Toddler "Activities"

Who needs playgroups when you have the pediatrician and the post office? I'm being serious.

I'm waffling on the playgroup thing. On a logistics level, there are so many to choose from I don't know which will be best for us. On an emotional level, I don't know if I want to invest in something and then quit when I go back to work.

We did go to Deuce's first story hour. There was only one other child, but the librarian was great! She knew all the words to Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes, and she read this adorable If You're Happy and You Know It book with the little tabs that pull out to make things move.

(As a side note, my internet search turned up this extended version of Head Shoulders Knees and Toes. I think this is overboard.)

So today's enrichment activities? The pediatrician for the nagging cough (I am so paranoid about pneumonia), and the post office to mail a birthday gift (no, you're not getting a pic Carly!) All a toddler's fav's. Oh well, he can tell his therapist in 20 years.

Happy Monday!

Kicking off the first week of SAHM/job hunting, hopefully with a bang. This week I'll be

• cooking all meals (except 1 planned dinner out)
• finding activities to take Deuce to
• apply to > 10 jobs (I hope)
• finding a mom's group
• one huge tackle and one minor tackle
• getting into a schedule

Wish me luck!

Three days as a housewife

So I came home on Tuesday, drank two beers, and painted my living room. If this bout of joblessness is anything like the last one, I have a long to-do list and limited time to accomplish.

We chose to keep Deuce at daycare through the end of the week to give me some time to unwind, do a couple of projects that aren't toddler friendly. May I introduce you to the bordello of blood:

That's one coat of primer and one coat of Cranberry Whip on my kitchen wall. It's less like a chainsaw massacre after the second coat.

I'm a crummy housewife, let me just put that out there. I would rather do projects (or shop, or nap) than do laundry and dishes. I justify it to myself that the big projects are more important. Whether they really are more important than domestic tranquility isn't mine to say.

Suffice it to say that my three days as a housewife were a bust, and I'm looking forward to time as a SAHM so much more. We can do toddler activities, like the Zoo Boo we went to this weekend.

Greatest excuse ever for not doing laundry.

Not AGAIN!

Fuck. At least it was a lay-off this time and I supposedly can use boss-man/owner for a reference. Doesn't make it better. I liked this job, a lot, and I'm really sad to leave it. Fuck.

Tackle It Tuesday

Tackle It Tuesday is having a CLR challenge this week. As much as I love products that take the work out of cleaning, I'm really off cleaners that make me dizzy and require ventilation (it's high of 40 today here). So instead of talking about CLR, I'd like to talk about Method Tub 'n Tile.

After emerging from our shower stall with my face red and eyes watering, and a hacking cough, once again, DeuceDad asked me why I use the bathroom cleaner I've been using for years. It works with hardly any scrubbing, which is a feature, but I think it was trying to kill me. So I gave that to my mom and bought the Method product.

I like it, but I can't say I love it. I have a fiberglass (or something similar) tub and shower surround, and I found that the Method Tub 'n Tile does a great job if I clean every week. Just spray it on and wipe right off with a sponge and everything was shiny fantastic. But I skipped one (two?) weeks of cleaning my tub, and I found that even with a little elbow grease, Method Tub 'n Tile wasn't getting all the soap scum off, particularly from the textured bottom of the tub. Next weekend I think I'll break out the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser (I'm hesitating to use a scrubber sponge on the new tub. Damn manufacturer's instructions throwing a wrench in my works).

The scent of Method Tub 'n Tile is really great - Eucalyptus Mint - and doesn't make my head spin at all. And after rinsing the tub well I have no reservations about putting Deuce right in there.

So it's a mixed review for Method Tub 'n Tile.

Cleaning heavy dirty: B
Scent: A+
Environmental/Deuce-friendliness: A+

Inspiration Desparation

No flowery words, I'm going to cut right to the chase: I have sooooo much to do and nooooo energy. How is this possible?! Life isn't totally insane right now, just normal! As Tina Fey would say on 30 Rock, BLERG!

Okay, it's out there. I'm overwhelmed and under- uh under-energized(?) The only way I know to attack this problem is to eat a pint of Ben & Jerry's Dublin Mudslide while watching Tivoed episodes of Biggest Loser and then fall into a coma make a list.

I'm not going to bore you with the list. But I'll tell you that the secret to an effective list for me is to break it down into things I can do in one step. For example, I want to paint my hall upstairs. For that job to be finished I want to sand all the trim, change the stair railing (it's sticky-icky), light switch and switch plate, paint the walls, trim and stair risers and possibly change the light fixture. And never mind the floor molding... See, that's why I'm not boring you with the list.

With that list in hand I can either work at those doable tasks or crumple under the pressure and burn the list to get my life back. Either or.

How do I even choose?

After blog-vacation I decided to try to focus so that I would have a slightly more coherent blog. I'm definitely keeping the ABC Along because it's fun and my theme is Deuce, so, well, you get it.

Becca at Forward Motion did a Ten on Tuesday Meme. (Fav bands from High School. Love. It.) I clicked through to Ten on Tuesday and found this. Maybe not every meme in the world, but a lot of them. Holy Claude.

I've really been wanting to do Sunday Scrappin' (I've been wanting to scrapbook in general, but anyway...). Maybe on days I haven't scrapped, Unconscious Mutterings? Sounds fun.

Monday doesn't have anything that really catches my eye.

Tuesday I'm thinking Tackle It Tuesday (a constant theme around here) or Ten on Tuesday which is just random and could be fun. I also like Tuesday Tip Jar. The hostess goes beyond your average "use peanut butter to get gum out of your daughter's hair" tips (for example to show how to get factual information on political candidates). Or how to keep pancakes from burning to the pan. You know, whichever.

Wednesday and Thursday don't seem to be big meme days, the selection is a little lean.

I tried Friday Fill-Ins and just found that it didn't lead me anywhere too thought provoking. There's always Haiku Friday which was very fun and challenging for my computer programmer brain but I don't think anyone is doing it anymore (the most recent one I found on A Mommy Story was Sept 7).

Saturday's Photo Scavenger Hunt would be a really fun way to think about my photos (and maybe lead to some different scrapbook pages)

There are also tons of one-time memes, and a graveyard for "lost" memes that look like the ones you get in your email. So fun and great blog-fodder.

Back to Becca's Whatever on Whenever Tuesday meme on Friday here are

Ten Bands/Artists That Remind You of High School

1. Stone Temple Pilots
2. Weezer
3. Matchbox 20
4. Third Eye Blind
5. Duncan Sheik
6. Bush
7. Rusted Root
8. Ani DiFranco
9. Sarah McLachlan
10. Soul Coughing