in a New York (Times) minute

My week at work has been horrendous. And I haven't even had a chance to check my email until now.

I am longing for a week on the Shore.

Yet because of my surgery earlier in the year, I'm running short on vacation days. But it doesn't mean I can't still dream of going out east. Anywhere out east.

So I found it ironic that not only did I get a voicemail from a public relations chick to try to set up a possible interview with a New York Times reporter. I also found an email this morning from a NYT writer. On something completely different.

What?!?! Seriously me? Mom2Amara?

A few days back, the doctor that performed my abdominal myomectomy called me. At work.

Uh oh. I swore she was calling to tell me they found something on my surgery results that didn't show up until six months later.

Neurotic, I know.

What my doctor wanted was a patient willing to talk to the NYT. What I didn't know is that my doc is in the top five in the country for my condition. And she is being interviewed by them and needs me to help them out.

Apparently I am a star patient.

With all the HIPAA laws out there, she wanted to talk to me first before just divulging my personal information.

But I said there was an email too, right?

Oh yeah, I found this in my inbox:

from: Kate
to: Mom2Amara
date: Fri, Jul 18, 2008 at 10:39 AM
subject: interview

I am working on a story for Home section of The New York Times about the frustration of construction site theft. I stumbled on your fun blog and wondered if that has been an issue for you in the building of your house. Have things ever been delayed by stolen wiring or lumber? Windows, a/c units, fixtures gone missing? If yes, are you up for a brief telephone interview?

What? Twice in one week? Are you kidding?

I'm flattered the NYT has come calling. And actually sad to say we haven't had any problems at the work site because it would have been nice for the world to see Amara and our website.

But that's OK.

I still have a chance at one interview. And even then, it'll probably be done in a quick minute. Which gives Amara 60 more seconds in the limelight than we would have had otherwise.

we can't get in our own house

There's a rule when building a house. Going into the house unaccompanied is unacceptable.

It's a liability. You must have a builder's representative with you at all times.

But that rule doesn't apply to Amara and her family.

Nope. We got in Monday.

We snuck in like thieves in the night.

Want a peek? Check it out here.

the room's spinning and it won't stop

Is it seriously Monday already?

I know, I know. I sound like a broken record. Or an old man who walked uphill to school...both ways. But honestly. Where does the time go?

Saturday was a whirlwind day.

After a second visit to the cabinet store (I finally chose the granite for our kitchen. And I changed some things in our master bath.), we rushed to see my girlfriend's band play.

Amara idolizes my girlfriend. And you know what, I do too. So it was a treat for Amara to see her idol take the stage.

Oh and did I mention that I walked crawled at a snail's pace attempted to run a 5K Saturday morning?

I really do love running. And I love running by myself. I was up to 2 miles on my normal route. A nice flat surface, shaded by lots of trees. At a nice leisurely 12 minute mile pace.

So imagine my surprise when I started huffing and puffing at three-quarters of a mile.

I had left my inhaler in the car because I was feeling good that morning. Big mistake.

My running partner (AKA Amara's idol...I saw her lots this past weekend) runs faster than me. And I think I was trying to keep up with her while she tried to slow down to my pace. And she talks while she runs. I'm not used to that. And there was not a tree in sight along our route.

So I resorted to run a bit, walk a bit. I was disappointed I didn't run more. But I had a great time.

Sunday was filled with four trips to our new apartment. The movers come Wednesday. But I wanted to get a head start on some of things I just can't trust to them. (Want a glimpse of the new place? Check out Amara's House blog.)

I'm so tired. But there's still so much to do.

The room's spinning. And I can't get it to stop.

Maybe I need another drink. Or maybe I need to get a good run in.

Whatever it is, I need another 8 hours in the day to complete it.

Thanks to everyone's kind thoughts and prayers regarding Lola2Amara. She was discharged from the hospital on Sunday. The doctor's say things look good right now. But they've warned us that she will need yet another surgery in four to six months. But for right now, she's doing ok. And that's good news for us.

a picture perfect weekend

It's a cop out of a post, I know.

But have you checked out Amara's house blog lately?

We've had a lot go on lately. And I'd love to share all of it with you.

he knows how to light my fire

Dad2Amara has the patience of Job.

He not only deals with Amara. But he puts up with me.

And that includes when I change my mind for the umpteenth time over kitchen cabinetry for the new house. Or when I ask if we can consider different flooring for the mudroom.

Or even when I tell him I h-a-t-e the lighting he chose for the new house.

Luckily, he let me pick some lights out on my own.

Want to see what's in store? Click here!

building a dream

Want some weekend reading?

Have you checked out what's going on with Amara's new house?

The building has begun!

foundation isn't just makeup

I need to hit Sephora. Yet when I said "foundation," this is what Dad2Amara had in mind.

building frustration

I'm over here today. Hope you'll come see what's brought on new aggravation to my so called life.

things were hopping moving this Easter

It's amazing how quickly holidays fly by now that I am an "adult."

But it doesn't mean it's any less fun. Or busy.

Our Easter began with all of us sleeping through our alarms.

Nothing like getting to church late on Easter morning. We had to stand for half of the service. Good times. But I digress.

Amara awoke to her Easter basket filled to the brim with goodies.


I hurriedly got her dressed and out the door for church and for dinner at Grandma2Amara's.


After stuffing ourselves silly with ham and all the fixings, Dad2Amara rushed home so we could...pack.

Yes, we signed the contract on a new house!

Our realtor came over Friday and suggested we pack up most of our stuff for staging.

Now, you don't have to take my word for it. However, I am not a pack rat. And clutter drives me crazy. So I can honestly say everything has a purpose and a place in my home.

So it confused me to be instructed to pack up our belongings.

But right now, my realtor's wish is my every command.

So we purged our earthly possessions as much as we could in six hours before calling it a night.

The purge will continue all week. And hopefully we'll have the house on the market come next week.

We're so excited to be moving. We'll have more space. A better school district for Amara. And we'll shave more than 10 minutes on our commute.

We're moving and shaking now. Be prepared for more posts to come on the house building process!

the grinch who stole Thanksgiving

Many moons ago, Mama Zen tagged me with such a great meme.

What's the view from your front door?

I had come up with various topics to complete the perfect posts. I have a Great Lake at the end of my street. On any given day, the view is spectacular. The neighborhood kids enjoy playing with Amara and can be seen trampling frolicking in the yard. My street is suburbia at its best.

But over the weekend, this could be seen from my window.


Are you kidding me?

At last check, it was barely mid-November. The Halloween candy is still sitting in my kitchen. I have to fight the evils of retail, fending off Christmas tree ornaments and zoning out jingle bells playing overhead. And now, I must face bright red and green lights...all before the turkey is fully roasted.

Christmas is my second favorite time of year. (It's second only to my birthday.) But the Christmas season hasn't truly begun. I know that. You know that. But why the heck don't my neighbors know that?

I even tried to get into the holiday spirit by baking tonight. Eight dozen cookies later, I was bitter because the last four dozen were of a new recipe that didn't end up quite right. (The apple drop cookies were delicious...but I'm not happy with how they look. I could never bribe my new coworkers share them with friends.)

So like a good country song, I'll take the view from my front porch looking in. Because gazing out my window blinds me right now.

how being overweight makes a house a home

I drove past Ethan Allen recently and made a mental sticky note to stop in one of these days to look for a settee. I don't really need one. But I've been talking about getting one. Now's as good of a time as ever.

Dad2Amara is talking again about putting the Yellow House up on the market. This time, he's thinking the end of the year.

Yet, I still managed to find another must have for the Yellow House.

We moved into the Yellow House just before Amara was born. And ever so slowly, it has truly become a home.

The kitchen is the central part of our home. It's quite the hub for activity -- be it breakfast or for a party with friends. I will always hold close to my heart dear memories of decorating my first batch of Christmas cookies with Amara. Cookies that have inevitably added to my increasing waistline.

And it's not just the memories.

Virtually every piece of furniture in the Yellow House was bought after we moved in. So everything seems to "fit."

And we've been able to accessorize, paint, and wainscot to my heart's content because Dad2Amara and I have had some extra change to doll up the house. Why? Because I haven't added to my wardrobe in a loooooong time.

It's no secret. I have gained 30 pounds since last summer. Call it a combination of factors -- stress, laziness, work schedule, a change in family obligations.

So in the end, I refuse to buy new clothes until I'm back to my "normal" weight. No way am I going to hit my favorite stores until I'm twice the size of Kate Moss. I don't like knowing my measurements are five times hers.

Much to the dismay of Dad2Amara, I instead buy home furnishings.

There are perks to being fat.

But I have to admit. The house does look nice.

today's good: It's a little link love today. Happened upon this designer's blog. It's inspiring, hip, and totally cute. I'm envious of artsy, creative people like this!

today's bad: Work.

have a seat

...and stay for awhile. It's post #300!

Do you like the new sofa? It's found a new home in our basement/playroom. You can't tell by the picture but it's super comfy. It just consumes you when you sit down. Very cushy. And it's textured so it will hide all of the Amara-made imperfections...

So I realized this morning that I never shared with all of you that Dad2Amara, Amara, and I went to a ballgame. It was hotter than beegeezers. Sweat was running down our necks just sitting in the stands!

It was a work function for me so we really didn't know who we would be seated next to. Luckily for us, we landed next to good friends of ours. Amara and Ian even posed for what we call their "engagement photo."


Amara and Ian were inseparable. He was trying to explain to her the rules of baseball and the history of Babe Ruth. She was just trying to give him a hug the entire night! The happy couple even made a "date" to meet up next week!

today's good: I did laps around the fitness center's pool for an hour straight this morning! Go me!

today's bad: I went looking for new shoes today. Yeah, no luck. The shoe draught continues.

howdy neighbor

It's been awhile since I've particpated in a CHBM carnival.

But this week, I just couldn't resist!

Wednesday's prompt is: "My neighbors are...

Can you guess how I feel about some of my neighbors if I told you I have a fence that is six feet tall on one side of the house and only four feet tall on the other side?

Tee hee.

I'm not a bitch. Seriously.

But fences do make good neighbors.

I remember a day when my neighbors first moved in. We are a new development in our community so we're all on virgin soil. No one has been on this street much longer than Dad2Amara and I. So I baked cookies for our neighbors' kids.

Let me repeat that.

I baked.

So you would think that that would have started us on the right foot. Uh, no.

Apparently by having a daughter who is three years younger than most kids in the neighborhood, that was enough for these moms to not include my family in their activities.

We've been blessed. Since then, we've had great people move to our street.

But the said cookie-neighbors are still next door.

And to make matters worse, now that Amara has a swingset in our backyard, the parents who didn't want anything to do with us are now dropping their kids off at my house so their kids can play.

Are you kidding me?!?!

When I'm home watching my daughter, I'm home watching my daughter. I shouldn't be watching theirs too.

So hence, the fence went up.

I not only have to see their not-up-to-code shed. But I don't have to worry about their kids just showing up in the play area.

There's been neighborhood chatter going around about my fence and its height.

Funny, I hear about when I'm sharing a bottle of wine with my other neighbors.

And all I can say to them when the cookie-neighbors look over is, "howdy neighbors!"

recap

What a weekend it has been. I can't believe it's Sunday already. And I can't believe I'll be going into work in 12 hours (I'm working the overnight/morning show shift all week -- so Aunt2Amara, I'll probably be calling you a ton!)

First, I have finally gotten out to take pictures of our new fence and deck. And just because I asked, Dad2Amara was nice enough to mulch around it. Take a look and let me know what you think! I may be biased, but I think it's the nicest on the block!


Second, Amara had a fabulous 4th birthday if I do say so myself. We went to her favorite place, Chuck E. Cheese, for lunch with Great-Grandma2Amara. She never left her Great-Grandma2Amara's side. She opened a few gifts, including a Fairytopia doll from Great-Grandma2Amara and an iPod shuffle from Mom2Amara and Dad2Amara. (Don't be a hater and think I'm spoiling her. She monoploizes my Nano and we bought her a reconditioned first generation shuffle that we bought off a friend.) Now the countdown begins to Amara's Princess and Knight birthday ball.

I worked yesterday at an event for the mom website. If you haven't been to Parade the Circle, I tell everyone it's like our own little Mardi Gras without the beads. It's this terrific cultural event in our area. Colorful costumes, dancers, music and great food -- it makes for a perfect day. Not to mention the weather was gorgeous!

Bean and I are now ready to go run errands and then, it's back to bed for me! Enjoy the rest of your weekend!!

today's good:Have I mentioned I love my new deck and fence?!

today's bad: While there was plenty for me to be bitter about yesterday, including my 4-year-old not acting like a 4-year-old, I'll spare you the details. But I will say this -- Not 24 hours after turning four, Amara was pouting and crying and kicking and screaming like she was a baby. Then, when she was sent to her room, she decided to plop herself down on her belly on her bed with her iPod blaring like she was a teenager. What?!?!

the sick child debate

I was jamming at work when I got the 'dreaded' phone call.

Amara was sick. Dad2Amara said she was hacking and sneezing and sniffling.

Who in the world gets sick this time of year?!?! It's finally warm out! We had just spent Sunday outside in the yard with the temperature in the 70's!

So I was left with a decision to make. Do I leave, missing meetings and neglecting assignments to care for my sick child? Or do I send her to preschool?

She didn't have a high fever so I could have easily sent her on her merry way to school. I'd be willing to bet one of her classmates had a cold and loving shared the germs with her. Little boogers. But then I'd have tremendous guilt knowing that my Amara might be infecting other kids.

And why is it her father could not step up and offer to stay home with her? After all, I was already at work.

In the end, I left and picked up my daughter? Why? Because no matter how much guilt I would have had sending her to school, I'd still be on my knees today asking forgiveness if I didn't stay home to feed her chicken noodle soup and tuck her in tight.

So with my new project launching tomorrow (again, I'll give you the details then) I worked from home. Thank goodness I was working with someone quite phenomenal who let me contact him via email the entire day. What did I do before I had a laptop?

today's good: Since I was home, I had one of those design-a-custom-closet people come out to look at my master's walk in closet. You know my theory -- if I have to stay in the 'tucky, then dammit, I'm going to make it a great house to live in (which is why we're getting the deck and fence)! I got a quote. It's OK. I mean, I think it's worth it just because I don't have to watch a weak hearted Dad2Amara try to lug all of his tools and supplies up the stairs!

today's bad: Over the weekend, I decided to see my doctor because my bronchitis didn't seem to be going away. Most of the symptoms have gone away except for the chest pains and occasional sore throat. Go figure. Amara's not the only one sick. I got diagnosed with some -itis and given another round of meds. Grrr. Won't I ever be healthy?

cha-ching

You can almost hear the cash registers.

So I was sick of moping around. And even though I said shopping didn't work in cheering me up, I guess I wasn't aiming high enough...literally.

First I find out that my purse party purse has been shipped. Then I get an email telling me my portrait turned necklace Amara drew is also on its way to me.

But if that wasn't enough, to make up for the fact that we really cannot afford to buy into a new school district, Dad2Amara and I have resigned ourselves to living in the 'tucky we are in now. But that's ok -- now that I will have a new privacy fence and deck!! They'll look like this (sans the gazebo...I really couldn't afford that):

At least I'll have a pretty place to eat the hot dogs I'll be stuck living off of all summer long since we'll have no money left after paying for our new goodies.

today's good: As pathetic as this will sound, I went into work today. But I got a ton accomplished. I no longer have the drowning feeling I once had. It's now like a suffocating one.

today's bad: Great-grandma2Amara is in the hospital again. Ninja Mom and Sunshine, don't worry too much. She should be discharged Sunday. We had a scare but the doctors have assured us that if Great-Grandma2Amara takes better care of herself, we should be in the clear for awhile.

Photo credit: Elyria Fence