I have so much to say that it’s honestly a bit overwhelming – as usual. Till I have some more time (which I should soon – see the note about pumping), here’s the quick and dirty:
- We successfully drove 550 miles each way from NC to Ohio with three toddlers. We stayed in a non-kid house for a week and all lived to tell the story, as did our friendship with the no-kid couple who graciously opened their house to us.
- We ended up ordering 20 lb. of ground beef, 20 lb. of chicken breasts and 20 rib eye steaks – our freezer is now stocked and ready for good eats.
- ETC had their first real beach visit. Toby hated it with a passion, Eleanor loved it, and Callista was pretty OK with it after a bit of getting used to.
- Toby has gotten his first and second haircut.
- I’ve decided to not chop my hair again, so I’m returning to the tried and true Curly Girl Method, only this time I’m armed with products that have gotten a few friends’ seals of approval instead of flying by the seat of my pants.
- Toddlers like sticky things. I broke out a sheet of contact paper today and blew their minds.
- I’m currently in a culinary/fashion/beauty/creative/reading/writing rut, but I’m trying to dig my way out of it. If I can do it without Pinterest, I’m awarding myself bonus points. I’m kinda over that site. Holy linky-click overload, batman!
- My book of the month (because it’s taking me that long) is Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin. I think I’ve been on chapter 4 for about a month. Ugh.
- Pumping – I think I’m done. Think. I’ve gone nearly a whole week since my last session, and breastfeeding on its own (down to twice daily now for all 3 kiddos, not including the occasional overnight or during-illness extras) has been working so far. I’m calling it a temporary separation from my pump, and I’m not quite ready to return it to Hygeia yet (and I’m way overdue for a Hygeia/Medela comparison review – remind me!), but I think we’re close. Whoa, nelly! I was down to two pumping sessions a day, so the biggest time release for me will be before bedtime, which can happen a whole hour sooner, give or take. Niiiiiiice.
I think not laughing at some of the hilariously awful/gross/wrong things kids do is one of the toughest parts of parenting. Case in point, today, Toby and Eleanor learned the comedic value of showing off chewed-up food. What did I do? Laugh and record the hilarity, of course.
I’ll work on manners next time they do it. Promise.
“I’m going to throw in a load of laundry real quick.”
“Can you check his diaper real quick?”
“Can you do me a really quick favor?”
“I just need to get ready real quick.”
It’s not proper English, but it’s become a staple in my vocabulary.
I don’t know if I said “real quick” (or similar variations) as frequently in my pre-triplets days, but I say it almost constantly now.
When asking for help, it’s become almost an apology or at least an assurance that the favor isn’t something terribly taxing.
“I don’t want to bother you,” in other words.
When I use it to define my own tasks, it’s almost always an apology for needing to do one thing while one/two/three other things wait. It’s also an assurance that I’ll be ready to move onto my next chore great adventure lickity split.
I need to slow down. I know I do. I’ve needed to slow down since the day Toby, Eleanor and Callista came home from NICU, but I just can’t seem to do it. Well, either I can’t, or everything else won’t exactly let me.
On one hand, being constantly in motion isn’t such a bad thing. On the other, it’s exhausting. One finger of that other hand – the index finger that shows No. 1 – tells me that, more than being exhausting, it’s stretching. I am constantly working to avoid being stretched too thin, especially where my kids are concerned. I hope I have never said, “Let me read this book real quick,” or “I just need to give E/T/C a hug real quick.”
I’m quite guilty of untangling a clinger when I need to cook dinner to appease the hunger that’s causing said clinginess (x3 in most cases, though it’s sometimes clingy, fussy and OMG THE WORLD IS ENDING) , but I’ve had to learn to prioritize and accept that leaving them behind “real quick” is sometimes what they need more than a cuddle that would only staunch the wound. For the greater good, as Gindelwald said.
Or is it? Welcome to my brain battle.
I grew up eating meat direct from a local butcher, and if you’re used to the same, you can imagine the shock and horror face I wore when I first cooked ground beef I bought at the local grocery store shortly after moving 550 miles from home.
It didn’t take long for me to start begging frozen packages of meat off my parents, and we’ve done so ever since. Buying in bulk just didn’t make sense for me and Rob. We didn’t eat enough of it to bother, and if we couldn’t get it from my parents, we just pretty much went without.
But now. Now we have three extra eaters in the house, and while you wouldn’t think three tiny toddlers would require that much more food, YOU’RE WRONG.
It’s time for us to buy bulk on our own.
Internet Big Brother, don’t mind me as I exhaust the Web in search of advice on picking out chicken, pork and beef options and cuts. “They have whatever you want,” just isn’t helpful enough for this choosy shopper, and why oh why doesn’t our butcher have a real Web site? Oh, that’s right. They’re old fashioned farmer types, and that’s part of what keeps their shop classically and perfectly delicious.
P.S. Buying bulk meat is going to give me that final punch on my Official Grownup card. Yikes!
I read to cope. I read for a lot of reasons, but the most important reasons in recent years has been for the escape.
Reading is my favorite way to travel. No packing, no layovers, no getting lost and terrified of being eaten alive by USA haters and absolutely no need of a flux capacitor or plutonium to get that all-important 1.21 gigawatts.
Counting to 10 with deep breaths doesn’t do squat. Neither does the bottom of a chip bag or a bottle/glass of booze.
Ah, the life of a nerd. For virtually nothing (public libraries, holla!), I’m swept away to somewhere far, far away from any given stress of my day.
This is why I read a lot of YA. This is why I love historic fiction. Take me away. Far, far away. Let me forget, regroup and come back to reality fresh and ready for the next round.
I’m about to start my 12th new book of 2012 – never thought I’d get this far even though it isn’t that impressive. I used to blog about each book I read, but my free time has whittled away to allow only quick reviews or even just star ratings on my Goodreads account. If you’re interested in checking out what I’ve read and my reviews, spy on my Goodreads list. I also keep track of what I’m hunting down next. I’m a list-loving nerd, yes I am!
