Simple Woman's Daybook...September 21, 2010

FOR TODAY...September 21, 2010

Outside my window...it's dark and the wind has picked up considerably.  It's still very warm out even with the breeze and the fact that it's 11:49 PM.

I am thinking...about work tomorrow.  I hate to bring work home, but I have two grants due in the next week that kind of got "restarted" for me today.  Now I feel a little bit like I have to start over on both of them, but if I get to work tomorrow and hunker down, I think I can hammer them both out again before the week is out (if not tomorrow!)  

I am thankful for...a healthy new nephew!  My brother and sister-in-law had their baby this morning and he is BEAUTIFUL!  Welcome, Ian Joseph (6lbs, 4oz. 19 1/4 inches, born @ 6:02AM on 9/21/10)!!!  I'm so glad to have you in our family and super excited for my boys to grow up with their cousin so close by!

From the kitchen...I am trying desperately to stick to my Weight Watchers.  I seem to do smashingly all day long, keeping my points to a minimum, only to blow it when I'm home and faced with a kitchen full of food.  I've kept better options on hand this week though so that helps.  But I'm still weak.  

I am wearing...my "pjs", which consist of comfy capris and a t-shirt.  

I am remembering...my Grandpa Earl.  His birthday was today (so fitting for Ian to be born today, seeing as he is the next line of Yousey men!).  He would have been 103.  He was a great man, with great stories to tell, and wisdom to share.  I only wish I had sat more, listened more intently, and soaked him up more before he died.  I was (not quite) 16 when he died so I was right in the middle of that "me, me, me" stage and missed out on a great gift.  My father still quotes him to this day.  Some day I'll have to do a post of my grandfather's "Earl-isms" - he was a a great man!  

I am creating...a list of things to buy/do before Alex's birthday party this weekend.  We usually have just a few select people over for cake/ice cream due to space constraints, but with a large yard, bigger house, and a forecasted nice weekend, we've extended an invite to both sides of the family and stand to have a lot of people here.  I have A LOT to do before Saturday!  This house is so far from settled!

I am going...to my second Photoshop class with Heidi tomorrow.  I'm excited to get into the nitty gritty tomorrow.  We're bringing our cameras and will be setting some manual settings and taking some basic images to start working with in Photoshop.  I still haven't figured out what/how I'm going to use Photoshop at home.  I'll have to see what I learn and decide if I want to invest the big bucks or stick to a free-share version for now.  

I am hoping...to get the boys bedtime routine back on schedule.  We got rid of Alex's pacifier (cold turkey) three weeks ago and it went relatively smoothly...at first.  Now and for the past week or so, he's been unbearable at nap/bedtime.  He simply won't go to bed/stay in bed unless you lay with him or he wants to sit with me in the dark living room until he or I (or both) fall asleep.  It's been a ridiculous battle.  And the madder I get about the situation, the cuter he is and the more heartbroken he seems.  It's killing me!  It wipes me out and has eaten up many an otherwise useful evening.

I am hearing...the clock on my wall just struck midnight.  I really wanted to get this up before Tuesday was officially over, but the wee hours of Wednesday will have to do.

Around the house...ugh.  So much to do, so many things to clean and settle before Alex's birthday party on Saturday.  Yet here I am, at midnight, trying to get this post up.  Settling the boys down for bed each night has proven to kill my productivity.  I usually am so relaxed, comfy, etc, that I'm useless and fall asleep SO early lately!  It's awful!

On my mind...so much more than I can share here.  I hope to be able to spew some of my random thoughts into blog posts this week.  Specifically, I can't believe my oldest started pre-k (like he's been doing this his whole life!) and my "baby" turns two in a few days.  *sniff*  Where does the time go?!?!  He's such an adorable little man with a personality twice as big as his tiny frame.

Noticing that...my house is so quiet I can hear my cable box humming.  I love silence.  It's golden.  My brain functions better in silence.  I can think, I'm less distracted, life just feels less chaotic.  *sigh*

One of my favorite things...babies.  There's something so new and promising about babies.  They're fresh and untouched.  They come into this world knowing only what we teach them and there's so much possibility there.  Their innocence, unconditional view on the world, and endless capacity to love, learn, and grow is amazing.

A few plans for the rest of the week:  Photoshop class with Heidi, dinner with her amazing family, birthday for my youngest stepson who's turning 20 on Friday (!), birthday shindig for Alex (who turns 2!  next week!), sleepover with my sister (so excited!!!), snuggling my newborn nephew some more!

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

My big brother's a daddy!  And the role seems to fit him like a glove!  

Welcome, Ian Joseph!  We love you so much already!!  

(Sorry for the quality of these photos, I didn't have my camera with me when I got "the call" so I had to resort to my cell phone!)