My Next Birthday

I'm turning 33. Silly me, I thought I was turning 31. Someone (and you know who you are), thought I was 32. I mean, I don't look 21 anymore, but you never guess a woman's age. If you do, you always guess way lower than you think. It will brighten her day.

I'm not going to bed mad though. I forgive. ;)

Paranormal Activity

Translation: There's a ghost in my house!

There is definitely something going on. We've been in the house for almost 6 months now, and at the end of last week, when I was in the house alone a lot with just the boys, things started happening. Up until that point, sometimes the bathroom light would go off, but that's about it.

So far these are the things that have happened in the last several days:

• The bathroom light in the hallway is not only going off, but it's turning on as well. It can't be Kolbe doing it because he can't even reach the switch with a stool.

• The toilets keep getting used, which there is a slight possibility it's Kolbe, but if it is then boy he goes to the bathroom a lot. If it's not then the ghost needs to learn how to flush.

• Last night I heard a noise coming from near the boys' rooms at 10:15. It was Kolbe's door opening. I just assumed Kolbe had woken up and was coming out. I go back there and both boy's doors are opening at the same time, and they are both still in bed fast asleep.

• This is a long shot but on Saturday I came out to the van and every single compartment on the inside was open and everything pulled out. Glove, ashtray, trays under seats, compartment on dash. Nothing taken. I think it was the ghost who ventured outside for the night.

I think the ghost is friendly, but once it gets aggressive I'm gone!

P.S. This picture is not my house but it might as well be.

Amazing

Where Did Common Courtesy Go?

How can we find it?

So, I get home from work, eat dinner and decide to take the boys out to the mall so Kolbe can ride the train and Nickolas can get out of the house. I've gotten pretty used to taking them on my own, and it's fun taking them...it's even gotten easier with the stroller. If I give Kolbe a candy and a coke he can open the doors for me (kidding, kidding, don't call CPS).

So going into the mall there's no one else going in. Kolbe really tries hard to open the doors for me (2 of them) but they are pretty heavy. We get in just fine.

As we are leaving, THREE....count it again...THREE people pass me by as I am trying to exit 2 separate doors with a toddler and a stroller. They went out the door next to me and just kept on walking. How hard is it to stop and hold the door for someone?

My New Best Friend

Is a lady I have never said a word to until today. I was in the ladies restroom at work today and as I was washing my hands, she turns to me and starts asking questions about my new baby (who is now 7 months old). Then, at the end of the conversation she tells me I look so SKINNY! How wonderful is that? It's the 3rd time in a 7-day period that somebody has said I look thinner! 3 different people = 3 new best friends!

All Is Right with The World...

I got a new MacBook PRO at work today!

It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. So of course I have to check out all the new features...isight, the display settings, illuminated keyboard, xcode and the list goes on and on. I've had it unplugged for almost 2 hours now and it can still go for another 4! I forgot how great it was to be up to date on a system. Now if I could just get CS3...

Today Was The Day...

I had to drop off Nickolas at DAYCARE!! So he is 7 months and 24 days old and I left him with stangers today! Okay...they are some of the same teachers that Kolbe has had, and it's the same daycare that Kolbe is in, but Kolbe was already 2 when he started there and that was hard enough as is!

I never thought I would have this hard of a time. I have been completely procrastinating with facing the fact that this day would come, and being prepared for it. He seems too little. There are 10 babies in the nursery and 2 teachers! Do they hug and kiss on him like I do? Know what all his faces and sounds mean? Drop everything to absorb and appreciate what he's doing at any given moment? *sigh

*tear

Talk About Artistic Inspiration

I came across Peter Callesen's site again while going through some old bookmarked links, and each time I just can't stop staring at his work. They are some of the most amazing and beautiful pieces I have ever seen.

In this day and age, designers old and new are so accustomed to letting the computer drive their concepts, instead of using their hands as a medium. This artist is a true example of creative expression and an inspiration.

http://www.petercallesen.com/

My Guys

Pattycake_052607
Uploaded by houseofmuellers

1+1+3=HOT!

It was 113 degrees on my way home today at 5:30p.m.

Yesterday, the temperature in our pool was 90 degrees. I think I'll just convert it to a community bath.

High's and Low's

I've had extreme mental up's and down's the last 3 days.

HIGHS

- Listening to Kolbe work on his ABC's. Keith teaching him the letter "U" and Kolbe saying no it's the letter "ME"

- Spending time with Melina.

- Visiting Chris and Kara and Luke down in Waco.

- Playing cards with Keith and relaxing together.

- Kolbe voluntarily giving Nickolas a hug in the bathtub and saying he loves his baby brother, Nickolas (pronounced neck-lace). Which at this point I get tears in my eyes it's so sweet (very unlike me).

- Making cupcakes (brown ones with white butter-Kolbe's words) and watching Kolbe decorate with candy, eat candy, decorate with candy, eat candy, decorate with candy.

- Designed some nice comps for a freelance project.

- Riding the train.

LOWS

- Didn't leave the door open for the girl at the gym. She was at an awkward distance and I should have just stood there and waited.

- Lost my patience with Kolbe in the car when he wanted to watch "Chicken Little" from the grocery store to the house.

- Didn't wave "thank-you" to the guy in the car in the alley who stopped to let me through.

- Lost patience with Kolbe from Dallas to Waco when I couldn't understand what he was crying about. Got upset that he woke up Nickolas.

- I got snappy with Keith when he asked if I would give the kids a bath.

- Got upset that Kolbe was throwing a fit in the restaurant at dinner, rather than being understanding that he was excited about something and wasn't grasping why he had to wait. More upset that he took off from the table and I had to run after him and leave Nickolas behind for a second-got flustered.

I somewhat feel like I did post-partum. My highs and lows are very extreme. One minute I feel like I have the best life in the world and nothing could be better. Then minutes later I feel anxious and tense and unsure of how to handle a situation. Is that bipolar? Maybe I am depressed? I look up the symptons for clinical depressions:

• Sadness throughout the day, nearly every day
• Sleeping too much or too little
• Feeling of worthlessness
• Excessive or inappropriate feelings of guilt
• Thoughts of death or suicide
• Trouble making decisions
• Fatigue or lack of energy
• Loss of interest in or enjoyment of your favorite activities
• Change in appetite or weight
• Trouble concentrating
• Aches and pains
• Restlessness

I have at least half of these symptoms. But I also know that in the grand scheme of things, I probably don't have a single thing I should be complaining about. So the next time one of my "lows" happens-I'm going to try and handle it as patiently as possible and be thankful that I am here to experience it.

The Worst Kind of Explosion

I changed the worst diaper in history today.

*STOP READING HERE IF YOU DON'T WANT DETAILS*

So, I'm sitting there holding Nickolas while he drinks his bottle. I reach down to touch his leg and oop there's green all over my hand. I look down..... and there's green all over the couch-and yes, it's lumpy. I get up, slowly, and there's green all over my pants! What? How? Help.

I lay Nickolas on the changing table, take off my pants, take off his clothes, slowly, and pull out 142 wipes. I use 141 wipes to clean him up, then remove the blanket, roll everything up and finish cleaning Nickolas. In hindsight, it was actually the funniest part of my day because the whole time I was cleaning him up he was laughing out loud. I thought it was because the wipes were cold, or maybe the faces I was making....but maybe it's because I wasn't wearing any pants.

12-Minute Mile

It's been a good 2 weeks since I have been running (Slight hiatus since my last race), and I am now on a mission to improve on my time. I used to run only for distance and pace, and now I have realized in order to build up endurance and accomplish the goals I have, I must work on speed.

So tonight, although it's not much, I ran a 12-minute mile...which is pretty darn good for me. Next time I will knock 10 seconds off until I can get down to an 11 minute mile for 3 miles straight. I've got 6 weeks to do it. We'll see if I can pull it off.

Who's Shamu Really?

Part of the family went to visit my in-laws over the weekend in San Antonio, and we dropped in to see Shamu. It got me thinking where did Shamu get his name? Is Shamu a girl or a boy? I always thought he was a boy. I wiki'd it:

Shamu is the name of SeaWorld's iconic orca (killer whale) show. Shamu's popular performances are presented along with Baby Shamu and Grandbaby Shamu in 7-million-gallon pools at SeaWorld parks in:

Orlando, Florida
San Diego, California
San Antonio, Texas

I wonder if they like it in captivity? Keith says no. They seem like they are having fun, but don't you wonder what's going through their minds? How big are their brains? What if you were forced to do shows all day long but you really didn't like it? Maybe you just want to swim around and speak whale in different dialects all the time, but you couldn't.....

Family Genes

How in the world does this happen?

I have two sons. Kolbe and Nickolas. It's always interesting the hear people's thoughts on who they look like. We get all combinations-Nickolas looks like me, Kolbe looks like Keith, they don't look anything alike, they look like my grandpa....

Up until now, I always thought Kolbe looked like my baby pictures...but now I found this picture of Keith's oldest brother, who is 10 years older than him! Kolbe looks more like his baby pictures than anything remotely close to Keith or myself. So tell me, how does that happen 40 years down the line?

Family traits are such mysterious things... Let's just hope he doesn't get my nose!

I'm Glad I'm Not An Intern Anymore

But I never had to get coffee.

I was once an intern, and I have to say, it wasn't too shabby. I guess I elaborate on it sometimes to the "kids nowadays" about having no email account back then, no phone, no desk, less pay and walking up hill both ways to get to work.

While interviewing today for the new round of interns coming into the design studio...a part of me (the larger part) felt lucky to be at the place I am at in my career, and realizing how much I've learned, and how far experience will get you. But at the same time, a part of me always gets a tad jealous at the new talent and enthusiasm inside of someone fresh and uncorrupted with the corporate way of life. I'm all for proper business, profit and reason for design-but I have lost my free thinking....where oh where are you and how can I get you back?

Maybe I should become an intern?