Rewards I've lost and never known which way the money goes

So....my bad about not having a sooner blog.  I've been swamped with life but with nothing too interesting.

I started a twitter. I had originally wanted to do a podcast on all things water  related (watershed, water supply, and some waste water as far as I could do) but I really just don't have the time or support (financially or time wise) to do it.  So I opted for a twitter account. Not sure how to publicize it but I'll start here I guess.

Actually this tick is pretty inadvertently funny.

Follow me on twitter at @UCRWatershed.  You know, for all your water needed news and stuff.  Although I think it'd be interesting to do a podcast....Maybe if I can pull off this twitter thing (not seeming likely since I can't even regularly update this blog...not running a great track record so far....)

Hmm...news....

Nothing really.  I had wanted this to be a creative outlet for me but I'm about as creative as these ticks I keep getting.  We really aren't comedy or literary geniuses in any stretch of the imagination.

So....I'll try to update here with stuff about my life and make the twitter thing work for my watershed ambitions.  We will see.  But for now I'm being dog piled with impatient children who just can't seem to understand that I really want to write a blog instead of being climbed on by children. I'm not really sure how they aren't getting the obvious physical cues I'm giving them (just this side of practically ignoring them) but I'm either gonna have to start giving these physical cues harder (inviting the child services goons to deliver my children to new care drones) or actually pay attention to them before they stick lego stickers to my walls or flush the cat down the toilet or some other "it seemed like a good idea at the time" kind of project.

One other quick thing....my friends are asking the internet to name their child.  I really hope he doesn't end up named Wuku Gangham Style (actually a small part of me (*not that small*) really hopes that he does, but my son is a strong defender of Dinosaur Dragon).  Anyway, I know most of my readers already know these people and have probably already voted but if you haven't...here's your chance to name a real live human being.  Or at least be part of the consensus that names him.  Pretty swank if you ask me.

The party is just me in the corner

I am in a bad mood for no reason today.  I have no idea why.  I mean, both kids (kinda) slept in til 7:30 and that is a freaking miracle in itself.  I got my hair cut and highlighted yesterday but...I don't like it.  I don't know.  Ry told me it looks good.  I don't know why I don't like it.  I wish I had gotten it more colored than I did.  It's also...kinda poofy.  I hope that once I wash out the styling product it calms down a bit.  She was giving me a "no maintenance" kind of hair cut....I hope that it really is.  I feel like I look silly.

Oh, and also I hate how long my primadonna husband takes in the bathroom every single time.  It's like he needs a half hour of prep time before his bathroom necessities begin.  It drives me crazy because I can't even  pee without at least one kid hanging on me but he gets four or five bathroom respites a day.  And he gets to shower without any kids during the day.  If I try to take a shower in the day at least everyone is there to get a  matinee performance in my tiny ass bathroom. And they leave the door wide open to let all of the nice warm residual shower air out.  That's why I have to shower at night, after the kids go to bed.  Cause I don't want an audience.  If I wanted an audience while I was in the shower then I would be doing it in the "Champagne room" and getting paid a lot more for it than I do at my current job.

I wanted to have left for the store already at this point but I'm still waiting on the bathroom primadonna to get out of there and get some clothes on.  Ahh......the lamentations of a parent.  I miss the days where I didn't have to do anything except wonder what I was going to do with all of my free time on the weekends.  I need to spend one day in a multiverse where I didn't have kids. I would come back but....just one day to see what life would have been like.  Maybe I'd come back and totally be thankful for my kids and life and feel great to wake up in the middle of the night all the time and have my son tell me that all the food that I cook tastes like the worst food he has ever eaten.  Or...maybe I'd hang out there and enjoy being an adult child for a while longer....

I'm on the pursuit of happiness

This coming Friday starts month 9 of my pregnancy.  I'm feeling pretty good considering.  I'm super tired and kind of achy all the time but it's not too bad.  The heat is difficult, though.  It really takes it out of me.  Like yesterday, I worked and of course yahoos had to be out waiting for me to get there to yell at them.  And confiscate their tents.  In 92 degree humid heat.  It was super awesome.  Then I got harassed by my dad last night for not coming over to hang out with him while they were drinking in the heat.  No thank you, I was super hot and tired (and I really don't like being around my dad when he drinks...).  I went home and conked out on the couch for a while then made dinner and just chilled out with my family. 

Strawberries are ready to be picked.  I need it to cool off just a tad so I don't kill myself, I'd like to go and pick soon though! I was thinking about 10-15 lbs of berries.  I'm ready to make some pies.  I have plans to make about 10 pies this year, give out about five of them fresh and freeze about five of them for later use/distribution.  How much would you pay for a strawberry rhubarb pie made by yours truly?  I'd like to make jelly, too.  Maybe this weekend.

I had a super awesome low key birthday party this weekend.  It was really nice. Asher was also pretty good this weekend so that was a nice birthday present from him.  He made a new friend, Tom's girlfriend Ashley's daughter Addison.  It was so cute, we were trying to get them to fall asleep in front of the TV well past their bedtimes and they instead were building a fort/castle out of blankets on the floor.  While they were doing this, Asher crawled up to Addison, kissed her on the lips and then ran away.  It was super cute.  We told him that he had to ask a girl before he could do that and so he said, "Oh, I'm sorry.  Can I come in your castle?"  So cute. 

Anyway, back to work.  Lots to do.  

Well, I thought about the army, dad said son, you're f*cking high

There was a time when I was going to join the army.  Honestly.  Bet you didn't know that.  Or, perhaps you did.  It's kind of ironic (coincidental?  I always get those two wrong, me and Alanis Morriset) because I was going to train in the army to be a water treatment officer or something like that, it's been 13 years don't hold me to remembering the exact terms, and now I am working in local government in the water business some time later.  I guess it's full circle.  It makes me think that perhaps this is always what I was supposed to be doing.  If you believe in that kind of thing.  Which I don't, but sometimes this kind of thing makes me wonder.

I took today off of work even though I can't really afford the time right now.  I just needed a day.  Asher has been super bad lately, I don't know what is wrong with him.  Every. Single. Little. Thing. Is. A. Battle.  I put periods behind each word just to emphasize how much I am stressing each work.  Everything out of my mouth is a challenge for him to fight.  Asher, put your shoes on.  NO! Followed by a tantrum.  Asher, do you what do you want to eat for dinner?  "Pez and cookies."  You can have those for dessert.  NO!  NOT DESSERT!  NOW!  GO AWAY MAMA!.  you get the idea, right?  Rosie cannot get him to nap.  She does things that are counter productive when I'm trying to discipline him, like offer to give him what he wants.  (Who's in charge of whom, eh?)  It got so bad yesterday that he bit me in front of Rosie and Richard and Katya.  It was partially Rosie's fault and Katya's fault, katya's for being bad and Rosie for giving in to Asher when he wanted to be the same kind of bad.  He bit me hard, too.  I have never wanted to shake my son as much as I did yesterday.  Instead, we went to time out in the middle of the driveway with me holding him down until he calmed down and the whole crew just watching in embarrassment.  It was super awesome.

Work is also really stressful right now, trying to get all of my work done, wordsmith some grant applications by June 1st, get the WCP going and ready to roll without me, train new people, learn my new job, research some property stuff, continue to monitor the watershed and get the WMP finalized before I leave.  All in just about 8 weeks, give or take.  So, no stress, right?

Yeah, I think I deserve it, I am taking a "me" day.

Originally I wanted to use a groupon I had bought a while back for a Mani-Pedi but I waited too long to schedule it and they were booked.  So then I wanted to go see Dark Shadows since it came out today but...the first time it plays is during my Dr.s appt and so I can't go see it, either.  I don't want to just stay at home, I will totally just do housework all day and not relax.  I don't know what to do....  This is turning into a wasted day.  I did get a nice long blog typed up.  And I read the news.  And did my social media stuff.  Do I want to go shopping?  Not really....I always get depressed shopping alone.  Or just shopping.  And I don't really need anything.

Anyone want to go see dark shadows with me?  Ever since I heard about it on This American Life I have kinda wanted to see it.  Also, has anyone read 50 Shades of Gray?  I heard it's supposed to be good but I don't know if it's the kind of book I'd like, and there are about 1000 people on the library waiting list and I don't want to buy it unless it's really good.

By the way, Ben Folds Five is back together and putting an album out using Kickstarter.  You should check it out, you can download a free song there, too.  I haven't pledged yet because I don't have an account, perhaps I will later...

Oh, and I got a bunch of emails from Jason's old site I used to write for, www.unsoughtinput.com.  I used to write as Alouette on there, check me out.  Here's some of my old favorites of mine: Career Advice: Do Not Listen to Crazy People, An article about water before I even worked in the water biz (has it always been about water with me?  Geez...) and an article about nerd parents.  You know, as I go back through this stuff, I can't believe how much I wrote.  I'm impressing myself.  Anyway, I should probably let you get on with your day, this might be my longest blog on here ever.

You can be a coffee achiever, you can sit around the house and watch leave it to beaver

So, this weekend was pretty awesome.  Took Asher to Brandywine falls on Saturday where we saw the falls then hiked down into the valley to search for salamanders.  We didn't find any of the fire breathing kind (which is probably for the best) but we did find one black and brown one.  I was so concerned with being able to have Asher see and touch it before it scuttled off that I didn't get a photo of it but I was pretty happy we even found one.  I was getting nervous for a minute.  This weather is amazing.  I keep feeling like it's going to go away like a big April fools joke...



Bottom of the falls

<>

Daddy and Asher

Mama and Asher's funny faces

It's so much fun to throw rocks in creeks!

Overdramatic action shot!

Sunday we took Asher to Buzzard Day at Hinkley Reservation.  He had a blast.  Give a kid a free pair of binoculars and he is happy for days.  I'm serious.  He wore them all day yesterday and would have worn them to bed if I hadn't made him take them off.  Then, first thing this morning he does is get up and put them on again.  So cute. 

Singing glory days are gone and everything's okay

So, just getting ready for the holidays and then the new year.  I don't think we are planning on doing anything exciting this year for New Years Eve.  Maybe just skyping with the CA clan for a bit.  You aren't very much fun at a party with a 2 year old and being pregnant.  It is what it is. 

I have a new schedule for next year, starting on the 1st.  I thought I'd be happy about it but now I am sad, I am going to a regular Monday through Friday day shift.  So, I should be happy about having the whole weekend with my kin but instead I'm thinking it sucks because now Asher will have one more day at daycare and not at home. And then what will happen with #2?  I'm really not sure what we are going to do once s/he is born yet...I've got some time, I guess.  The one lab position's shift is looking to be  a day shift with days off as Tues and Weds...I might go for that if I was offered the option...then we would only have to have daycare for 3 days...but ry and I would never have a day off together.  Oh well, at least we would have the evenings.  And we could meet for lunch on the days the other is working. 

Time will tell. 

I've been feeling much better, pregnancy wise.  The last week or so has been so much better.  Still tired a lot but not overwhelmingly exhausted.  I'm not feeling nauseous as much as I was, barely at all, actually.  Thank goodness for that. 

I really don't have much else to say right now.  I'll post some xmas pics up probably next week sometime.  Asher's such a ham, so they should be pretty good.