2013 Life Wrap-up

January

I found out that I was pregnant again.  Woohoo!  This one had much better results than the last, but I had to wait nine months.  As soon as I found out, I was down with nasty all day nausea and general ickiness.

February

I just remember feeling miserable all month.  I really suffered from the nausea this time around.  I don't remember it being as bad with the boys as this one.  I had to request anti-nausea medication from the doctor.  It helped, but I tried not to use it very often.

March

March is always a big month in my life.  It's mine, J's, and the twins' birthday.  It usually coincides with Spring Break so I get to see the boys for a week.  This past year, I treated myself to a zombie movie marathon for my birthday.  I also traveled back to Indiana to spend Spring Break with the boys.  We pushed their birthday party back a week so I could be there to have fun with them.

I also got a job this month!  Completely out of the blue, a coworker of J's called me to see if I was interested in joining the team.  I ended up  accepting an offer to be a short-term contractor and project manager for a new project at the company.  The position ended up lasting until the company's acquisition in October.  I definitely learned from my time as a project manager.  Not my favorite profession, but interesting.

April

I officially announced the pregnancy this month after waiting until past the 12 week mark.  I didn't want to deal with the aftermath in case I lost this one also.

May

Busy working...  Plus, my pregnancy issues lessened to the point that I could function fairly well on a day to day basis.

June

The boys arrived to spend the summer!  I really missed them!  At the end of the month, we embarked on our crazy summer road trip.

July

This month was mostly about spending time with the boys and working.  At the end of the month, my mom came to visit for a few days before flying back to Indiana with the boys.  We went to the beach (her first time seeing the Pacific!) and San Francisco.  It was a fun time!

August

Right after mom and the boys left, my job was reduced to a part-time at-home as-needed position.  I was a little bitter at the circumstances, but that's life.  I got back into reading a lot more and started prepping for Arthur's arrival.

September

The nursery finally started coming together this month.  We ordered and assembled (okay J assembled, but I did order) the crib and travel system.  I had my local baby shower.  I also started mentally preparing for the arrival.  Overall, I got very tired of being pregnant and suffered through lots of insomnia and general pain.  Mid month I treated myself to my first ever prenatal massage.  It was worth every single penny to get some relief from the constant pain. Through all the pregnancy stuff, I worked a little bit here and there.  At the end of the month, it was announced that the company had been acquired.  J's department went with the acquiring company.  My department was spun off into a new company.

October

Arthur arrived on his due date of the 15th.  To be fair, we ended up scheduling a c-section for my due date.  He came mid-month and the rest was just a blur.  We got acquainted with baby.  We tried to find a routine (haha! like infants follow routines).  It was an interesting busy month.

November

Another blur of a month.  The baby and I joined a mom's group.  We also got out and about a bit -- taking walks, going to stamp class, going out to eat.  It was a lovely month with even lovelier weather.  We are so spoiled in Sunnyvale.  It was in the 60s and sunny almost everyday.  We could still wear sandals!  And we only needed a light jacket.

December

Arthur and I flew back to Indiana for the Christmas holiday.  I was very scared about flying with a 2 month old, but he was an absolute angel.  No crying, no fussing.  He slept most of the time.  And when he was awake, he was happy and alert baby.  I just hope our return trip tomorrow is the same...  Overall, it was a lovely time with the family.  We even had snow on the ground to get me into the festive mood.  A great way to end 2013.

2013 In Review

I saw this great survey on Erin’s It’s All Happening blog.  Check her out!

1. What did you do in 2013 that you’d never done before?  Hmmm... This is actually a really hard question to start with.  I guess I'm going to have to say that I visited a few new places and I worked as a project manager for a tech company.  I'd say that my short contract job was definitely a learning experience.

2. Did you keep your New Year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? Just like last year, I didn't make any New Year's resolutions.  I did make some blog and reading related goals and mostly completed those.  In 2014, I am introducing monthly goals/tasks instead of a big year one.  I think shorter easier action-oriented goals will work better with my life.

3. Did anyone close to you have a child? Yeppers!  That would be me actually!  I had a beautiful baby boy Arthur.  If you've read any of my blog posts since October, he appears often.  A friend's sister had a baby boy during summer and a friend had a baby girl in the fall.  I met both of them this winter break.

4. Did anyone close to you die? My grandfather died this year.  Actually he was never related to me, but as he dated my step-grandmother for ~20 years throughout my childhood, I considered him a grandpa.  I hadn't really seen him since my grandma's funeral a few years ago.  I know his health had declined dramatically.  It was his time.

5. Where did you travel? I went back to Indiana for the boys' Spring Break.  We celebrated their birthday a week late.  Then in the summer, we had one last big family road trip before the baby arrived.  We visited:

• Legoland in Southern California -- Not as exciting as I hoped it would be, but the boys seemed to enjoy themselves.
• Disneyland and California Adventure -- So much fun!  I was glad the boys got to enjoy it before Arthur came.  I will not be doing Disney with an infant or a toddler, so it will be a few years before we even think about going back.
• Las Vegas -- Not a fan...  the entire town just felt so cheap and plastic, I couldn't really get behind it.  Plus, I was pregnant and it was 120 degrees during the day.  We just couldn't get out to see things.  We did see Penn and Teller's show at the Rio, ate dinner at the Tournament of Kings at Excalibur, and went to the Shark Reef at Mandalay.

6. What would you like to have in 2014 that you lacked in 2013?  More time with the twins...  I feel like I'm missing so much.  I would love to have them full time.

7. What dates from 2013 will remain etched upon your memory? One date: October 15th.  Can you guess who arrived on that day?

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? I made it all the way through a another pregnancy and c-section.  I really dislike being pregnant, but I really like the outcome.  I got a baby boy out of my discomfort.  It's worth it.  Just don't expect a happy pregnant me.

9. What was your biggest failure? Probably still not figuring out the job/career thing.  But, that's okay.  Right now I'm focused on being a great mom.  We'll revisit the career question towards the end of 2014.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Nope, unless you count pregnancy.  Some days it sure felt like I had an illness and injury all rolled into one.  

11. What was the best thing you bought? Anything baby related.  This time, I have really gone the minimalist route in terms of baby crap, but I'm really digging the baby carrier and the stroller/carseat combo.  They make it much easier to get out and about with baby (something I just couldn't do as easily with the twins).

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?I'm going to say the twins again this year.  They dealt with a working and pregnant mom through the entire summer.  We still got out and did things, but some days I just couldn't do much.  They handled the situation like champs.  And vacation went much smoother than 2012's road trip east.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?  There's a few people I can think of...

14. Where did most of your money go? Summer activities with the boys, summer road trip, and prepping for baby.  My paycheck went towards paying down some loan debt and financing our vacation and nursery.  Because of me working, we got to go on the vacation that I envisioned for the family.  

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Arthur, of course.

16. What song will always remind you of 2013? I can never pick one, so here's a small list: Imagine Dragon's "Radioactive," Lorde's "Royals," The Lumineers' "Ho Hey," The Neighbourhood's "Sweater Weather," Bastille's "Pompeii" 

17. Compared to this time last year, are you: a) happier or sadder? b) thinner or fatter? c) richer or poorer? A) Happier. Who can't feel happy when playing with a giggly baby? B) Fatter. Pregnancy weight is still sticking around.  I've got a plan for January and the rest of the year.  I will lose weight!  C) Poorer.  Babies are expensive.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of? Cherished those few days with Arthur.  I find that the sleep deprivation effectively wipes your memory...

19. What do you wish you’d done less of? Eating?  Haha!  I didn't mean to gain 30 pounds during this pregnancy, but somehow it happened.

20. How will you be spending Christmas? Another Christmas spent in Indiana with the family.  It's been a lot of fun.  Arthur and I will be flying back home to California next Tuesday.

21. Did you fall in love in 2013? Of course I did.  And his name is Arthur Dent. 

22. What was your favorite TV program? Lots of choices but really Sherlock (rewatch in anticipation for S3 in January), Doctor Who (so sad to see Matt Smith leave), Elementary (finally started CBS's Sherlock show and was shocked to find that I really like it), Alpha House (Amazon show), Sleepy Hollow (new campy favorite), Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, The League, Psych.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? I really don't think so...

24. What was the best book you read? I can never narrower it down to one book.  I'll have my top ten books of 2013 posted tomorrow.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery? Lorde and The Neighbourhood

26. What did you want and get? Books, books, and more books.  I have an addiction. (Exact same answer as last year, but it was fitting)

27. What did you want and not get? I think I got everything I wanted this year.

28. What was your favorite film of this year? Initially I couldn't think of a single great movie from this past year.  Turns out we didn't see a ton of movies that released in 2013.  I had to take to Google to look at others' lists.  After perusing, I would answer: The World's End, 42, This is the End.  Two comedies and a historical biography... weird collection, but really good movies.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I turned 31 this year and did absolutely nothing for my birthday.  I'm actually okay with that.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? More energy. Pregnancy and new parenthood are exhausting.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2013? Attempting non-hippoish maternity wear on a budget.  I ended up buying a ton of dresses and some non-maternity tunics.  At the height of summer, I was wearing the same few maternity tanks every day.  Now I have to figure out what to wear even though I'm still carrying the extra weight.

32. What kept you sane? Reading.  Always my answer to this question.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? No one...

34. What political issue stirred you the most? I was very excited to see the ruling against DOMA and Prop 8 and then to see a ton of states legalize same sex marriage.  Woohoo!  Legal equality!

35. Who did you miss? The twins

36. Who was the best new person you met? More new crafting friends and a few new mommy friends.

38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2013.  I really like being a mom.  I'm very excited to experience the early years all over again with Arthur while experiencing the coming teen years with the twins.

Vacation Time

It's time for my annual blogging break.  I'm home in Indiana for Christmas.  Looking forward to seeing Arthur's first Christmas with the family.  We have a ton of activities left before I return to California.  I'll be back to active blogging after the New Year.

Thanksgiving Thanks

I used to do a Thankful post on almost every Thursday.  Somehow I've gotten completely off track with those.  This thankful list is to make up for all the Thursdays I've missed lately. I'm thankful for...

1. My beautiful new baby boy Arthur -- He is such a joy.  Even at only 1 1/2 months, he has such personality.  Can't wait to see what he does next.
2. All the nurses and doctors at Kaiser Santa Clara -- Even with some complications during surgery, Arthur and I had a great birth and recovery experience.  I was especially grateful for the skin-to-skin time immediately after he came out.  I didn't get that with the twins so this was extra special.
3. J -- For being there for me throughout and helping around the house, especially right afterward.
4. Nick and Alex -- For being awesome sons.  And for their excitement at officially meeting their baby brother at Christmas.  I can't wait to spend time with all three of my boys.
5. Caffeine -- A new parent's best friend.  I cut back to almost nothing during pregnancy, which makes a small reintroduction that much sweeter.  I don't consume much, but it's nice to have a strong cup of coffee in the morning to get my day going.
6. Friends and family -- For all the congratulations, best wishes, and gifts.  While we have kept mostly to our little family of three, it's nice to know that others are thinking about us.
7. Christmas -- For the time to spend with friends and family.  I'm looking forward to visiting with everyone, and showing off Arthur of course.  And I get to meet two babies born this past year.  And I get to spend two whole weeks with the twins.  And I get to have awesome home cooked meals (thanks mom!).  And hopefully we get a white Christmas (I miss those living in California).  And I get to go eat at all the restaurants and shop at all the stores that I don't have in California.
8. The good weather -- For allowing Arthur and I to get out of the house even if it's just a quick walk to the coffee shop.  If we still lived in Indiana, it would be difficult to make myself get out and about in super cold temperatures.  Here I can still wear sandals if I want and Arthur only needs a light blanket to be snug.
9. Books -- For keeping me awake and entertained during those middle of the night feedings that seem to drag on and on.
10. Candy Crush on the iPad -- See #9
11. Fellow parents on my Hellobee board -- We are all supporting each other through the struggle of the fourth trimester.  They validate my feelings, fears, and joys and I hope I do the same for them.  Wish I could meet all those ladies and the babies in person... especially my baby birth day twin whose experience so closely mirrors my own.

10 Commandments

Swiss/British philosopher and writer Alain de Botton has come up with a modern list of 10 Commandments for atheists to live by.  I often hear that because atheists do not believe in any higher power, they have no moral code.  That is not true.  Generally, atheists have very strong moral codes. These are the values that I want to instill in my children.  Separating the religion/lack of religion aspect out of this list, I think this guy has captured some decent values for just being a good person. Check them out.

1. Resilience: Keeping going even when things are looking dark.
2. Empathy: The capacity to connect imaginatively with the sufferings and unique experiences of another person.
3. Patience: We should grow calmer and more forgiving by being more realistic about how things actually happen.
4. Sacrifice: We won’t ever manage to raise a family, love someone else or save the planet if we don’t keep up with the art of sacrifice.
5. Politeness: Politeness is closely linked to tolerance, the capacity to live alongside people whom one will never agree with, but at the same time, cannot avoid.
6. Humor: Like anger, humor springs from disappointment, but it is disappointment optimally channelled.
7. Self-awareness: To know oneself is to try not to blame others for one’s troubles and moods; to have a sense of what’s going on inside oneself, and what actually belongs to the world.
8. Forgiveness: It’s recognizing that living with others is not possible without excusing errors.
9. Hope: Pessimism is not necessarily deep, nor optimism shallow.
10. Confidence: Confidence is not arrogance – rather, it is based on a constant awareness of how short life is and how little we will ultimately lose from risking everything.

A note of change...

After reading many articles about the changes in GoodReads' policy, I have decided to close my account.  For a well-crafted blog post about the changes and their implications, please read this post from Pictures in the Words.  Thalia lays the issues out much more eloquently than I ever could. Now the problem is finding a substitute.  I ruled out LibraryThings and Shelfari, but am currently playing with BookLikes.  I'll let you know when I make my final decision.  Until then, adios GoodReads.  You were handy until you started attempting to screw over reviewers.

Addendum: Here's another great post about the issues with GR with GR's original post and response from inquiries on Sept. 23rd.  This one is from Pretty Deadly Reviews.

Bloggiesta Day #3

Completed today:

• Make review templates for books in TBR piles -- I added all the books that I plan on reading through the rest of 2013.  Not a huge amount of book review templates, but a few to get ready to read and review.

Look back at my large goals list:

1. Clean up various pages (About; Quotes; Blogs; Review Policy; Thankfuls; RCs)
2. Check any broken links
3. Reinsert missing pictures on past blog posts
4. Update tags for old posts and drafts/scheduled
5. Prep templates/posts through December
6. Update Day Zero Project (page and actual website)
7. Clean out Bloglovin'
8. Make review templates for books in TBR piles
9. Prep 2014 feature ideas -- write templates, samples, create badges, etc
10. Update Music Monday spreadsheet
11. Update series to book reviews with links to my reviews
12. Update Movies spreadsheet
13. List/organize 2014 TBR
14. Update TBR spreadsheets
15. Fix formats on selected old blog posts
16. Digital Decluttering Challenge from Books A True Story (added)
17. Add book summaries to older posts(added)

Obviously I didn't finish all my tasks, but I made some serious progress.  I plan on keeping with my goals list throughout this next week.

Bloggiesta Day #2

What I Did Today:

• Reinsert missing pictures on past blog posts -- Many many images later, I am finished with this task.
• Fix formats on selected old blog posts -- With the transition last December and the transition to a new hosting site this past month, some of my posts are formatting strangely.  I thought I would clean these up.  They were mostly old posts, but I still want to get them clean looking.
• Digital Decluttering Challenge
• Update series to book reviews with links to my reviews -- Mainly I had just a few series to update
• Add book summaries to older posts -- I didn't start consistently adding book summaries to my reviews before 2012.  So, I thought while I was fixing formats, pictures, and series, I should add some of those missing summaries.

Challenges:

• Digital Decluttering from Books A True Story: Goal #2 Declutter by deleting at least 10 files you no longer need. -- Taking a look at my downloads folder, I have 143 items listed.  Most of those were book and movie covers that I downloaded to upload to my blog.  Obviously they are aren't needed.  Once I sorted through the mess, I got down to deleting...  and found myself with 22 remaining files.  I deleted 121 files from my downloads folder.  Woohoo!  I love cleaning (at least digitally cleaning).

Remaining goals list:

1. Update tags for old posts and drafts/scheduled
2. Prep templates/posts through December
3. Clean out Bloglovin'
4. Make review templates for books in TBR piles
5. Prep 2014 feature ideas -- write templates, samples, create badges, etc
6. List/organize 2014 TBR
7. Update TBR spreadsheets

Bloggiesta Day #1

What I Did Today:

• Update Movies spreadsheet -- I finished listing all the movies I've reviewed on my blog plus the date.  I want to make sure that I don't start duplicating movies in the future.
• Update Music Monday spreadsheet -- Completely up to date with artist, song, and date. I really need to update this weekly, but I find it's more like quarterly.  As long as I don't repeat too many songs, I'm okay with it.
• Check any broken links -- Done.  I only had 4 since the last time I checked.  I'll have to replace a few pictures, but I'll get to that later during Bloggiesta.
• Clean up various pages -- 101 Songs (updated as of today); 101 Quotes (updated and finished); About Me (updated to be more current, added favorite books); Blogs I Love (deleted a few and those with broken links); Current Book Wish List (deleted some I've read this past year); Thankfuls (deleted as it felt really tired and boring, possible replacement coming in 2014)
• Update Day Zero Project (page and actual website) -- I've officially finished 33 of my 100 tasks.  I don't think I'll completely finish my list, but I've made a huge dent.  Plus, I updated all the progress bars and pages.
• Reinsert missing pictures on past blog posts -- I'm not completely done with this task, but I've started and got a chunk under my belt.

Remaining goals list:

1. Reinsert missing pictures on past blog posts
2. Update tags for old posts and drafts/scheduled
3. Prep templates/posts through December
4. Clean out Bloglovin'
5. Make review templates for books in TBR piles
6. Prep 2014 feature ideas -- write templates, samples, create badges, etc
7. Update series to book reviews with links to my reviews
8. List/organize 2014 TBR
9. Update TBR spreadsheets
10. Fix formats on selected old blog posts

Bloggiesta -- Round 2

My second Bloggiesta.  I have a huge list of tasks to get my blog ready for the inevitable interruptions that a baby brings.  So, mainly back-end changes, but they are things I've been meaning to do for the last few months.

Goals list:

1. Clean up various pages (About; Quotes; Blogs; Review Policy; Thankfuls; RCs)
2. Check any broken links
3. Reinsert missing pictures on past blog posts
4. Update tags for old posts and drafts/scheduled
5. Prep templates/posts through December
6. Update Day Zero Project (page and actual website)
7. Clean out Bloglovin'
8. Make review templates for books in TBR piles
9. Prep 2014 feature ideas -- write templates, samples, create badges, etc
10. Update Music Monday spreadsheet
11. Update series to book reviews with links to my reviews
12. Update Movies spreadsheet
13. List/organize 2014 TBR
14. Update TBR spreadsheets
15. Fix formats on selected old blog posts

Name Change

Some of you may have noticed that I changed the name of my blog. Well, I thought it was time.  Back when I was on Wordpress my blog name was Wading Through the Ocean of Life.  When we made the switch to self-hosting, J secured the url msbuff.com.  Makes sense.  It's my name.  That's what I was known as when I was teaching.  But the more I've been thinking about it, Ms. Buff just doesn't fit.  It's not that descriptive.  It doesn't really have any memorable quality to it.  I wanted something that reflected the state of my life and this blog.  So I decided to go back to my old blog name: Wading Through the Ocean of Life. The name actually comes from the title of a creative writing piece from college.  In it, three generations of women attempt to find their place and identity.  The piece itself isn't that great, but the title seemed absolutely perfect to describe the idea.  So I used it for my personal blog.  As the years have gone on (almost 3!), I've come to appreciate the idea more and more.  Every day I wade through the ocean of life.  Sometimes it's calm and clear.  Sometimes it's rough and stormy.  But if I just keep wading things are bound to change and I can encounter something different.

We the impending arrival of my third child and big changes for the family, I feel like going back to my original blog name makes so much more sense.  In the coming months I want to start including more life posts.  I will still be reading and reviewing books, participating in readathons, and generally loving books.  But there's so much more to my life than just books.  So except much more coming.  And some adorable pictures of babies and family related activities.

More Thanks...

It's been a couple of weeks since my last Thursday Thanks post.  I feel like it's a good time to take a moment and think... Picture: Adorable cardigan and bow tie I bought for Arthur from Colby Ave on Etsy.  This will be his Christmas outfit.  I just need to buy some nicer black or gray pants for him.

1. Crafting time -- I spent most of the day yesterday making Thank You cards from baby Arthur to friends and family for future baby gifts.  I wanted the personal touch.  And I really love them.  I made 16 and all 16 are different. My next project is to create the template for arrival cards.  I may be crazy to take on such a project, but I love my crafting time.

2. Maintenance guys -- We had another upstairs neighbor's bathroom leak and they were on it.  Because of their quick speed, no major damage was done.  The guys just need to replace the paint that had peeled off.  They are always so nice and courteous.  Love our maintenance guys and the fact that I don't have to deal with this crap.

3. J's parents --  The other week they randomly sent up a box of baby clothes and a cute little card.  I was not expecting those.  Really, I'm not expecting many gifts this time around, but if I do get them, they are definitely appreciated. Extra fun: the Carters onsies they sent us match a potential going home outfit that I've already bought.  Very cute!

4. Other bloggers -- Three bloggers that I follow just had their babies within the last two weeks.  I love reading about their experiences.  They help me get into the baby mode.

5. J's technical prowess -- Because of many issues, J thought it was time to change our hosting sites.  I don't know the first step in doing this.  Thankfully J is very knowledgeable, even when things did not go smoothly.  Hopefully. my readers didn't notice anything amiss, but I guarantee the backend was crazy looking.  We think everything's fine now.  And if it isn't, I live with techie...

Thursday Thanks Returns

I haven't done one of these posts in so long...  casualty of a very busy summer.  But it's back, so here are my current thanks. Picture: awesome chocolate caramel torte we had last week

1. Work confusion gone -- While I'm not super happy about the outcomes, I am thankful that all the confusion and craziness around my job has settled.  I have so much peace of mind from this.

2. Reading time -- I'm really enjoying getting back into reading for pleasure.  Loving it!

3. Great South Bay weather -- I love love love the weather around here.  I'm constantly hot because of the pregnancy, but the cooler temperatures let me live in relative comfort.

4. Sleep -- Having my mom and the boys around last week was so much fun.  But it's nice to get back to a regular sleep schedule in my own bed.

5. Lastly, a sad but hopeful thanks.  A friend and family was in a very bad car accident last week.  One involved died, another is in very serious condition, and another is recovering.  I am thankful for the light injuries of one and the continual improvement of another.  Keep fighting!

Thursdays are for Thanks

I found this wonderful meme idea on Ruby Bastille.  I thought it would be a great way to share my life with my readers.  So here we go with my first Thankful Thursday.

1) Decaf k-cups at work -- I know I shouldn't be drinking much caffeine, but I still crave coffee.  Work stocks Hazelnut Decaf for the Keurig.  I just make myself a mug and trick myself into thinking it's actually caffeinated.  So far, it's working.

2) Flattering non-maternity clothing -- Why is maternity clothing so expensive?  Okay, I know why, but it still irks me.  I'm just grateful for lots of other stores for flattering reasonably priced clothing.  Especially loving H&M tunics/dresses and Vera Wang for Kohl's dresses.

3) Naturebox -- We finally took the plunge and signed up for the monthly subscription.  I am really digging these snacks.  We just filled out our request for this month.  I can't wait to get the next box.

4) Crafting friends -- I really look forward to my Stamp Club and crafting classes.  All the ladies are so nice, helpful, and fun!  I'm loving my crafting time...

And the biggest thanks of this week goes to...

5) My little baby boy Arthur Dent in utero -- We finally found out that we're having a boy.  He cooperated during the ultrasound, showing us everything, and yes, I do mean everything.  His growth looks good.  We're on track for a October 15th-ish debut.

Thanks for All the Fish

I found this wonderful meme idea on Ruby Bastille.  I thought it would be a great way to share my life with my readers.  So here we go with my Thankful Thursday.

1) Sleep -- I seem to have gotten rid of my insomnia (at least for the moment)

2) Food -- My pregnancy induced food aversions seem to have abated.  I am loving being able to eat different food again.

3) A supporting boss -- Loving the help that I'm getting at work.

4) Paychecks -- It may seem trite, but I am excited and thankful for getting a paycheck again.  I can pay off some bills, prepay the boys' summer camps, and put away some money for vacation and the coming baby.

5) Dark chocolate covered pomegranate -- Work resupplied some the snacks downstairs.  I made a fun trail mix of almonds, dried coconut, dried cranberries, and the best part, dark chocolate covered pomegranates.  Those things are heavenly.

Book of Lists: With me at all times...

I ran across this idea on At Random, I followed her links to Kapachino’s original post.  This month’s topic is “with me at all times.”  I took this both literally and figuratively...

• My boys - little ones and the big one
• My soon-to-be-child - making its appearance in October
• Cell phone - lifeline
• A book - feel naked without one (and ones on my phone/iPad don't really count yet)
• Pen - always seem to need one
• Keys - of course
• Tylenol - for those pesky pregnancy headaches
• Sunglasses - a necessity in sunny California, for goodness sakes my town is named Sunnyvale (and it's an accurate description, except we have no idea where the vale is...)
• Snack - to appease the soon-to-be-child

Next months topic: I’d rather be doing.

Good Things: April

I ran across this idea on Kapachino who got the idea from The Literary Wife.  I love the concept of trying to focus on the positives on life.  And I am going to try to do this: record at least one good thing every day for a year.  Here's April's list:

1. Monday nigh Munchies with Beth, Sarah, and Jared
2. Nice shopping day with A
3. Busy day: playdate, shopping with N, dinner with the family
4. Good visit with Grandma and Grandpa
5. Yummy Thai Chicken Pizza for dinner
6. Dinner at Henry's with Sarah
7. Casino visit with mom
8. Back home to California
9. Glad to relax back at home
10. Bagel sandwiches for breakfast
11. Got back into reading A Clash of Kings
12. Omelets at work!
13. Lunch and games at coworker's house
14. Relaxing day at home
15. Good team meeting at work
16. Decent day at work
17. Good checkin at work
18. Lots of work completed
19. Saw Oblivion with J and some coworkers
20. Finally bought some maternity clothes
21. Fun book club discussing P.S. I Love You
22. Getting back to work
23. Mom's bday, sent her a lunch box and scarf
24. Good work team meeting
25. Yummy lunch at work: sliders
26. Dinner with coworkers
27. Errands run to Michael's and the library
28. Milkshakes at the Creamery and cupcakes at Sprinkles
29. Finished a huge task at work
30. Fun card class with lots of gabbing

Thanks for the Memories...

I found this wonderful meme idea on Ruby Bastille.  I thought it would be a great way to share my life with my readers.  So here we go with my Thankful Thursday.

1) The desk clerk at American Airlines -- for warning me that I might get stuck overnight at O'Hare if I tried to fly out on Monday night.  Thank you for saving my body from an uncomfortable night.

2) Job progress -- Last week was a crazy mess, but things are moving in a good direction.

3) The Nerdist -- For keeping me entertaining while traveling and during down times at work.  I find myself laughing out loud in fairly inappropriate situations (every time the floor at work gets really quiet, I burst out laughing).  It's just awesome!

4) That friends of friends in the Boston marathon are safe and sound.

5) New Doctor Who!!!!!! -- Thank you Steven Moffat for awesome writing!

A to Z...

A little bit about me for you today... Available or married: Neither, but committed to a partner.

Book: Persuasion by Jane Austen or The Awakening by Kate Chopin -- my two favorite books of all time

Chore you hate: Cleaning the bathroom -- can I get a maid just for this?

Drink of choice: Iced tea (for my pregnant self) and a gin and tonic (for my nonpregnant bar self)

Essential start to your day: A shower!  I can't function without one.

Favorite color: Purple, purple, and more purple

Game to play or watch: Any board game works for me.  I'm way to clumsy for most physical sports.

Hometown: Fort Wayne, IN -- don't worry, most people don't know where it is

Instruments you play: None, much to the disappoint of my late grandmother

Job: Project manager at a educational tech company

Kids: 10-year old twin boys and a baby on the way

Life is incomplete without: My J and my kids

Music Group or Singer: Florence + the Machine, Imagine Dragons, The Killers, Arctic Monkeys, Mumford and Sons, The Lumineers, Kate Voegele -- I can't pick just one!

Number of siblings: 6 total (a half brother, a half sister, three step-brothers, and one step sister), but I grew up as an only child

Oranges or apples: Apples but only if they're Granny Smith (very crispy and tart)

Pet peeves: People who interrupt others while they are talking

Quote: Find ecstasy in life; the mere sense of living is joy enough. -- Emily Dickinson

Reasons to smile: Sunny days

Season: Fall, but fall in the Midwest not in California

Tattoos: 4 total (ankh on back, pisces on ankle, celtic triple goddess on ankle, boys initials on back)

University attended: Ball State University and Indiana University Purdue University Fort Wayne

Veggies you dislike: Beets, turnips, brussel sprouts

What makes you run late: J

X-rays you’ve had:  Chest x-rays for upper respiratory infections

Yum Food: Chocolate chip cookies

Zoo Favorite Animal: Penguins, hands down

Good Things: March

I ran across this idea on Kapachino who got the idea from The Literary Wife.  I love the concept of trying to focus on the positives on life.  And I am going to try to do this: record at least one good thing every day for a year.  Here's March's list:

1. Wrapped Fantasy February and New Movie Month.
2. Read a lot...
3. Lazy day with brats on the grill.
4. Card class with order delivery = new toys!
5. My birthday!  Phone calls from mom and the boys.
6. Finished tons of housework.
7. Got my present from J: a Big Shot!
8. Shawn of the Dead movie night.
9. J took me to Buck's in Woodside for awesome brunch.
10. Glass of wine with dinner -- I really missed it.
11. Nausea wasn't horrible today.
12. A potential job got back to me.
13. Survived getting blood work done.
14. Quiet day reading.
15. Had a good chat with the CTO about a possible PM job.
16. First trip to the Farmer's Market since last fall: quiche, danish, mixed greens, and pretzel rolls.
17. So much reading...
18. I earned $50 in hostess dollars from Stampin' Up club.  Wohoo!
19. The boys turned 10.
20. A great meeting with a possible job.
21. Received my official job offer.
22. First day of the new job went great.  I'm so excited!
23. Huge clearance sale at the craft store.  I bought a ton of new supplies.
24. Book club: smaller but still a good night.
25. Second day of the job - making progress on the project.
26. Not great food at work, but did get In n Out.
27. J's birthday!  Yummy dinner at Firehouse.
28. Long day traveling, but got to see to the boys at the end.
29. Lunch and shopping date with the boys.
30. Boys' birthday party at Crazy Pinz.
31. Easter dinner with the family.