*collapses*
My day at work yesterday went wonderfully fast, and because I got there a little before 8, I was able to leave a little before 4. Perfect. admiringbog and I chatted during my drive home to sort out our Girls' Night plans and I ended up picking up Mia from daycare and just taking her straight to admiringbog's house. The girls played together, Michelle and I chatted, we fed the girls dinner and... waited. The boys got caught in a little bit of traffic that was, blessedly, not nearly as bad as the night before (over two hours sitting still), but still delayed them.
By the time they got there, shortly after 7, we were chomping at the bit and practically raced out of the house. Thanks to a recommendation from dawntreader90 and our own curiosities, we checked out a new sushi place in Bel Air called Zen16. dawntreader90 has been numerous times and consistently enjoyed it, so we had high hopes - and they were met! It's a small, intimate restaurant in a shopping center, and it apparently hasn't yet been discovered by the masses judging by the rather thin crowd. I hope they're getting enough to at least keep them open because the food was awesome. We had a tempura platter appetizers and it was light and crispy just like tempura should be. I got a spider roll, my new standard, a Baltimore roll (lump crabmeat and asparagus, topped with a bit of Old Bay) and a Zen roll (shrimp and a crab salad type thing were involved), which was my favorite. The Baltimore roll was lacking in flavor aside from the Old Bay, so I think I'd skip that next time and just stick with the Spider and Zen. Michelle was pleased with her rolls, too, and we were practically rolled out the door.
Michelle had some stuff she needed from Target for her students the next day, so we swung by there and made a quick run before going back to her house. As we were sitting in the driveway chatting, agentoz came out and said "home already?" We told him that we'd run out of things to do and, besides, Michelle had schoolwork she needed to take care. He told us that we weren't very good at this yet, and we agreed that we're still learning how to plan these nights out. On my way home I called Ed and he said "that was fast". Yeah, yeah, we get it.
Came home, watched some TV, read a little "Second Chance," and crashed. My alarm went off at 5:30 and shortly after I hit snooze, Little Miss woke up in tears. 5:30 is far earlier than she gets up on her own, so I tried to pat her and get her back to sleep for 20 minutes or so, but soon gave up and brought her into the bedroom to get us both ready for the day. She was a Chatty Cathy, running around and amusing both myself and a half-asleep Ed.
We headed out shortly after 6 and I was at work by 7:30 even with a stop at Dunkin Donuts for breakfast. Impressive, if I do say so myself! Unfortunately I'm still dragging having not recovered from Mia's middle-of-the-night escapades earlier this week, and the iced coffee I took to work with me only did so much. At lunchtime Work Wifey and I got the heck out of the office for awhile and made a Trader Joe's run where I picked up tempeh for Mia, two kinds of hummus for Ed and I, pita chips, a present for admiringbog, and some frozen appetizers for Friday's date night at home. They were out of the kind I really wanted, so tomorrow may end up frozen pizza night again and appetizers next week, hoping TJ's gets the raspberry and brie phyllo back in stock.
Thanks to getting in so early, my work day ended at 3:30 and I hightailed it out. I chatted with Audrey during my drive to get the latest update on her and the boys, and got to daycare around 4:30. My daycare provider was just sitting down to feed a very whiny Mia and recommended I let her eat before we went. She was miserable and whined the entire time she ate. Then she whined the entire drive to Target, where I needed to pick up a ton of toiletries. I managed to keep her entertained there, and longed for her infant-in-a-carrier days when I had to use the restroom and ended up having to put her on my lap while I did so. How do other Moms do it? Just hold it? I tried... it wasn't working.
Anyway, we got out of there and Mia was relatively subdued during the drive home, but as soon as we got in the house, the whining ramped up again. It was only 6:00, so I put her off until 6:45, desperately trying to keep her occupied and drown out the whining, but finally caved and took her upstairs for an early bath and bedtime. She had a 2 hour morning and 1 1/2 hour afternoon nap, which are both normal lengths for her, but with getting up so early this morning I think she was just beat.
I'm so ready for this week to be over. Monday I wrestled with Mia from the time I picked her up until the time she went to bed because Ed was so hungry for dinner when he got home that he immediately started cooking. Tuesday I dealt with her from pick-up to bedtime because he was stuck in horrendous traffic until a ridiculous hour of the night. Last night I had to deal with her until practically her bedtime, even though it was Girls' Night, because they hit traffic again, and tonight he went to Guys' Night with agentoz. Tomorrow night's Happy Hour for them, so I'll probably end up dealing with her from pick up to bedtime for the fourth time this week. I honestly don't know how single parents do it, and each and every one them has my respect. This is nothing compared to what they deal with each and every day, and while I know I'll get a break this weekend because Ed and I will both be around to share parenting duties, single parents don't have that luxury.
Mia's fallen asleep already and I'm watching the "America's Next Top Model" finale (I managed to avoid spoilers this year! Edited to add - that pink Versace dress that Whitney wore in the runway show? GORGEOUS! She looked amazing! I really hope she wins this round) and trying to stay awake a little bit longer. I think I'm going to watch this, read for a little bit, and go to bed early. I want to get to work as early as I did today so that I can leave as early again. I may go to the grocery store tomorrow after I pick Mia up, but it'll depend entirely upon my mood and how much sleep I get tonight. Saturday I need to make something to take to Brandon's birthday party, which is that evening. I don't know how I'm going to wrangle Mia for the after-graduation-party, which is due to start right around her bedtime. Wonderful. Sunday I don't have plans, but I really want to get back to church. I haven't been in awhile and I've missed it. It's the annual church picnic that day, so I'd like to get Ed and Mia to come up after service and have lunch there with me.
My make-up artist for the wedding, Nicole Palermo, continues to be absolutely amazing and has offered to do yet another kind thing for me in the whole wedding process. I'm in awe of her, her generosity, and her friendliness. She's restored my faith in humanity and I can't wait to meet her.
Also? I'm grateful for Work Wifey. She's a constant energy and attitude booster for me, we're so much alike, and it's nice to have someone in the office each day who I get along with so very well. We read the same books, watch the same TV shows and movies, have the same taste in clothes, have the same sense of humor, and struggle with a lot of the same issues. I think we bounce off of each other very well and have made a name for ourselves as the Trouble Twins, which is incredibly amusing.
I have wonderful friends in general, but after today, I needed to highlight Work Wifey. She was a great help to me today without even realizing it, and I'm lucky to have her in my life.
And now, I watch TV and go.to.bed. So, so tired.
By the time they got there, shortly after 7, we were chomping at the bit and practically raced out of the house. Thanks to a recommendation from dawntreader90 and our own curiosities, we checked out a new sushi place in Bel Air called Zen16. dawntreader90 has been numerous times and consistently enjoyed it, so we had high hopes - and they were met! It's a small, intimate restaurant in a shopping center, and it apparently hasn't yet been discovered by the masses judging by the rather thin crowd. I hope they're getting enough to at least keep them open because the food was awesome. We had a tempura platter appetizers and it was light and crispy just like tempura should be. I got a spider roll, my new standard, a Baltimore roll (lump crabmeat and asparagus, topped with a bit of Old Bay) and a Zen roll (shrimp and a crab salad type thing were involved), which was my favorite. The Baltimore roll was lacking in flavor aside from the Old Bay, so I think I'd skip that next time and just stick with the Spider and Zen. Michelle was pleased with her rolls, too, and we were practically rolled out the door.
Michelle had some stuff she needed from Target for her students the next day, so we swung by there and made a quick run before going back to her house. As we were sitting in the driveway chatting, agentoz came out and said "home already?" We told him that we'd run out of things to do and, besides, Michelle had schoolwork she needed to take care. He told us that we weren't very good at this yet, and we agreed that we're still learning how to plan these nights out. On my way home I called Ed and he said "that was fast". Yeah, yeah, we get it.
Came home, watched some TV, read a little "Second Chance," and crashed. My alarm went off at 5:30 and shortly after I hit snooze, Little Miss woke up in tears. 5:30 is far earlier than she gets up on her own, so I tried to pat her and get her back to sleep for 20 minutes or so, but soon gave up and brought her into the bedroom to get us both ready for the day. She was a Chatty Cathy, running around and amusing both myself and a half-asleep Ed.
We headed out shortly after 6 and I was at work by 7:30 even with a stop at Dunkin Donuts for breakfast. Impressive, if I do say so myself! Unfortunately I'm still dragging having not recovered from Mia's middle-of-the-night escapades earlier this week, and the iced coffee I took to work with me only did so much. At lunchtime Work Wifey and I got the heck out of the office for awhile and made a Trader Joe's run where I picked up tempeh for Mia, two kinds of hummus for Ed and I, pita chips, a present for admiringbog, and some frozen appetizers for Friday's date night at home. They were out of the kind I really wanted, so tomorrow may end up frozen pizza night again and appetizers next week, hoping TJ's gets the raspberry and brie phyllo back in stock.
Thanks to getting in so early, my work day ended at 3:30 and I hightailed it out. I chatted with Audrey during my drive to get the latest update on her and the boys, and got to daycare around 4:30. My daycare provider was just sitting down to feed a very whiny Mia and recommended I let her eat before we went. She was miserable and whined the entire time she ate. Then she whined the entire drive to Target, where I needed to pick up a ton of toiletries. I managed to keep her entertained there, and longed for her infant-in-a-carrier days when I had to use the restroom and ended up having to put her on my lap while I did so. How do other Moms do it? Just hold it? I tried... it wasn't working.
Anyway, we got out of there and Mia was relatively subdued during the drive home, but as soon as we got in the house, the whining ramped up again. It was only 6:00, so I put her off until 6:45, desperately trying to keep her occupied and drown out the whining, but finally caved and took her upstairs for an early bath and bedtime. She had a 2 hour morning and 1 1/2 hour afternoon nap, which are both normal lengths for her, but with getting up so early this morning I think she was just beat.
I'm so ready for this week to be over. Monday I wrestled with Mia from the time I picked her up until the time she went to bed because Ed was so hungry for dinner when he got home that he immediately started cooking. Tuesday I dealt with her from pick-up to bedtime because he was stuck in horrendous traffic until a ridiculous hour of the night. Last night I had to deal with her until practically her bedtime, even though it was Girls' Night, because they hit traffic again, and tonight he went to Guys' Night with agentoz. Tomorrow night's Happy Hour for them, so I'll probably end up dealing with her from pick up to bedtime for the fourth time this week. I honestly don't know how single parents do it, and each and every one them has my respect. This is nothing compared to what they deal with each and every day, and while I know I'll get a break this weekend because Ed and I will both be around to share parenting duties, single parents don't have that luxury.
Mia's fallen asleep already and I'm watching the "America's Next Top Model" finale (I managed to avoid spoilers this year! Edited to add - that pink Versace dress that Whitney wore in the runway show? GORGEOUS! She looked amazing! I really hope she wins this round) and trying to stay awake a little bit longer. I think I'm going to watch this, read for a little bit, and go to bed early. I want to get to work as early as I did today so that I can leave as early again. I may go to the grocery store tomorrow after I pick Mia up, but it'll depend entirely upon my mood and how much sleep I get tonight. Saturday I need to make something to take to Brandon's birthday party, which is that evening. I don't know how I'm going to wrangle Mia for the after-graduation-party, which is due to start right around her bedtime. Wonderful. Sunday I don't have plans, but I really want to get back to church. I haven't been in awhile and I've missed it. It's the annual church picnic that day, so I'd like to get Ed and Mia to come up after service and have lunch there with me.
My make-up artist for the wedding, Nicole Palermo, continues to be absolutely amazing and has offered to do yet another kind thing for me in the whole wedding process. I'm in awe of her, her generosity, and her friendliness. She's restored my faith in humanity and I can't wait to meet her.
Also? I'm grateful for Work Wifey. She's a constant energy and attitude booster for me, we're so much alike, and it's nice to have someone in the office each day who I get along with so very well. We read the same books, watch the same TV shows and movies, have the same taste in clothes, have the same sense of humor, and struggle with a lot of the same issues. I think we bounce off of each other very well and have made a name for ourselves as the Trouble Twins, which is incredibly amusing.
I have wonderful friends in general, but after today, I needed to highlight Work Wifey. She was a great help to me today without even realizing it, and I'm lucky to have her in my life.
And now, I watch TV and go.to.bed. So, so tired.