The missing Pony

A couple of Mondays ago I worked from home (took care of the kids and answered the phone) from 10-11 I have to do my reports. I set up the kid table. Gave Nathan a project (cutting lines on paper) and Marisa a new set of chunky crayons and a glue stick. They did their work, I did mine. After we had finished (and Elmo was singing his last song) I said, "you were both so quiet-(should have been my first clue)- and let Mommy work, would you like a popsicle now?" I picked up Marisa and noticed. instead of her pig-tail there was a nub. So I turned her phew the other one was still there. "Marisa! Where is your piggie?"

"Nay-Nate" was all she said.

I said... "NNNNNAAAATTTHHHHAAANNNN, (very controlled low-talking-but-yelling) where is Marisa's pig tail?"

Calmly he pointed to the ground... "Right there"

And there it was.... my daughters once perfect little curl, feathered all over the floor.

*Sigh* Nate what did you do?

"Risa did it" was his answer.

*Sigh*

So three hours later we are at the hair cutting place for an unscheduled trim of the mullet. No more party in the back.... it's business all over now.

Max aka "Pig Pen"

I really can't believe how disgusting my dog is. I think he's seriously about as disgusting as he is lazy. The two really go hand in hand. I used to have this roomate. He smelled. Like BAD. I seriously don't really remember him ever washing his clothes, and I think he took very few showers. Hence the lazy + disgusting group fit. Max is one of those. Even if dogs could shower he wouldn't. He would lay around all day long stinking up the joint. Occasionally bothering himself enough to lift his leg, lick his doggy parts or actually do the "Max Olympics" and completely turn his head all the way to his backside to sniff it. Today was definitely the cake topper. I open the back door to let him in and notice that three feet from the door is a pile of poop... ON THE DECK. Are you kidding me? It's bad enough that we've gotten so much snow this year that he continuously pees on the deck, but it wasn't even snowing! And Chris shoveled him a path. When I yelled at him "Max... did you seriously POOP on the deck???" (Like somebody else might have???) He gave me the doggy version of the middle finger... The LOOOONG stare. Now I love this dog, he's sweet (even to babies that pull his ears) and very loving. But today, he stinks. In fact I'm one room away from him, and I can smell the gas from here.... ooooo Max.

Yes, I'll have...

Probably the MOST embarrassing thing I've done in a LOOOONNNGGG while happened last Tuesday during my weekly division conference call.

Some back-story. I got a new GPS for Christmas, I do love it. I just haven't figured out all the functions, and perhaps the most annoying function (which I thought I'd love) is the blue tooth capability. I can't enter my car (if it's plugged in) without the blue tooth picking up my phone. Really annoying when I'm in the middle of a call. This particular day I though it was nice that my conference call would be on speaker and easier for me to drive.

Per usual I went to Starbucks on my way into the office. When I got there I muted my phone, and my GPS. How strange all of a sudden I couldn't hear anyone. So I unpushed mute. Ahhh they were still there. So I re-muted, quiet again. Now thinking that mute meant mute I went ahead and ordered my triple shot grande vanilla latte. Even spoke to the woman about combining my gift cards.

After I got my drink, I un-muted my conference call and they were going on about marketing plans and blah blah blah. Now much happier, I kept driving to work.

At the end of our call every week the boss asks us if we have anything we'd like to share with the group. When she got to me she asked.... "Amber, how is your triple shot grande vanilla latte"
Holy CRAP! Apparently not only had they heard the whole conversation, they had been laughing at me the whole time, but of course I couldn't hear them as MUTE on my GPS means you hear me, I can't hear you...

The huh.. whatdidyousay... and ehhh?

Ok I've decided I definitely live in the house of the deaf. It's so ridiculous, since Chris got a cold, his ears have been so plugged. Not that it wasn't bad before, it's terrible now. Half the time I know he didn't hear me, so he just half smiles when I talk. Other times it's like this conversation like we are 90 and trying to communicate through our hearing aids. Like take today for example. A simple, should I answer this call coming through caller ID took on a totally different tone. As I'm on the phone with my sister a call came through....

Me: Hey do you know Sue Fleuren (I pronounced it Flure-en)
Husband: What? (my absolute favorite of the I-can't-hear-yous)
Me: Do you know a Sue Fleuren. She's calling right now?
Husband: Who's calling who?
Me: Caller Id is going off and it SAYS Sue Flueren.
Husband: I don't know a Sue Flueren (by now the beeping has stopped)
Me: Well it's too late anyway.
Husband: It's not too late, you could look at the phone to figure out who it is.
Me: No, it's too late to answer it, they hung up
Husband: Who hung up? Your sister?
Me: No Sue Fleuren.
Husband: I don't know a Sue Fleuren, I know a Joe Fleuren (he pronounced it Flu-ren).
Me: Well I think he was trying to call you.
Husband: He must have been trying to call me at home.

OH MY GAWWWWDDDD!!!!
By this time my sister is yelling in the background....
So freaking annoying. Now Marisa has started to say it as a way to answer a question....
Marisa do you want more ketchup? Huh? -She answers.

Ugh, no wonder I like going to work, people listen to me there.

My new favorite quote

I had to write down my old favorite quote for 2008 on my previous post. I do believe I quoted my son's "Pinkalicious" book when I said... "You get what you get and you don't throw a fit" also something the 4 year olds used to say when I was a preschool teacher. I think that really fits in with the belief that you should enjoy what you have and not always want want want.

Now today I remembered a quote told to me by a peer at work. She said it about someone else, but I find myself repeating it to myself to keep my own mouth shut. Ready? Ok, enough suspense here it is....

"Know your role and shut your hole."

Seriously, the world is full of too many people who think everyone should be interested in what they have to say. I believe that is why we have outlets such as Blogger, Facebook, MySpace (which is really not any fun anymore). Once I had this new quote in my mind all day I constantly found people violating it!

The server at the restaurant that speculated why her customer's credit card was declined, loud enough for us to hear 3 tables over.

The teacher at the school I was at today trying to tell ME how to arrange a classroom... as if!

Me when I got irritated at said teacher who doesn't work for me but for my peer.

The salesperson at a clothing store that gave my co-worker unsolicited advice about how a shirt would look better if only her bra gave her more cleavage. Seriously!

Nathan (age 3) when he tried to tell me how to drive home.

And then when I read Marisa's daily sheet from child care that said she "was a big helper today, she tried to get all her friends to come to the table when it was lunch time and she encouraged them to clean up" NOW my daughter doesn't encourage anyone to do anything she grabs your shirt, pushes and pulls... she is 20 months of course, encouraging isn't urgent enough.

I like that quote. And then my one that I found today that I will use at work with my team....
"If you always do what you always did, you will always get what you always got."
Ahh quotes, one of my favorite pastimes, if you have any good ones, leadership quotes are my fav... pass them on.

It's actually a very fun game if you are feeling cynical, try it and I think you will agree.

What I will remember and not miss about 2008.

I've decided to inlude a few snapshots of the worst moments and best of 2008...

Worst Moments....


Nate's teeth being knocked out by "The sensory table" 5 dentist appointments later, including the one with the straight jacket when he was yelling... "Momma, SAVE ME" wow, not a great mommy moment.

Ahh My Hero. Jake. Jake and I fell in love in May of 1997 and we were together ever since. Through boyfriends, and new husband. New locations and puppies. He even gracefully tolerated the babies. He was the most wonderful and amazing dog. I was so lucky he chose us to be his family. It still makes me tear up.




Great Moments....


Marisa walking!

Ahhh Alone time with Chris!

Me Then... January 2008...

Me now November 2008, I know it's hard to see, but 30 pounds lighter!

There are more of course, but these are definitely the highlights.

Helloooo 2009

Ok, because I'm supposed to be working out while the kids sleep... I'll do this instead.

1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before?
Actually spent most of the year enjoying my children. Lost all my baby weight and then some. Took a Mommy and Daddy only vacation, turned 34!!!!

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I never make any resolutions, I'd never keep them anyway, but if I would have I'm sure it would have been to lose weight.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yes, I had a couple friends have babies last year.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Yes, Jake. Sniff.

5. What countries did you visit?
Countries? HA! I did go to New Orleans LA and Florida this year, that's the extent of my traveling

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
More financial stability. Wouldn't everyone? Greater clarity into how to continue successfully with a new team at my job.

7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
June 12th 2008. When one of my employees made a huge mistake and it became a downward spiral for me in '08 September 21st 2008, we had to put Jake to sleep. May 14th Nate broke his teeth.

What was your biggest achievement of the year?
My two beautiful children

9. What was your biggest failure?
Read the above about work.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Typical illnesses, that's about it.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
My favorite pair of black pants, OH and my treadmill. Lot's of new bras and underwear from use on my treadmill... bye bye old maternity granny panties.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
My kids, my husband, Max recovering into single dogdum.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Read above about employee... and then 2 other employees after her.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Food, clothes for kids and HOLY CRAP Marisa uses a lot of diapers!!

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
President Elect Obama. Nathan had a great birthday party. My vacation with Chris, my kids.

16. What song will always remind you of 2008?
I'm Yours by Jason Mraz, Sorry by Buckcherry.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) About the same, or leaning toward sadder...
b) thinner or fatter? thinner- THINNER!!!
c) richer or poorer? POORER BOO!
18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Exercise!
19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
working
20. How did you spend Christmas?
With my family.
21. Did you fall in love in 2008?
Yes, sustained the marriage love, grew into deeper love with both kids.

22. What was your favorite TV program?
How I met your mother, Rock of Love (say it loud and proud!) House Hunters, Kitchen Nightmares.
23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Nope.
24. What was the best book you read?
Book? HA! I read only one book. The Jon and Kate plus 8 book... so I guess that one.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Jason Mraz, although I knew of him before, fell in love this year.

26. What did you want and get?
A new office with a door and window! A new car. A new phone. A new computer. Thank you work!

27. What did you want and not get?
Another year with Jake.

28. What was your favorite film of this year?
Knocked up. I know... very shallow, I hope that was this year :-)

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Went to lunch with Janna and my mom (day after)

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
If the stupid things at work had not happened, Nate hadn't broken his teeth (5 dentist appts later).

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
Dressy and jewlery!
32. What kept you sane?
Wine, good employees, reality tv.
33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
None.
34. What political issue stirred you the most?
Easy, Universal Preschool, Quality Rating System for Childcare.

35. Who did you miss?
Jason and Jake.
36. Who was the best new person you met?
Definitely Kyra at work.
37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.
You get what you get and you don't throw a fit.
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