Busy, busy, busy…

I have come to the realization that I only have time to write blog posts on the weekends (ha! as if I really have time on the weekends).

I apologize to my reader (Hi Jess).

 

Hell’s Kitchen HR Style.

I am NOT a chef by ANY stretch of the imagination. I hate cooking. I hate cleaning up after cooking. Most of the time I screw up the recipe so I hate the final product. I just do NOT like to cook, nor am I any good at it when I put my mind to it.

However, at work we have monthly Pot-luck lunches with different themes. Since I’ve been here we’ve had a “dip” themed pot-luck, a thanksgiving dinner pot-luck, and a desert-ish pot-luck. For each of these I store bought my item to bring. All of my co-workers know I don’t like to cook and that my family is an instant/boxed meal type of family. They think it’s hilarious.

So, today we have a “salad” themed pot-luck. My first thought was to go to the store and buy the already-cut up fruit, mix it together, and serve a delicious fruit salad. I really should have stuck with this idea.

Do you see where this is going?

I decide to go outside of my comfort zone and actually try to put something together. Now, mind you, I never attempt anything without a recipe. Ever. I wish I could be like one of those “Top Chef” individuals who actually know what flavors and spices go together, and who can whip up a 5 star meal with little more than a spatula, some garlic, and an open flame. But I’m not.

So, I find what I think is the EASIEST shrimp salad recipe EVER and I decide to go with this: shrimp, lemon juice, dill, cucumbers, celery and a little mayonaise. Sounds delicious amiright?

First thing to note: my house is not a house that has fresh produce readily available. Therefore, we have no celery or cucumber. In addition, we usually don’t keep shrimp on hand either. So in order to make this salad I needed to go to the store. One thing I hate more than cooking is GROCERY SHOPPING! UGH! Fucking kill me now. So I put it off, and I put it off, and all of a sudden it’s the Thursday night before the pot-luck lunch, and I’ve still not gone to the store. I finally decide to go to the store after I put my children to bed last night. But before I had the chance a Vodka and lemonaide appeared in front of me and the last thought I had while greedily sucking down my adult beverage was “Eh, I’ll go in the morning.”

So there I am at 6:30 in the morning with my nearly 4 year old who LOVES TO HELP SHOP!!! looking for the damn bags of already-cooked-but-still-frozen shrimp. And I can’t find them. So, instead of those handy bags with the already de-tailed and cooked shrimp I get a HUGE platter of already cooked shrimp, but still with the tail on, and decide that I have nothing better to do with my time before work pulling the damn tails off these shrimp to put into my shrimp salad.

NOT TOMENTION, I’m pretty sure I put too much dill in the sauce.

So, it’s going to be interesting. I’m really starting to think I had taken the hubs’ advice and just mixed some lettuce with marzetti’s and called it a day.

On motherhood (the first of many, I feel sure…)

Oh.my.lord. This parenting is going to KILL me.

The littlest turned 1 about 3 weeks ago and since then he has REALLY been showing his “colors”. Refuse to give him the pearing knife we used to cut an apple. SCREAAAMMMM. Gently place him out of reach of the curtains that could easily be pulled down. SCREAAAMMMM HOLLER HOLLERRRR!!! Try to tell him in a soothing voice that it’s probably better if we sit in the… SIT in the… FOR THE LOVE OF GOD SIT IN THE BATH-TUB!!! WAIIIILLLLL SCREAAAMMMM HOLLLLEEEERRRRRRRRRRR!!!

This is all in addition to my nearly 4 year old who is testing me every-time I turn around.

Wow, am I tired.

 

And because I haven’t yet introduced Baby 2.0

He’s thrilled to meet you.

Totes Fab.

I used that phrase in an email earlier today and I loved it. So even though it has nothing to do with this post I’m using it as my title.

(First world problem rant ahead)

I received my new bag last week. I don’t like it. I’m very disappointed. The style bag I got has been raved about by online fans and I thought I’d get the bag and use it as my work bag. The pattern is BE-U-TIFUL; however, it is just so.heavy. Now, I’ve been known to carry a large bag or two in my time because I like to be prepared when out and about. But this bag was just ridiculous. I think it was heavy to begin with becaus of the fabric; and once I put my water-bottle, deodorant, make-up, various boy child “things”, and a couple of other work-ish, end-of-the-world-ish, type things, it was incredibly unmanageable EVEN FOR ME!!! And I am not one to shy away from a gorgeous big bag just because my shoulder might ache for the majority of the day. But this was bad even for me.

Alas, I had to send it back. SOB.

BUT, fear not. Petunia patterns are available in not one but usually 3 or 4 different bag styles. I will be trying a size smaller (in the same fabric) and hope to the lord baby HAY-SOOSE that it is less cumbersome and pain-inducing. But now I have to wait for the bag DE BEHEMOTH to ship BACK to Pasadena and have Petunia send me the new bag, which in my mind will take until my youngest child starts high school. SO NOT FUN!!!

On a completely unrelated note, Hubs is going to the physician on March 6th for the first time in like 10 years. SERIOUSLY. I’ve known him for a little over 5 years and the ONLY time he’s gone to the Dr in that time period was when he needed to get his immunizations for immigration purposes. And before then, who knows when the last time was, ’cause I mean, seriously, he’s Balkan. They believe in the healing powers of butter, water, and a lack of air conditioning. It is rare that a Balkan will go to the Doctor for a serious issue let alone a check up. I felt bad giving my teething toddler teething tablets in front of my Mami-in-law a few years ago, and do you know how long it took me to get Hubs to appreciate Ibuprofen/Tylenol. They JUST do NOT take a lot of pill-type-medication.

For a while we didn’t have health insurance so it was “ok” that he wasn’t going to the doctor. However, upon commencement of my employment almost a year ago, we obtained insurance and I’ve finally convinced him to go.

woot!

Vomit.

My baby (one year old is still considered a “baby”, right?) vomits. A lot. At least once a day we have to run him to the bathroom and toss his clothes in the trash.

Am I the only parent who has to deal with this on a daily basis?

I find myself bracing for the onslaught of curdled milk every time Pax coughs, clears his throat, BREATHES TOO DEEPLY. It’s ridiculous. Forget about solid pieces of food. Sometimes even the purees make him gag to the point of vomiting. I mentioned this to the Dr. at his one year check up and Doc’s response, “Some babies just have a sensitive gag reflex. He’ll get over it. Just keep letting him experiment with small pieces of food.”

Great. Sounds easy, right?

Until you’re cleaning up cottage-cheese-looking vomit off the dining room carpet and thinking to yourself “When did he eat cottage cheese?” The answer being, HE DIDN’T.

So yes, I’m a little tired of the vomit. And I’m hoping it stops. Otherwise the beh-beh will exist on yogurt and milk.

*******************************************************************

In other news, I ordered a Petunia with my tax refund and it is TOTES going to be here tomorrow. CAN’T WAIT!!!!

So, I’m actually NOT in law school anymore…

But I have no idea how to change the super cool tag line off to the left… so, for now, we’ll leave it as is.

Quick recap for those of you still reading (cough*Jessi*cough):

I graduated Law School.

Moved back in with the mother.

Got pregnant.

Failed the Bar.

Cried.

Became a substitute teacher.

Had Baby-J 2.0.

Started my HR career.

Um. Yeah, I think those were the milestones.

I am now a full-time working mother of two children, and it is CRAY-CRAY having two kids under the age of 5. Let me tell you. I was super rigid with the eldest’s schedule. With 2.0, I have to be totally flexible with his schedule. Now, don’t get me wrong. There are still some things that will never change: ie. 8 p.m bedtime. But I am much more relaxed with nap-times and meal-times. I actually work around the eldest’s schedule, because let’s be honest, a 1 year old cares not about what time he eats, so long as he’s fed. Ifyaknowwhatimean!

My job is fabulous. I work in a field (HR) that I’ve loved for a long time, but which was put on hold for the whole “Law School” thing. I work for the county government in a consolidated office who deals with both county and school employees. I never really understood how freaking obnoxious teachers could be until I started working here.

::Ducks under table as the sister throws evil looks::

So, all in all things are moving along nicely.

I’m still obsessed with Petunia, Pandora, ebay, and my children. That will likely never change.

 

Whoa. Nearly two years have passed.

The biggest news since I stopped writing:

The birth of my second little boy.

I am now the mother to TWO boys and instead of balancing that with law school, I am now trying to balance working full time with raising two tiny children.

 

 

I know, I KNOW, it’s been a while.

I’ve been on a bit of a hiatus the past couple of months. I know I shouldn’t be neglecting this here blog, but a LOT has been happening.

As you all know (and by “all”, I mean Aunt J. What up J!!!) this is my last semester of law school and I have been working the past two months trying desperately to keep my head above water so that I could finish everything that needed to be done while keeping a semblance of sanity.

However, I am proud to say that I completed my final law school exam yesterday and I can now say that I have a Juris Doctor. In other words, I am a Doctor of Law. That’s right. A Doctor.

::Waits for the roaring cheers to quiet down::

So on top of studying/filling out bar applications/writing papers, we (and by “we” I mean “I”) have been packing up the apartment in anticipation of the move that will occur on Sunday.

I.Cant.Wait.

We are moving back in with my mother. I know that may sound weird to some people, but those people would not understand the relationship I have with my mother. She’s totally my BFF. She loves my husband as if he was her own, and of course as cute as Babylicious is, I’m sure even Queen Elizabeth would invite us to stay in her humble abode just for the chance of getting to kiss those chubby two year old cheeks. My mother is thrilled to have us moving in. What grandmother wouldn’t love to see her first grandchild every single day, amirite ladies?

(you are thrilled, right Mom?)

So all in all it’s been a hectic couple of months. I’d like to say that I’m out of the woods and I can relax and look for a job and maybe have some down time. But alas, it is not to be. Starting next week I have thousands of  appointments to get us settled into our new town. And in addition, starting very soon I have to dive head-first into studying for the bar. I will be doing nothing for the next two months but doing practice MBE MCQ’s and Sample Essays. Model Essay Answers, here I come.

No, but really, studying for the bar is going to be brutal, and I am not looking forward to it, but it has to be done. I want to pass the bar the first time. I think I will pass the bar the first time, so long as I put my heart into studying. I’ve told the mother and Hubster that I’m going to need lots of help with Babylicious and they both (mom probably more so than hubster) understand that they will really have to step up and be the primary care-givers to Babylicious. Kind of breaks my heart a little, but look at it this way. If I was working full time I’d be away from him just as long. And to get this done in one go is my primary goal, so then we won’t have to worry about it any longer.

So, what’s babylicious been up to you ask?

He’s found the microwave. Loves to stand on his little step stool and push the buttons. As soon as I say, let’s go eat dinner/lunch/breakfast, he runs to find his stool and then “helps” me with the microwave. We’ve had to keep it unplugged when we’re not using it as we’ve found quite the unsuspecting metal car waiting to be cooked many a time.

Words that babylicious is now saying on a regular basis: car (CAR CAR CAR), train, oh man, uh-oh, eat, cheese, Dega, thank you, ball, cracker… and so many more that I just can’t think of at the moment. His vocabulary grows even though his words aren’t coming quite as fast. He understands everything we tell him to do, “Throw that it the trash”, “Put that back where you found it”, “Let’s eat”, “It’s bathtime”, “Do you want to watch Mickey?”, “Go find your car”, and so on.

Speaking of Mickey, I know “they” say not to allow your child to watch television until after his second birthday, and even then to limit it. But let me tell you, without Mickey’s Clubhouse in the mornings I would never be able to get out of the apartment on time. He watches Mickey almost every morning and he is no worse for the wear. It could be worse. He could be watching Family Guy or American Dad.

pfft… as if I “model mother of the year” would let him watch Family Guy… ha… ha… hmmm.

Anyhoo. Until next time.

::sobs quietly in the corner::

I realized today that I will be unable to attend blogher.

::Collapses dramatically to the floor::

I’m so very sad.

Originally this was going to be a trip that the sister (also a blog fanatic, at least fanatical about a couple o’ blogs) and I would make together. It then evolved into a trip I would be making with Hubster. I was so excited as I’ve read so many of these women for years and I was finally, FINALLY, going to meet some of them.

But it was not to be.

As some of you know (::waves to Aunt J in the front row::) I will be taking the Virginia Bar Exam in July.  This exam is a two day (and by “day” I mean like 12 hours) exam that begins very early on both mornings. This exam is also held in only one city in Virginia. Seeing as though I don’t live anywhere near this particular city, I will be forced to travel. Travel involves hotel rooms. Hotel rooms require funds. I know, right? They actually expect you to PAY for a hotel room? What nerve. Also, lest I faint from hunger and fatigue, traveling also requires food.

I was crunching the numbers today and it will be quite impossible for us to afford both the Bar Exam (which I’ve already dumped QUITE a bit of money into) in addition to Blogher. ::picks self off the floor, wipes nose, sniffles::

Seriously though, I was this close to taking the February 2011 Bar Exam so that I could go to Blogher this year.

However, there is a silver (albeit a little tarnished) lining. Originally I was going to take the Bar by myself, as in travel and stay in the hotel alone. However, since Blogher is no longer feasible, Hubster has decided to travel with me and stay with me in the hotel, and we are going to stay an extra night after the exam as a celebration for getting through it.

(For those of you in law school wondering how in the world I can celebrate after simply “taking” the exam, fear not. The celebration will be muted considering I don’t get the actual results of the exam until October)

I’ve found a lovely woman to purchase my conference pass. I’m sure she will have a blast, as will all those attending.

It just wasn’t in the stars for me this year.