The Hash Brown

Occasionally, as a special treat, I will go through McDonald’s to get a hash brown for Addison before school. At first, she thought she didn’t like them. When she asked me what it was I told her it was like chopped up French fries smooshed together and it was love from then on. It takes her about the whole ride to school to eat it and it starts the day off nice. A week or so ago, we made the trip. After eating about 9/10ths of the hash brown she decided that she really wanted to share it with her teacher, Ms. Beth. So for several miles she saved all of about a pinch of her hash brown. I tried to convince her that I was certain that Ms. Beth would appreciate the thought, but that she would totally understand if Addison ate that last little bit. But no, she wanted to share. I even told her that Ms. Beth would probably prefer her own hash brown and that perhaps she didn’t want to share. Finally, just as we’re creeping up the last curve in the road before school, that little pinch disappeared. Addison gave in and ate what was left. She quickly forgot about her desire to share. That is, until she remembered this week. Several days we passed by McDonald’s and Addison insisted that we should take her teacher a hash brown. Finally, we settled on asking Ms. Beth if she even liked hash browns and could we bring her one. I wasn’t sure what the rules were for teachers eating food their students brought. So yesterday Addison finally remembered to ask Ms. Beth if she liked hash browns. To her delight, the teacher said she did. We were on a mission today to get one. Of course the line at McDonald’s was the longest I’ve seen in a long time, but the glee from my daughter was worth the wait. We ordered 2 hash browns. One to eat and one to share. By the time we got to school, Addison had devoured hers. Just as we were getting out of the car, I gave her the extra hash brown for Ms. Beth. She carefully carried it into the building and we made a beeline for her classroom. She took it right over to Ms. Beth who seemed genuinely surprised and gave Addison a hug. (Where was my hug? I’m the one who forked out the money! Lol!) That made Addison’s day. Another good start to the morning. Thanks McDonald’s.

And yes, America…I give my daughter the greasy hash brown that can turn a paper bag clear with the grease that drips off of it. That’s my right and I take responsibility for it. She loves it, and I’m smart enough to know not to give her a dozen of them for breakfast. Nor do I take her to McDonald’s for every meal…but if I did, my right and my responsibility. Get off yer damn high horse and quit telling me what’s best for my kid. Another discussion for another day.
Look at all that bubbly goodness:

Happy Easter

Look what the Easter bunny brought!

Too OLD

It drives me nuts when people use age as an excuse to not know something or try something. I hear it so many times – especially at work. This is particularly disconcerting because you have to know stuff to be able to do your job. Mostly I hear this excuse in relation to technology. It’s lame. It’s lame that you haven’t taken the time to learn how to use the computer when you have to use it nearly every day. If you don’t know how to use the computer – take a class! I did! I wasn’t born knowing technology. In fact, I’d say growing up I was rather sheltered from technology. I mean, it was the 80’s mostly and there wasn’t a whole lot of stuff that we have today like cell phones and computers and such. I do remember our Commodore 64, but what the hell does that do?! I took typing in high school just like everyone else. I learned on a typewriter. And I wasn’t very good either. We did have computers, but we had a computer lab with like, 10 computers – MAX. It wasn’t even something that we spent a whole lot of time on. It wasn’t really until the mid-90’s that everything seemed to boom. Everyone seemed to either have a beeper or cell phone (if you had money) and computers were starting to pop up in everyone’s homes. The internet was starting to really establish itself for general public use. I didn’t “grow up” with these things. I learned to use them the same time everyone else did. I learned, first by trial and error, then took some classes in college. Despite already knowing a lot about Microsoft programs, I learned a lot in these classes. So, just because you’re 90 doesn’t mean you can’t learn too. They have free classes at the library! They even have them as basic as learning how to use a mouse. Get out there and learn what you should already know.

I wonder sometimes if people see me as unwilling to help simply because I’d rather teach you how to do it yourself so you can be self-sufficient…but I guess that’s how I’d like to be treated. Some people just want things done for them. Granted, there are times when I just want something done and don’t want a learning moment, but for the most part, if it’s something I might be doing often, I’d rather learn how to do it myself than to continually ask someone else to do it for me. I think I’m pretty good at recognizing those moments and don’t push lessons on people and would appreciate the same. Maybe I’m in the wrong line of work then. I mean I guess the Assistant is supposed to “assist”, but I feel like there are things people need to learn to do on their own.

I’ve become known around work as the “techie”. I do have a lot of gadgets, so I guess I know a lot. I learn by doing, so when I get a gadget I play. That’s how I learn. I don’t think I have a pre-disposition to know ing technology, I think it’s just that I know enough to not make it explode. I can fix phones, computers, printers, fax machines, copiers, shredders, projectors – you name it. At least that’s what people think. What they don’t know is that I don’t know anything either and I’m usually not doing anything that they couldn’t figure out themselves. Maybe I just have more patience.

I can’t think of anything that a person would be “too old” to do. I have reached that milestone where it’s no longer socially acceptable to wear a mini-skirt, so perhaps I am too old for that…but really it’s a personal choice and I think it’s because people’s knees start looking funny after 35 and nobody wants to see funny knees. Perhaps I’m too old to start taking drugs, but I think that’s because it would interfere with my heartburn, cholesterol, thyroid, high blood pressure and diabetes medications. I mean, nobody wants to suffer through heartburn. Again, personal choice. I watched a show a few weeks ago about people over 90 and all the awesome things they are accomplishing. One guy was a multi-medal winner in the Senior Olympics. He even does pole vaulting. I’ve NEVER been able to do pole vaulting. The long jump - I’m just scared my knees would end up coming out the top of my head from the impact. I’m convinced my bones will turn to dust if I jar them too much. Music is another thing. Is there an unspoken rule that once you turn a certain age you can only like or listen to certain kinds of music? Is there an age limit – so once I turn 36 I can’t like music from anyone younger than me? Yikes. That sounds terribly boring and I’d miss a lot of good stuff.

All that being said, age should never be used as an excuse to NOT do something – so get out and DO something! You CAN teach an old dog new tricks. (Disclaimer: I would not recommend pole vaulting unless you have consulted with a doctor first. I will also not be held responsible for any injuries you may sustain while trying something new. You are old – not my fault.)

Paper dolls

Mo' money

Addison got $5 from her great-great aunt and $1.50 from an Easter Egg hunt. She was more excited about getting the quarters at the hunt than the massive amounts of candy she got. So, when we went to Meijer she had gathered her money in preparation of buying a new toy - her very favorite thing. So after much deliberation, she settled on a Strawberry Shortcake set with lots of tiny parts. When we got up to the register, I made her pay for her purchase separately so she could pay with her own money. She handed over her $5 and 5 of her quarters. She got one of her quarters back and a bunch of other change. He delightedly exclaimed "I got MORE money! More than I had!". Then started chanting "money, money, money". Looks like I have a little more teaching to do about money.


-- Post From My iPhone

Puddle jumping

Why TV is good for kids.

I will admit we are a tv-watching family. At times, I get a little irritated with the tv on so much...we watch a LOT of it. I see articles about how bad television is for kids. It fries their brain, ruins concentration, leads to ADD, etc, etc. To a certain degree I think some of this is true. Addison will not pay attention to what you're saying most of the time when she's staring at the screen. She concentrates much better with it off as well. I'm not dumb. I know these things. BUT, we do monitor what she sees. I carefully pick shows to DVR which I think will be about something she needs to learn about. For instance, PBS has great shows for kids and so does Disney Junior. They all teach something. WordWorld teaches words and spelling. All the characters are made of letters and they put letters together to create objects. Another show she watches on PBS is Arthur. This is one of my favorites. It mostly teaches everyday experiences and interpersonal relationships. Arthur is a smart kid and a good role model. SuperWhy is another word show. The characters go into books and read stories. It's also about problem solving and choosing words. Lots of letter identification goes on. Special Agent Oso teaches us how to do things like tie our shoes and water the plants-all in 3 special steps. Handy Manny shows introduces self-sufficiency by problem-solving and fixing things. A new show we've gotten into is The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That which is how I know my kid is actually learning from tv. A few days ago Addison and I had a lengthy discussion about flowers and bees and pollination which I would not have had if not for this show. She knew that bees made honey from drinking nectar and that they stick their tongues waaay out to drink it up. We talked about how pretty dandelions were but that they were a weed and the reason they were so pretty was to attract the bees so their pollen would spread. She also knew that rain was for the plants to grow. My kid is a genius because of tv. Granted, she's probably learning a lot in preschool :), but they are both mirroring each other and it gives me an opportunity to have discussions with my kid and I know she's getting pretty accurate information. Disney Junior is taking a different approach with programming and encouraging exercise and healthy eating. They have exercise and dancing bits between some of the shows and cooking skits. Many of the role models introduce healthy and international foods that kids may not otherwise be exposed to. It's a new day and while I appreciate the opportunity and see huge benefits to Addison getting out and playing, there is also much to be said about the benefits of tv as well. These times do not allow for kids to just "go outside and play" unless you have a secured backyard and even then you have to have a watchful eye. Television has been both a bonding experience (in our discussions about shows) and a refuge (when I need to get some work around the house) because I can't send my kid out to play without supervising her. That's okay. We still make time for the park and other projects without the tv. The community resources don't offer much for working parents and their children after work and school, so we have to make up our own fun. Once summer arrives we'll spend more time outdoors and less cooped up inside. It's all good.

Abu the stowaway

This morning I was putting Addison's boots on for school while she was watching tv. She was very engrossed in the show so she was only halfway paying attention to me. I tried putting her boot on and she casually kicked it off with her other foot. I tried again and the same thing happened. Not really like her, so I attempt a third time and I see her other foot inching over to kick the boot off again, so I asked her "What's the matter with your shoe?". She casually said, "It doesn't feel right." and continued watching her show. Lo and behold, I look inside and there is Abu (the monkey) staring up at me being a stowaway. Well, no wonder it didn't feel right. If she would have just told me in the first place I wouldn't have tried to shove a monkey-filled shoe on her foot.


-- Post From My iPhone

Columbus Zoo trip

Digital scrapbook customized with Smilebox

The girl who escaped

So as to protect the innocent, I will tell a "story" about a girl who escaped.

Once upon a time, there was a girl named Addysen. She was in a tumbling class. In this class was a crazy girl. We'll call her Tabitha since I don't really know her name. Well, Tabitha came to class one week and actually got kicked out because the coach could not handle her running from one end of the gym to the other without compromising the lessons for the other kids. All the parents were thinking "boy, I'm glad that's not my kid." Well, Tabitha went home that day, but came back again to the tumbling class. She was eager to begin. So eager, in fact, she was unable to restrain herself and started running around the gym again. Tabitha's mom was no where around to see her. She ran and ran and ran. She jumped on the gym equipment with no supervision. The parents sat and watched wondering if she was going to hurt herself. Still, her mother wasn't around. After awhile, Tabitha decided she needed to use the bathroom. She ran to the door and pulled and pulled, but it was too heavy to open. Since her mother was still no where to be seen, another mom opened the door to let her out to go potty. Tabitha made a mad dash like letting the lion out of the cage to freedom. The mom that let her out didn't know what to do. Tabitha wasn't going to the bathroom. In fact, she left the room altogether. The mom sat down, hoping for the best until her guilt overcame her. The mom had to go look for the crazy escaped girl. She looked down the hall and didn't see the little girl. She went down another hall to the lobby and lo and behold - Tabitha and her mother had been reunited. Relief came to the mom who had let Tabitha out, but Tabitha's mom did not look happy. She was wondering why her daughter was not in class with the other kids. The mom who let her out decided to go back and let them resolve the problem...wondering if maybe Tabitha's mom was mad that Tabitha was running around unsupervised - someone had let her out of the cage. The mom who let her out went back to the room to watch her own daughter in the tumbling room. Shortly after, Tabitha's mom brought her back to class and put her back in the cage. This time she watched. Tabitha started playing on the equipment like she was supposed to, but she was so excited again she began to misbehave and run all around. Tabitha's mom had a frown on her face. She finally went in the cage to catch Tabitha. Shortly after that, Tabitha and her mom left. Tabitha's mom still wasn't happy, but the mom who let her out was relieved. Will they be back next week? We'll see. The End.

American Idol Season 10!

It's that time again! I loves me some AI. I'm not hating the new judges either. I haven't heard much opposition from my fellow fans either. Stephen Tyler and Jennifer Lopez are brilliant additions. So vastly different from each other, but it makes sense. Why didn't we do this sooner?

Clint sings "Superstitious". He's good. I think he'll make it to top 12.

Jovany. "I'll be" He's got some nice guns, and not bad to look at which is good because his performance did NOT blow me away. He may be going home just based on that, but his look might get him through. Stephen Tyler and JLo have not yet experienced the "listen back" where everything live sounds soooo much worse.

Jordan. No idea what song he was singing. I don't like him just because he's cocky. And WTH is everyone going so crazy over? He ain't all that. And the song sucked. Too bad somebody MADE him sing it. If It's not your style why would you pick a bad song for yourself in this stage of the game?

Tim - good thing he had background singers cause that mostly sucked. I don't know this song either. Meh, he's not a favorite. He could be on the chopping block. His face reminds me of David Archuleta.

Brett - "Baby light my fire" Waaaay too low for him at the beginning. He pulled it out though. He has a Phil Collins kind of sound. I like him because he's quirky but cute. He's good.

James - "You Got Another Thing Coming" I want to like him. I do. I have a hard time not comparing him to Adam Lambert. They have the same sound, but Adam is a performer and a showman. James is not so much. They are different. It's going to be hard not to compare.

Robbie - "Angel" - wow, that was S-L-O-W. And a little all over the place. I've never heard a boy singing Sarah McLachlan either. I don't think it was the worst. I want to see how they change his look though, so he can stick around a little while longer.

Scotty - he is a remarkable singer. It's kind of nice to have a county singer on too. He's got a great voice. That's all I can say.

Stefano - "Just the Way You Are" he's not a stand out for me yet, but he's got potential. He'll stick around for awhile too.

Paul - "Maggie" I like Paul. He's different. Of course he'd sing Rod Stewart...it's perfect. But I wonder if it wasn't a mistake because he sounds a little too much like him. He is certainly unique from the other contestants which makes me like him a little more. Sounds like Rod, looks a little like Kenny Loggins. I like him.

Jacob - what can I say about Jacob? I can't. It's not nice. No. Please. I can't take him for - - how many more weeks? Put him on Broadway. That's where he belongs...but no. Not here. Please?!?

Casey - "I Put a Spell on You" I like him too. He has such range and he doesn't look like he would, but he's a favorite of mine and it's going to be fun to watch him. He's got the chops. Best by far of the night. He's the American Idol that embodies the talent that we look for, not the looks which is what the competition is about. I love him!!

-- Post From My iPhone

The mystery of the socks

For months now, Addison has been leaving things outside her bedroom door after she's laid down for bed. Kind of an oddity and we had no idea why she was doing it. One afternoon I found several stuffed animals after she was "supposedly" laying down for a nap. Usually it's been socks at bedtime. So last night it happened again. We went through our bedtime routine of potty, brushing teeth, and story. I had gone about my business afterward and happened to pass by her door awhile after she had gone to bed. There were two pink polka dot socks laying just outside her door. I asked Greg if he had seen them when he left her room earlier and he said no. So she had gotten out of bed to put her socks out. Kind of like a reverse St. Nick's night. Tonight, after reading her story to her Greg came in to tell her good night and our mystery was solved when she told us exactly why she was putting her socks out. One thing you should know about Addison is that she does not like to sleep with socks on. So that was part of the mystery. If I don't remove them before leaving her, it's almost a sure thing that I will be summoned to return in about 10 minutes to remove them. Anyway, she told us tonight that she had taken her socks off last night and put them out of her room because they were stinky and she didn't want to have to smell them while she was trying to sleep. Huh. I guess that makes sense. She's a smart kid. That doesn't explain why the animals were out at naptime, but she did tell me then that they were making too much noise and bouncing around on the bed. I guess they didn't understand about quiet time. That's the trouble with animals stuffed with fluff.


-- Post From My iPhone

Facing $10,000

Well, a little more than that actually…but how does one walk away from $10,000. I’ve been wondering that myself for a few days. But as someone who did it, I can tell you. Mind you, if someone was going to give me $10,000 no strings attached, I could do whatever I wanted with it, I think I could do some good and get some killer lipgloss to boot.  That’s probably the harder decision. What to do with that money. But what to do without it? Go on. Move forward. That’s what I’ve been doing. After turning away from it, it doesn’t consume nearly every thought anymore. It’s a memory. Every now and then I think about it now and for a brief nano-second wonder why I did it…then I remember. “Oh yeah. Right…my sanity.” That’s important. More important than $10,000.

I was faced with a decision. Some think it should have been an easy decision. Some may think it would be a hard decision. I found it difficult. Once I came to my decision though, after many discussions in my mind, it all made sense. It could be no other way. Then I felt released.

The decision was about a job. I have a job. I have a lovely job that I searched 2 ½ years ago for. I almost took a job that would have killed me. Maybe the people would have made it okay, but I doubt it. The distance was a challenge and the job – not ideal for me. Then, within days of my considering accepting the offer, I got another call-back. And it was for a different job that I applied for and that I could enjoy! Something I’m good at. Something I can use my own expertise in doing and it was much closer! Bonus since I’ve got a little tot to consider. I was giddy with excitement. This wasn’t going to be so scary. I worked at the same place for more than 12 years. I liked what I did, but the environment wasn’t becoming ideal anymore. I was dragging to work and was crabby. I was unsatisfied and dreaded the next day as much as the last. Not an easy decision to make to start searching for something else and I was naïve about how hard the search was going to be. After casually sending out resumes for ideal jobs for awhile and not getting any calls, I finally got to the point where I was desperate for something to take me away. That’s how I almost took the job I would have hated. It was going to move me backward instead of forward, but I would have taken it. Luckily, that didn’t happen. The perfect job fell right in my lap. It was hard to leave all the people I had worked so long with. They were friends. I’d lived with them a long time…but they were happy for me. After I left, they fell on challenging times themselves and were unable to hire a replacement for me. But my new job, it was better than I expected and I had no regrets.

Fast forward 2 ½ years later…my old job got the money finally to replace me and my old boss was trying to woo me back. Things have changed a bit there in the last few years. Mostly the new CEO with new plans. It was sounding much like the old place before it was poisoned by the previous CEO. Even old co-workers were saying how good things were getting. So, in comes my old boss. She’s offering about $7500 more than what I’m making. She says things are better. Things are looking up. It’s all sunshine and rainbows now. And for a moment, it all sounded good. But, I keep going back to the fact that I wasn’t looking for anything. Things are tough where I am, but not because of the people. It’s the economy. Nothing we’re doing wrong, it’s funding issues. It’s the government and how social service agencies are becoming the dinosaurs that are dying. But, the people make it great. The work makes it great. Even my job has changed. I love what I’m doing. I love who I work with. Leadership is awesome. Why would I leave that? Was $7500 enough to make it worth it? That’s a lot of money to walk away from. I can catch up on things a little easier with that. Bills could maybe get paid off…maybe we wouldn’t be living paycheck to paycheck much longer. But, no. I have it good where I am. I was fortunate to be given this opportunity. Where I came from is chaotic and unpredictable daily. I liked the clients and my co-workers and yes, things sound great and wonderful…but it’s not for me. The job is still the same, the boss is still the same, the problems would still be the same. I have nothing more to learn there. I went as far as I could. So, I said “thanks, but no thanks”. She counter-offers making it $10,000 and I knew in that moment that I had made the right decision. I think I have much to learn from where I am. Being happy and satisfied is worth me giving up $10,000. I don’t know what my future is going to be…I wish I had that talent, but for now – it’s all good. I think we’re destined for great things and I’m ready and willing to ride the ride to get there. My boss is innovative and forward-thinking. If anyone can do it, I believe she can. If it leads me down a different path in the future, so be it, but for right now, I’m where I’m supposed to be.

Addison's Album

Make a scrapbook

Blankie time

We made this video for my boss' birthday. She's so stinkin cute!

Doctor Addison checking her beeper.

Resolutions

Overall I think resolutions are silly.  Typically, one announces what their resolution will be for the “New Year”.   To me, this implies that if you fail, you don’t have to commit again until the New Year comes around again.  When watching the New Year’s Eve celebrations on tv, the common theme was asking random people in the crowd what their New Year’s resolutions were going to be.  I was surprised and a little alarmed that there were multiple people who said their resolution was “to be nicer”.  What?!  Shouldn’t that be like a value?  How can you resolve to be nicer?  Just do it.  How do you “intend” to be nicer?  And why are so many people out there mean?  So, if by February 1^st you haven’t been nicer you don’t have to try anymore until January 1^st again.  Seems silly.  What other things do people resolve to do every year?  Exercise, eat healthier, drink less alcohol, do less drugs?  Why don’t we all just resolve today to be the best we can be.  Failure is acceptable.  We are a human race.  When we fail, try again.  Being better people doesn’t seem like something you can truly fail at unless you intentionally do so, or maybe you have a mental illness.  Generally, we may stray from time to time, but ultimately we get back on our path and continue our way through life.  So, let’s all just be good to one another.  What do you say?  If you’re mean today, just have a go at it again tomorrow...and the day after that.  So,  don't drink too much, don't do drugs, and BE NICE!

Why I like gift cards...

So getting a gift card for someone seems impersonal.  It doesn’t require much effort on the buyers part which doesn’t give you the satisfaction of knowing that you spent time thinking of the person you’re buying for.  HOWEVER, my thoughts about being on the receiving end of a gift card are quite the contrary.  Not that I don’t appreciate a hand-picked gift, but a gift card has infinite possibilities.  Getting a gift card starts my mind reeling about all the things I COULD buy that I wouldn’t normally buy for myself.  For instance, last year I received a Target gift card.  I could have used it to buy necessities like shampoo or detergent or whatever.  Instead, I said “No, this is a gift just for me and I can get whatever frivolous thing I want.”  I ended up getting an electric water kettle and a popcorn popper like we had when I was a kid.  It was all for me!  And no guilt for spending money I didn’t really have on myself.  That’s the best part.  Food cards are nice too because it’s like a special treat whenever I want.  If I’m low on cash one day, but really don’t want to eat at home again, I can whip out my gift card!  It’s a free meal!  Right now, I’ve got a Sephora card and an Occasionally Yours gift card burning a hole in my pocket.  I can use some of it now and some of it later if I want.  It’s a gift that keeps on giving.  I can use it all year long.  Plus, (not that I would ever do this) it’s not inappropriate to re-gift a gift card.  It’s just money passing hands, really.  I sincerely use up my gift cards, but if you have one you don’t want, feel free to pass it along my way.  I’ll find some use for it.  I do remember when someone gives me a gift card and think of them when making my purchase...though I may not remember what occasion it was for, but that doesn't make any difference to me.   Last year either for Admin. Professionals Day or for my birthday, my team gave me gift certificates to Milano's - one of my favorite food places.  I used those certificates many times.  I was even able to pay for a friend's lunch that wouldn't have been able to pay herself.  So I even "payed it forward".  My good deed thanks to your good deed.  Win-win for everyone.