Catching up

There has been a lot happening this past week - I'm not even sure where to begin. So I guess I'll throw it all into one large post and let you sort things out.

The Job
It looks like I may be teaching High School next year. I really like the middle school. And my principal has said many times that she wants me to stay and she will work with this part time schedule. But it is really better for everyone if I take the job at the HS. I'm leaving out about a thousand details of this story to keep me from typing all night, but that is the bottom line.

Weaning
Spencer and I will be going on a childless (thank you Nana!!!) vacation the week of Memorial Day. I had to make the decision to either 1) save up enough milk to last while we were gone and pump while lying on the beach or 2) wean her before we left. I chose option #2. Believe it or not, it was a hard decision to make. Nursing came easily for me with both Easton and Camille and I'm not sure I was ready to give it up so quickly. Nutritionally, I'm not worried at all. She will continue to grow and thrive on formula without a problem. I have been dropping one feeding per week over the last month. We have been down to just one per day for the last several days. Tomorrow morning will be our last "session". I think I'm a little sad about that.

The Pooch
We all know that having kids changes our bodies. But somehow I was hoping that I might be exempt from that fact of life. Not so. After having Easton I realized that extra pounds were not so much the problem as a general re-distribution of my body parts. Things just shifted and never returned to normal. I made the assumption that since I had already had one child, the second child would not be much more of a disruption. Not so. More shifting. I've been going to the gym consistently since mid-January. No change. I continued going to the gym and started paying attention to my diet after spring break. No change. The past two weeks I have continued going to the gym and avoided every food that is fun to eat. The pooch isn't budging. Maybe this is my new body. And I guess that would be okay if I didn't have to take my new body to Florida in a week or so. (Does this mean I get to go shopping?)

Potty Training
Easton is never going to be potty trained. He taunts us. We've tried every trick in the book. Candy, toys, nothing bribes him. To date - he has NEVER "gone" in the potty save the first day we brought it home. His new trick is to come and tell me that he has to potty. I will get excited and encourage that we go sit on the potty. He will tell me, "No. I just go in my diaper." And then he will. Right in front of me. Unless it's a #2 and then he will go in his closet. As soon as we get back from vacation, the war is on. If he has to walk around the house naked for a week, then so be it. It might have to be Camille, but SOMEone is going to be potty trained before his birthday.

The Big Yellow Trucks
Nothing new to report. The yard is still a dissaster. The driveway is still un-useable. We have to wait until they finish laying pipe up the main road before the repair and beautification efforts begin. It may be another 6 weeks before things are back to normal.

Mother's Day
Mother's Day was wonderful. Easton came up to me with a card and said, "Happy Valentine's Day Mommy!" (which is the last time he gave me a card, so it makes sense). I love that. Spencer bought me an ipod. (It's the ipod shuffle for you techie people that care.) It counts as an early birthday gift as well, but he wanted me to have it for vacation and when I go running/walking outside this summer. I made a roast for dinner. I told someone that and she said, "You're COOKING on Mother's Day??" I had to think about that for a second. But - yes. Yes, I was cooking on Mother's Day and was excited about it. We could have gone out to eat, but I always grew up with special occasions that involved either a roast or a ham. There is something about a Sunday afternoon roast that is comforting to me. We even used the good china.