Thursday Thoughts

I'm way too tired to attempt a coherent post so here are my random Thursday Thoughts:

1. After complaining that we were having pizza for dinner, my older daughter (the Mote) then complained that it was cold. Instead of asking one of us to heat it up, she brought it over to the window and asked the sun to warm it for her.

2. The Mote really enjoyed "Cotton Fu Panda" this afternoon - followed by a real karate lesson at her friend's karate school. The Who enjoyed hearing her sister say "Hiya".

3. I've been working on a knitted lace shawl since BEFORE I was pregnant with The Who (she'll be 1 in August) and I have half a pattern repeat and a the top border left to do and it is done. I'm hoping to wear it this fall. I said that last summer too.

4. I finally started tackling the stack of magazines next to my bed. I'm caught up to April (2008) (yes, skimming the pictures counts as catching up).

5. I, like every other blogger that I faithfully read who is not going to Blogher, is going through some Blogher envy issues this week.

6. Who has cute 1st birthday ideas they want to share? Think 4 o'clock BBQ with a 1 year old, an 18 month old and 9 or 10 3-6 year olds and way too many adults.

Thanks and I promise, next week a real post with paragraphs and all.

To Kiss the Boo Boos

It's been an interesting week around here. It's been a week were I spent a lot of time questioning the decisions my husband and I have made and considering our options. Before we had kids (ok, before we knew how much kids cost!) we made the decision that I would stay home with them, at least until they started school.

Well, soon enough financial reality hit and we realized that I had to work if those kids wanted food, clothing and dance lessons. So, I've started and stopped and restarted various businesses over the past few years. I am currently working on 4 of those businesses - albeit some more intensly than others. And, this week, all 4 required my attention. I am working as (1) a freelance writer for several different clients,(2) a legal researcher for an attorney (I was an attorney way back in my pre-kid life), (3) an independent contractor for the state - training foster parents about special education law; and (4) an independent contractor for a local boutique selling their overstock on Ebay. I really enjoy all of these positions and am so lucky to have them. Yet, this past week all of these jobs needed my attention and deserved to have priority. I found it hard to balance those demands with my children who are, for the most part, home with me this summer.

So, during this crazy week, I decided that I wanted to go back to work so that I could give my attention to my job during work hours and to my kids the rest of the time. I thought I might even be able to spend time with my patient husband again who most often gets neglected because of my schedule.

Then this morning, my daughter bumped her head. Lightly - no big injury, thank goodness. Her aunt, her father and her grandmother, all of whom she adores, were in the room. But, she came running to find me at my desk. She looked up and said, "I'm just so glad that you are always here to kiss my boo boos."

I kissed her head, fixed her pigtails and got back to work because I like being home with my kids and I enjoy my work. There's no need to change a thing - unless any of you know a good, reasonably priced babysitter who wants a part time job :)

I Can't Help It

I had three different blog posts floating around in my head this morning. I was going to update you on my (gasp!) knitting - with pictures (please don't faint.) I was going to ask you for help on learning to trust that my 4 year old will make good decisions. She's a great kid and I need to stop treating her like she's 2 and doesn't know how to keep herself safe. Or, I was going write about how every mom in this town drives a blue or silver SUV or minivan (myself included). Why? Don't they come in other colors? Oh, you don't care?

Well, don't worry because I can't write about any of those things today.

I'm stuck on this "news" article about how people with pets are going to vote in the upcoming presidential election.

Really? Why did we even poll on this topic? Who cares? Oh, and I love my crazy dog but I'm not voting for McCain.