Labor Negotiations

Two and a quarter

Hey. Long time, no see. I was reminded today by someone, that I am worse about updating my blog than she is, and she's pretty bad. (Just kiddin' P!) Doesn't get much worse than once a year, does it? So I thought it apropos that on my tenth wedding anniversary and the girls 27 month birthday I might as well give a little update, one year after my last.

It has been an interesting year full of highs and lows. We are finally in our house,  although it is far from complete. If you are ever contemplating building a custom home with a builder who is not personally referred to you, check yourself into a facility, because you will probably end up in one, anyway. Every scare story I had ever heard came true, and then some. Frankly, I'm/we're a little scarred. These people left us on the brink of financial ruin, took forever, and well, I just don't have the energy to go on about it. Put it this way, our chance for a third child has pretty much been taken away by a builder and not my body, for a change. We're doing ok, now, but everything we were saving for has been wiped out, in order to make our house livable.

On the bright side, we were able to sell our little two bedroom house  in one day, in the middle of August, with multiple offers to choose from. Of course, that meant my builder really had to get a move on, and we had to rent back from our buyer for several weeks after the closing. All in all, we were REALLY lucky, since the market tanked the next month.

As I've indicated, we've put our plans for another donor cycle on hold, indefinitely. I'm not sure that there ever will be one, and yes, I will probably have regrets. For a variety of reasons, it just isn't the right time and may never be. I feel really lucky to have gotten my BOGO babies, my "instant" family, if you will, and will always be eternally grateful for them, and to the people that made them possible.

The girls are doing really well. They are talking about anything and everything. They sing songs. My favorite is "Close to You," by The Carpenters, complete with "hair sprinkling." They go to "pre" pre-school twice a week. Its a great alternative where I get to go with them for two hours, and they get the "hang" of going to school. They are making friends and having a ball. We are getting more serious about picking a a real pre-school for the 2010-2011 school year. Apparently, even here in the Mid-West you have to get your name on a wait list pretty early. Its a toss up between the school district's Early Childhood program (longest wait list??), the Waldorf school where they go now, and a cool Reggio Emilia school that I lust after, but wowza! The tuition! Surprisingly, there was only one Association Montessori Internationale option nearby, and it was sort of depressing, so we probably won't re-consider it. I would love to hear about others experiences, with these different philosophies.

Here are a few pictures  from the last year.  You can see that they are hardly babiesanymore. 

So, I see Typepad is still annoying when trying to upload pictures. Typepad, aside, I'm not sure where I stand with the whole blogging thing. I like it in theory, but I'm not as comfortable talking about the girls, anymore. I'm thinking of starting something new, that is more personal and password protected, or starting something new that is even less personal and more anonymous. I'll let you know in another year!

One and a quarter

Happy Ninth Vegas Anniversary honey! Eight years ago, today, we "slipped up," (sorry, I can hardly contain my laughter) and didn't use a condom. I had already been off the Pill for two months, but wanted to make it three, you know, 'cause that's safer, and all, so we were using the gloves. My god, how naive I was back then. I even had that "choose the sex of your baby," book. Missionary? Doggie? Faster swimmers? Is that how babies are made? Present me, wants to reach back in time and slap 33 year-old me.

In other news...15 months old. Amazing. Surreal. I can't believe these beautiful babies call me mama. (and they both do, now) As a matter of fact their language skills are "exploding" as they say. I can't even keep up with Nic, she is starting to repeat everything I say. I hear you're supposed to keep lists of words? I'll try. Julia is still sort of a mono-syllabic kind of girl, and Da-da means quite a lot, depending on context, for both girls. Daddy, doggie, duckie, what's that? You really have to pay attention. They are so much fun. And although, sometimes I feel a little drudgery in my day, it doesn't have anything to do with them. It's more a laundry-folding, dishwasher-emptying kind. And I had that before they were even born. I feel so lucky to be able to stay home and watch every new thing they discover or do. They are growing so fast and are real little people with personalities. I'm in constant amazement.

The house is really coming along, now. The second floor walls and framing are done. I expect the roof trusses will probably go up this week. Maybe even more. I walked around the first floor the other day, and you can really start to imagine living in it. How big the rooms are, what the views out of the windows will be. It seems like eons ago, that we signed on with our architect and builder, and now we are finally seeing something materialize "overnight." Anyone have any experience with recycled glass countertops? We're thinking of doing something other than the ubiquitous granite, that will also help our LEED certification.

Oh, did I mention the braces might be coming off in August or September? Four and a half years. I think it was worth it. I want to celebrate with a little "work done." Extreme Makeover, maybe?

Thank you, Easter Bunny!

The recovering Catholics celebrated Easter in their own way, Sunday. (and yes, you saw Christening photos on that 1st birthday post...we try...for the family, you know) My dad and brother came over for a brunch of Eggs Benedict (which I didn't fuck up, an Easter miracle in itself) (did I just say Easter and fuck in the same sentence? I'm on the express train to H-E-double toothpicks, I swear...) spinach gratin, fruit salad, blueberry streusel muffins, Honeyb@ked ham (for which, D braved a Good Friday police-guided parking lot, for) and Mimosas. The girls thought their 10:00 a.m. "snack" was delish! My heart was melting watching my dad with the babies. Julia taught Uncle M how to "rub noses, like the eskimoses."

However, the kin had to be shoved out the door promptly at 11:30, so we could put the girls down for an early bottle and nap. Had to skip lunch since they were full of blueberry muffin. At 1:30 dresses and shoes went back on, and we had a little impromptu egg hunt in the front yard (no hidden dog "chocolates"...) since the morning snow (I know! Hello...March 23rd!) had melted. "They" also got some good loot. "One for daddy, two for mommy, one for daddy..." Notice how the ears on the bunnies were the first to go.

We drove over to my mom's where another egg hunt was waiting. The girls showed off their Easter finery (including their Dollar Tree Easter bonnets. Apparently Easter bonnets are no longer the rage and were hard to find. Thanks Hannah Mont@na. But hey. They cost one. dollar. No losers, really. The gaudy hats did take attention away from their hand-smocked dresses, though.) and enjoyed being the center of attention. After ham again, we made it over to D's parents for...you guessed it...MORE HAM. Somehow, I didn't eat at their place, which is becoming a holiday tradition since the twins have been around. Did I mention how I didn't have Thanksgiving dinner? Long story.

The girls were so well behaved and we didn't have any screaming meanies. They even stayed up a little later and went to bed easily. We're slowly getting better at this "having kids" thing. Well, "having the kids," not "having kids." Semantics.

Since it was also the first day of Spring last week, we celebrated by going to our Botanical garden, where we fed the ducks and ate lunch. Nic took a catnap in the stroller which completely screwed any chance of a nap later in the day, but we still had fun.

We have also been exploring a couple of playgrounds, including the one right by the new house being built. The girls are starting to enjoy the privileges that come with age. (sniff)

Speaking of the house (Pamplemousse...) the detached garage walls are going up today, and hopefully next week, the house itself will start going up, too. Not much else to report on that, though. Looking at late July/early August for completion. Ha.

Mommy's Juice Box

D and I have a drinking problem. We can't seem to finish a bottle of wine anymore. To remedy this problem and yet still indulge in our love of the grape, we have been investing in stock buying Black Box wines. The Cab and Merlot aren't too bad, and the Chard is ok, too. I'm more of a Pinot Noir drinker, but I'll takes what I can gets.

Yesterday, I skipped my "juice" and had a Boulevard "Irish Ale." Not bad, either, and just what I needed to go with our Corned Beef and Cabbage dinner. The Irish Soda Bread was good, too, and marks the occasion of my first baking attempt since the twins birth. Not exactly Irish, but we're having Reubens tonight with the leftovers. D is out of town the next three days, so we had to move our traditional St. Pat's dinner and next day dinner up by a day. My dad came over and finally spent some quality time with the girls, which was nice, too.

By the way, Nicole? Why did you push your warm corned beef off of your high chair last night, but today at lunch, you couldn't get enough of the cold corned beef I was noshing on straight from the fridge?

Red Hot Poker

Soon I will be back to my newly reformed blogging status, but I am currently unable to look at a computer for very long. Or TV. Or a book. Or out a window. You see, Julia decided, that since I had a right cornea, an extra if you will, I wouldn't mind being scratched in the left one. Oh my god...the pain...the blurriness...This happened on Monday, and it is still not fully healed. On antibiotic drops and occasional Percocet, as needed. Oh and did I mention they gave me their cold? I'm outnumbered and possibly outflanked but not outranked.

Nurture

Big news from Tertia. today and I thought I'd share. Although I had a great experience with the Renew agency, I have to admit, I find this very interest-ink...All the best to you Tertia and Melany!

Hello?

Ok. I know. I'm not really a blogger anymore. I've let all three of you down. Two? Anyone? Buehler? I've been off in my own little world which includes at least four poopies a day (sometimes an extra couple, no names, Nic, I promise), lots of organic faux "Cheerios," and complex decision making, like, oil-rubbed bronze versus brushed nickel, and dual flush toilets or just low flow with cistern graywater. FYI: ORB and dual flush. Cisterns can get pricey. And Craftsman bungalow and oil-rubbed bronze just seem to go together, don't you think?

The "green" house is coming along s-l-o-w-l-y. I hear they finally poured the foundation floor today. Everything is ready to go up. Pre-assembled (less waste) walls sitting in the lumberyard, windows should be delivered any day, roof trusses sitting stacked at the jobsite. Etc. Etc. Building a house should be kind of fun, but when all decisons and errands have to done on the odd Wednesday that my mom takes the girls, around orthodontist appointments (going on four years! Woo!) it kind of takes on the aura of a chore. I just want to get in already.

Nothing to report on the next donor egg attempt, except that we are postponing until April-May 2009. I know. That's a long way off. It made more sense that we should get moved into the new house and settle a little, first. You know, hang curtains and what not. Plus, D is taking three weeks off when his current project wraps up by then, so he will be available for full-time twin care with my mom to help. The off-season will just begin in South Africa, so travel costs will be down, too, for the couple of weeks that I will have to be there. I think I was sort of rushing it, because psychologically having a baby at 42 (its always a number, isn't it?) sounded better that 43. Whatever. We all know it may not even work. Not like I've had the ute checked out in over a year. Could be fibroid city down there, by now.

Anyway, what does an infertile blog about when she is now a mom, not cycling any time soon. Are you tired of hearing mommy stuff? I still read the blogs of infertiles-turned-moms, but maybe that's just me. I've got a lot to talk about and time to write it down, but I feel like maybe there isn't much interest. Maybe I'll try putting it out there as it comes to me, and judging by hits, keep going. Or not. I kind of feel my voice coming back and less of the diary narrative. I may start blogging about any old thing.

Gotta go. Sick babies mean shorter naps around here.

Happy 1st Birthday, Babies! It's been quite a year (and a half...)

   

PSA: Recalls

I signed up for email alerts from the Consumer Products Safety Commision, and it has already paid off in the first week. This Infantino teether has been recalled because the the nose can come off, posing a choking hazard. I can get a replacement, but they don't use it anyway, so why go through the rigamarole? I thought others might like to sign up for this valuable information. It doesn't just pertain to children's products. I've gotten about three email alerts so far, each with 3 - 6 products. Very helpful. Consumer Products Safety Commission

The Second Annual Virtual Cookie Exchange

In honor of Jenn's Second Annual Virtual Cookie Exchange I present D's favorite Christmas cookie. These are always the first to go at his parent's holiday parties. The recipe was passed down by his maternal grandmother, and the lore is that it was clipped from the local newspaper, years ago. They aren't particularly festive looking, but even I can get on board with his family about this subject. And you have to admit, it's easy to remember. Sorry, I don't have a picture. Maybe I'll have to make some for D. Without further ado:

The "ONE" Cookie

1 c. butter
1 c. packed brown sugar
1 c. sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. vegetable oil
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cream of tartar
1 c. oatmeal
1 c. coconut
3 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

Cream butter and both sugars. Mix in egg. Blend in oil and vanilla. Mix dry ingredients together, and mix into egg batter. Chill dough for at least 2 hours. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 325° F, until lightly browned, about 12 - 15 minutes. Cool on rack. Makes about 5 dozen.