Just an Update

Emily lost another tooth this morning, and the tooth right next to it is quite loose.

My little girl really is growing up.

I have been so lazy this week...I don't know why really. Just tired I guess. I have piles of laundry to fold and the playroom still isn't organized. I am hoping that this weekend will bring a burst of energy or something so I can get this place back in order.

My last official day of work is March 14. I am so excited about that I can't even tell you. I technically only have 7 working days left, as I have the next two Wednesday's off. I will miss some of the people. There is somewhat of a sadness attached to this only because something that has been part of my life for almost 8 years is ending. That's about it though. I really am looking forward to being home with my family at night and seeing more of Emily especially. I hardly see her during the week now and it's hard.

I guess that's about it for now. I am going to go watch ER from last night and fold clothes.

You are getting sleepy

I am at my wits end with Emily. Here's the situation.

She goes to bed every night at 8:00. For one or two hours before she actually falls to sleep, she is in her room...either playing or yelling down that she can't sleep, asking if she can come back down. This happens almost every night without fail.

When she wakes up at 7:10 every morning to get ready for school, she is a big grump...and that's putting it kindly. She takes her sweet time eating, getting dressed, doing her hair etc. I used to let her watch tv while she was getting ready but, it took her even longer so I took that tv away in the morning before school. She complains about having to get up("Call me when breakfast is ready Mom" "Do I have to get up?" etc),and like I said, when she does get up, she takes forever to get ready. On top of that she whines and cries about everything...what she is served for breakfast, me having to use the hairdryer on her hair, what I have packed her for lunch etc. It's not like I make her eat something she doesn't like for either breakfast or lunch but it always seems like whatever I do make is just "not what she wants." She wants to buy lunch everday which I don't agree with(at least when I make it, I know what she is eating) so, as a compromise, I let her pick one day each week that she can buy.

I am thinking that maybe this whole situation is due to lack of sleep. We used to put Katherine and Emily to bed at the same time(7-7:30) but, because Emily is older and doesn't need as much sleep as her sister, and as a special treat for Emily we changed her bedtime to 8:00. I was hoping that this would be an exciting thing to Emily, but also that keeping her up a little later would help her fall asleep quicker.

It's not working.

Me being me, I researched a little online to find out what the general feeling was regaring how much sleep a 6 year old needs. According to everything I have found...the average 6 year old needs 9 to 11 hours, with no nap.

Apparently, Emily is on the lower end of the spectrum...needing only 9. She usually doesn't fall asleep until sometime between 9:00 and 10:00. If she wants to play in her room for a couple of hours while she is up there, I really don't have a problem. Soon, most of her toys will be downstairs in the playroom (which is in the process of being organized) so maybe she will just get bored and fall asleep. I doubt it though. No matter what her surroundings are, Emily always manages to find some way of entertaining herself. Under normal circumstances this would be a good thing.

When I have to deal with a grumpy, unyielding 6 year old every morning, it is not.

I don't know what to do though. I don't think it would be appropriate for me to keep her up until 10:00 every night. That certainly wouldn't help with the crankiness every morning seing as she is up in her room that late anyway. No matter what we do, she almost never falls asleep at a what would seem a normal hour for a child of her age and I can't seem to think of anything that would force that.

I don't even know if forcing would be a good thing, even if I could think of a way.

What do I want? I want her to go to bed at whatever time she feels is right for her(even if it means playing for awhile) and for her to wake up in the morning cheerful. Any suggestions?

New National Symbol

The government announced today that it is changing its emblem to a condom because it more clearly reflects the government's political stance.

A condom: stands up to inflation, halts production, destroys the next generation, protects a bunch of pricks, and gives you a sense of security while you're actually being screwed.

Damn, it just doesn't get more accurate than that.

Too Much

Do you ever feel like you have so much to do so much that you cant seem to figure out where to begin?

If you have, you feel like I do now.

I have so much that I want to get done and I cant seem to prioritize. So, I end up doing none of what I wanted or needed to. Its insane.

We leave for our mini ski vacation on Saturday. I cant wait to go-not that I ski or anything, or could even if I did. I am just excited for my children-and to just get away for a few days.

One of the things I need to do is pack. I will probably concentrate on that beginning Thursday. We are going for five days so I have a lot of packing to do.

I think Emily may be allergic to cheese. Long story but in a nutshell, she has randomly thrown up on two separate occasions over the past three days. She has no other symptoms of anything and minutes after she vomited, she is back to her usual self. No fever, cold, nothing. The only connection I can make between the two incidents is cheese. Its weird. Anyway, I am just going to watch her see what I can decipher and if need be call the doc.

Not sure if I will be back before we leave doubt it but, hey check back I may just surprise you.

Unspeakable horror

I think I may have committed a mortal sin. If you aren't sitting down, please do so now. Are you sitting? Yes? OK here goes.

I just threw away a half-full sleeve of Thin Mints.

I know. The horror. An atrocity. A definite blemish on my Girl Scout cookie eating report. A sin no doubt.

I couldn't help it though no really. I was sitting here at my desk reorganizing it as I always do and there they were. Sitting in between my Showtime water jug and my mouse. I kept looking at them staring them down if you will. The thought of actually eating them turned my stomach, no question some kind of pregnancy related weirdness.

I mean who would actually think such unspeakable thoughts? They are after all Girl Scout cookies -Thin Mints no less.

So, I just did it I reached over, grabbed the sleeve and threw it in to the circular file. Finished. Done. Kaput.

And as a result, I have very strong feelings that I may burn in hell for all eternity.

NADA

I just called in to work. For no other reason except...well I just don't feel like going. I am tired...I was literally falling asleep at my desk last night, but that's it. Not sick, no sick children, nothing. Plain and simple, I just didn't want to be there.

I feel slightly bad about that...but not really. What do I owe them? Are they not laying me off in a month? I admit, I am not all that upset about the lay off, but still...what do I owe them?

NADA.

Yesterday, I signed Emily up to go here. She has been asking me to do an acting singing thing for weeks. This school has an excellent reputation and I think Emily will really like it. She will be in the musical theatre class. There will be a recital at the end of the school year and then over the summer, they have a summer arts festival in which they will be doing the musical "Footloose."

I have to go shower now before I get Em off of the bus, into the car, and off to Girl Scouts.