridiculously difficult pattern called for lots of contrasting fabrics which would have been adorable, but I'm a cheapskate so it only has one. I did add a cell phone pocket which is working pretty well. My final word of advice: BUY the diaper bag you want and make only accessories by hand if you need to express your creative side. (or use a simpler pattern and hire a babysitter!)

Makeover with Meli

2009-10-06T14:22:00.003-05:00

My friend Melissa Contreras came over today and did my makeup. Holy Cow, I look like a completely different person! She changed the shape of my face and turned me from a homely housewife into a sexier version of myself. That's right, I said sexy.

Danny had better take me out on the town and show me off tonight. It's the first time I've felt cute since I was pregnant! Thanks, Meli!

Bittersweets

2009-10-04T22:30:00.002-05:00

So I've decided to admit it out loud (or in print, rather): babies are difficult. I think addressing that fact will help me iron-out my emotions so they don't explode 10 years down the road sending me on a cross-country road trip to find myself and making my family think I've resented them all along.

While I was pregnant I learned a lot about Postpartum Depression and I was determined to avoid it. I don't know how exactly but I just decided I wasn't going to let it get me. So far I've done really well. Don't get me wrong, there are still days when I can't seem to locate my emotions and I feel empty. But I also have really good days when I'm productive and happy. I just can't seem to get into a rhythm that keeps me happy.

I can either be a good mom to Claire and attentive and playful with her all day, or I can be a good homemaker and keep our home in decent shape and make something edible for dinner, or I can please my creative side by trying fun new recipes and making a craft of some kind, but the different versions of myself never seem to cross paths on the same day. I want to be a good mom and have a clean house. And I want to bake bread and cookies but not ignore my daughter while dust collects on every surface of our home. I'm told it gets easier as your baby gets older but the in-between sucks.

It's no wonder PPD is such a big problem for so many women. Whether your hormones are off-balance, you're in need of sleep, or you've come to the sad realization that you just can't handle your old routine, having your life thrown off balance could kill anyone's mood.

I've been very blessed to nip my baby blues in the bud as they come but I don't see an end to them for a while. Claire makes my days complete but she also likes to poop on them, too. I mean that both literally and figuratively.

So here's to first giggles and heart-wrenching cries, the smell of clean babies and the stench of 2-day dirty dishes, mommy-time bubble baths and days without enough time to shower. And here's to therapeutic blogging. I'm not looking for anyone to tell me to "hang in there" because I am hanging in there. I'm just keeping it real in the meantime.

10 Weeks & 5 days

2009-10-01T12:21:00.002-05:00

10 Weeks & 5 days later Claire is a big girl! We had her 2 month well baby checkup today (just a little behind schedule) and here are the stats:

13 lbs 14 oz 90th-95th percentile
41.2 cm head circumference 90th-95th percentile
24.5 in tall 95th (and beyond) percentile
her doctor said her height was "off the charts" but she's proportional, beautiful and healthy!

I hated seeing her get her shots. I almost started crying and I would have if the nurse hadn't been watching. She wailed for 5 minutes (ans she's never wailed before). She fell asleep when we got in the car and I frantically ran to Walgreens to get her some tylenol so she wouldn't be in pain. We've been home from 2 1/2 hours now and I haven't even used it. She seems to be just fine, albeit a little tired. She's got such a sweet disposition you wouldn't know she had her shots today if it weren't for the ugly boy band-aids on her thighs. She's the best baby ever, and a big healthy one at that.

Jabberwocky

2009-09-28T18:52:00.001-05:00

Claire has been quite the squeaker lately. She's started jabberwockying and acting like we can understand her. Danny holds her and pretends like she's actively engaged in a lengthy discussion over current events.

Eh Bumbo! Bumbo Italiano....

2009-09-24T22:28:00.002-05:00

Claire can sit up in her Bumbo, though she does not appear to be comfortable in it. Maybe we'll try again in another few weeks...

The Poop-cident

2009-09-24T22:25:00.000-05:00

Watch this video with caution not within 1 hour of meal time

Ode to Eason Street

2009-09-24T22:16:00.003-05:00

Yesterday not only marked 4 years or marital joy, but also the closing of a happy chapter in our lives. Our house in Carbondale is no longer ours.

**sob, sniffle**

We'll miss the beautiful trees, our back porch, the vegetable garden I didn't get to eat from and the cozy street, but most of all we'll miss Cathy and E.G. our next door neighbors. They took great care of us and I miss them tons. We hope the new owner of our home is good to them.

And now a moment of reflection:

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

4 Years

2009-09-23T12:29:00.002-05:00

4 years ago today I married a wonderful, thoughtful, handsome man. Happy Anniversary Honey! I'll make sure Claire has your "present" ready when you get home from work :-).

Maternal Bliss

2009-09-23T11:31:00.003-05:00

Not just gas anymore!

2009-09-16T21:49:00.002-05:00

Thats right, it's official, folks: Claire thinks I'm funny. I have to document proof of such things to shove in her face when she's a teenager and thinks I'm lame.

Smiles and gas

2009-09-15T11:21:00.002-05:00

Claire can't quite smile yet, but I like to think she's making an effort. It's a little disheartening when I try so hard to be baby funny and she won't even smirk. That is unless I time my funny routine perfectly with her morning constitution. Here is today's attempt at a smile.

August 8th pages

2009-09-06T00:21:00.001-05:00

Wash Pod

2009-09-04T18:25:00.003-05:00

Claire has a Wash Pod which is a knock-off version of the Tummy Tub or Euro Tub. It's basically a glorified bucket with a cushion in the bottom but she really enjoyed her bath in it yesterday. It's easier for her to enjoy bath time because it keeps her submerged in the warm water so she doesn't get cold and it helps keep her upright. she sat up on her own even though she's not quite 7 weeks yet. Crazy! We first heard of these tubs on the Today Show.

I'll admit that it was a little tricky to get under he buns but also easier since she was so calm and not squirmy. I just washed her next to the kitchen sink so I could use the sprayer to rinse her hair before I took her out. I think she liked it enough for it to be a keeper.