Though I'm trying hard to climb out of the pit, I think both Jeff and I are suffering from a bad case of the "Mondays" today. It doesn't help that someone drove past Jeff in the parking lot at 40 mph and soaked his pant legs (it's been raining all night) and then someone else almost ran him over. That kind of start will dampen most anyone's mood.
I'm suffering from lack of sleep more than anything else. Kadie has definitely closed the door on her napping phase which, I would think, would help her to sleep better at night, but she still wakes up constantly. Whatever happened to my angel that slept for 12 hours every night and never woke up? I'm debating whether or not I should sleep on the couch tonight. That way, I
might make it through the night without being woken up. The poor sleep is really running me down. I'm walking around in a constant state of congestion, frequently causing a sore throat. I have so many canker sores in my mouth right now, eating is difficult and painful and I woke up this morning with my right hand covered in water blisters (which I only get if I'm stressed). I've been working on relaxing,
really I have been, but I think a good night's sleep will go a long way in helping my recovery. I was tempted to take today off just to sleep, but I have a lot on my plate at work and a deadline that's fast approaching - I know, that doesn't help either.
Anyways...we're still trying to maintain a life while awake. This weekend, Jeff took Kadie out in the early morning (anything past 9 or 10 is just too hot and muggy right now) and gave her her first kite-flying lesson. Unfortunately, there wasn't much of a breeze but they tried gallantly for a good 30 or 40 minutes. I took her to Home Depot on Saturday for their Kid's Workshop (they have one every month, usually the first Saturday of the month, from 9-12). She got her very own orange apron and we put together an art caddy. It turned out like a "Homer project" (only Simpsons fans will get that) as mommy doesn't hammer worth jack, but Kadie enjoyed it. She was very proud of the caddy and it took us a good 15 minutes just to get out of the store as she had to stop and show everyone on the way out. She even chased a guy down in the parking lot.
Needless to say, I'll come next month to watch, but it's gonna be daddy that helps her with the kit.
Kadie also helped me make cupcakes for daycare and work. She's getting really good at cracking eggs but she proceeded to wipe her hands all over the counter top and drawers when she was done and I had turned around to put the eggs back into the fridge. At least she didn't try licking them off.
Like I said before, Kadie has put the kibosh on her daily naps. While she seems to do fairly well without them, we're still trying to get her to stay in her room for some quiet time during the afternoon. So far, it's a home version of taking a car trip..."Can I come out yet?" We bought a timer and explained that, once it goes off, she can come out, but has the fact that you're still driving 65 mph down the freeway ever stopped your kid from asking, "Are we there yet?"
The one good thing about all this is that we no longer have to schedule our day around being home for nap. I can get my errands done a lot faster and with less stress - and a lot earlier in the day.
Our neighbors have invited us to a party in a few weeks. Since we don't really live on a block, and because it's just the one family hosting it, I can't really call it a block party, but there's no other way to define it. Apparently, these guys are going all out, too: a catered Bar-b-que, open bar, a DJ, etc. They have a pool and are grandparents, so I'm sure they have kiddie toys for Kadie. Since they're just up the hill from us, it's just a quick walk through their back yard to get there, so we'll probably drop in for a few hours. With the weather being as it has been, any more than that and I'm likely to melt - and I'm going to highly encourage Jeff to wear a hat when we go. Neither one of us are much of the mingling sort, but we've met these people before and they seem very nice. It will be an adventure and I'm sure Kadie will have fun diverting everyone's attention her way.
Work is a little heinous right now. We're both a little stressed out from our respective jobs and working under some tight deadlines. The job I was interviewing for at Jeff's company was filled internally, so I'm back to looking. For the next few weeks though, traffic should be lighter as congress has let out for the month. Of course, once schools start up again, things will get worse and we'll be back to taking the longer (distance) but shorter (time) route. During the summer, we're able to hop on the beltway around Baltimore and shave several miles off our commute but, when schools are in session, the beltway jams with parents and it ends up taking us longer to get home, so we take an alternate route that's mainly a two-lane road through the countryside. It serves us pretty well unless there's an accident but there are sections of it that are similar to the Powers road and, with Kadie's penchant for motion sickness, I'd prefer a different route. Jeff keeps hoping for the invention of hover craft, but I think that might be a ways off into the future.
Hope everything is well over on the west coast. I know the stores are gearing up for back-to-school, so I'm sure some of you are as well. We're still considering our options over here in that regard and will be making some school visits this year. It would be so much easier for us if we felt comfortable sending Kadie to the same Christian school that Tracy sends her girls to, but I just don't think it will be a good environment for her. Too bad private schools don't provide transportation.
Ah, well, I suppose I should get to work. Love and hugs to all.