Tuesday Tidbits

• I am dragging this morning - even after two cups of coffee and a diet soda ... don't judge, my alarm went off at 4:45 a.m. this morning!
• Booked our trip to Daytona Beach!!  Hallelujah!! I am so excited to see my family and hang out at the beach.  We scored our friends beachfront condo for a great price, let the countdown to June begin!  Chatty already asked who gets to sit by the window on the airplane ... unfortunately for her, it will be her sister since she will be in her car seat.  I can already here the whining from Chatty ringing in my ears!
• Speaking of trips we are thinking about taking a couple days at spring break and going to Disneyland.  We never do anything at spring break and this year it is over Mr. ESPN and Bia's birthdays, so we thought this would be fun. 
• T-minus 5 days until the race.  I still haven't put together my playlist - hopefully tonight.  Thanks for all of the suggestions ... I am anxious to get on I-Tunes and download some new songs - oh wait who I am kidding, I am anxious for Mr. ESPN to get on I-Tunes and download some songs for me.
• Chatty has moved up to the Bonus words for spelling (she aced the first 100) and some of her words are pamphlet, astronomy, continents, electricity ... please note - she is only in 1st grade ... makes me wonder how our schools are ranked so low when they seem to be learning lots of advanced stuff ....
• Bia has been doing very well with her manners and saying "yes maam" ... she still screams "NO" at us all of the time but at least she is progressing in some areas.
• Mr. ESPN is finally completing some of the projects I wanted him to get done prior to his parents visit (at Christmas).  Better late than never.
• It was a sad weekend in the desert, specifically in Tucson.  As most of you know Mr. ESPN and I went to school in Tucson and it will always hold a special place in our hearts ... please keep the victims families in your prayers and know that Tucson is an amazing place full of great people! 

Observations I Have Made ...

Some random/boring observations I have made this week while traveling in Minnesota:

• Most men/women don't understand elevator etiquette; You wait until everyone exits the elevator before you get on.  Men should allow women to get on/off before them if they are entering/exiting on the same floor
• The Mall of America is overrated to me.  I am not a fan of a huge mall that is filled with a lot of random/crappy stores.
• The Mall of America has a large Nordstroms with lots of lovely merchandise
• Minnesota speed limits are slow
• Afros are not becoming on me
• Fountain Diet Cokes in MN don't seem to have enough carbonation - this observation has come after ordering fountain Diet Cokes in several eating establishments
• You can't buy beer/liquor at grocery stores in MN, you have to by them at the liquor stores next door and they aren't open on Sundays.  So different from the desert where you can buy it all in the grocery store 7 days a week.
• Sauce has a great chicken, pine nuts and Gorgonzola salad.  They are only located in the desert and Minnesota - weird coincidence.  I have eaten there twice this week - the same girl waited on me both times.
• Women don't wear baseball hats to my gym location here in Minnesota.  I guess because none of them have afros, they don't need to wear them.  Must be nice!
• I thought there would be a lot more Targets here since they are headquartered in Minnesota.  I have only seen one so far and it wasn't even a SuperTarget.
• If it storms tomorrow like they are predicting, my flight will be delayed.  I am hoping the weathermen/women are wrong - in reality how often are the right on?
• My baby is starting 1st grade next week ... I am getting old ... but I already knew this
• I can discreetly post random things on my blog during meetings and still pay attention.  Talk about multi-tasking.
• Tomorrow's Friday - woo hoo!

It's Only Wednesday???

This has been such a long week and it is only Wednesday.  As much as I love a few moments/days away from my kids - this is a little too long.  I flew in on Sunday and don't fly home until Friday night. Not my kind of fun.  Eating takeout in your hotel room gets old (especially when your pants seem to feel tighter by the day even though you have been to the gym twice since you have been here).  To top it off we worked until 8:30 last night - insane!  Not to mention it is super hot and humid here which equals Brown Eyed Girls Mom With an Afro!  I feel like Monica on Friends when they went to Hawaii (I think I referenced this last time I went to a super humid climate - it's a recurring issue for me) - it isn't quite that bad but it isn't good!  I get spoiled living in the desert. 

Last night when I talked to the girls Bia said she wanted to go back to the airport.  I don't think she understood that I got on a plane after they dropped me off at the airport - she thought I was still there - bless her heart!  I told her she could come back to the airport Friday and I would be there.  And poor Chatty - she's a mama's girl most of the time and told me when I left that she wished Daddy was leaving and not me ... last night she had a meltdown, in fact all three seemed to be having one when I spoke to them on the phone.  Hopefully today is going better for all of them.  I think Mr. ESPN was looking forward to going to work today!  Over half way through ....

What a Week

Last week was a doozey to say the least.  Some good some bad and some in between.  Bad start when my flight the NJ was delayed on Monday and I didn't end up checking into my hotel until 10:00 p.m.  Good Monday when I found out I won a $100 GAP gift card on a blog giveaway!  Bad Monday when I found out the Java updates I did for work prevented me from being able to get on several sites - including blogger and the Wi-fi in my hotel room didn't work!  What a pain.  Luckily the rest of my week in NJ went pretty smoothly.  Friday I came into the office and worked through lunch so I could get out a little early. 

Good thing I did ... I was about half way home when I get that call you never want to get ... Bia's daycare saying she fell and that I (or Mr. ESPN) needed to get there ASAP!  I call Mr. ESPN and tell him to leave work and pick up Chatty ... I get to daycare and Bia looks so limp that I start crying ... apparently she fell into a cement pillar and hit the back of her head.  When I got there she was saying her stomach hurt and she was tired ... not good.  I called Mr. ESPN and told him to come straight to daycare and call our neighbor to pick up Chatty because it wasn't looking good.  We decide to call 911 and the firemen show up within minutes.  By that time Bia was perking up a bit and even conned the fireman out of his pupil checker.  They said she needed to be checked out by a doctor but said we could drive her.  So Mr. ESPN, Bia and I headed to the ER.  5 staples in the back of her head and 2.5 hours later she was good as new (well sort of)!  Me - not so much!  It is amazing how resilient she is - hasn't complained of a headache and has been doing great when I rinse it off.  I am not looking forward to Friday when we have to get the staples removed!

Needless to say we spent most of the weekend freaking out that Bia was going to re-injure herself!  I have never screamed "Don't run in the house" as much as I did over the past 2 days!  Let's hope this week is a little less eventful!

Not Sure What to Title this Post

No I didn't fall off the face of the planet but somehow I managed to lose all ability to update my blog at work.  This is after they took away my ability to view Casey's blog!  What are they thinking - it's not like I spend my entire day reading blogs and updating mine ... only a few minutes hours each day.  So I still haven't heard back from corporate with an offer but I did receive a call from my boss' boss' boss - got that?  Anyway this whole thing is becoming comical and he made some comment that he may create a position to entice me to stay.  At this point I feel like telling them I will go to the highest bidder!  Nothing like feeling loved in this economy - seriously!  Hopefully I will get some information from someone this week ... we shall see.

So here are a few pics from our trip back east.  We didn't take many - mainly because I was lazy but also because I wasn't with my kids most of the time, plus when I was there they preferred Grandma, well except for when Bia wasn't feeling well and then she wanted her mama (I secretly love that!).  Anyway here's a few shots ... ciao peeps!

Bubbles with Grandpa

Grandpa and Chatty being silly

Bia lovin' on Grandpa

Chatty at the Pigs Ballpark (Phillies minor league team)

Bia having a fit - not sure why!

Dancing on the stairs

A happy moment -

probably 5 minutes after the tantrum pic

Playing the piano with Uncle P and Cousin R

Cousin R got bored with picture taking

Don't you love all of the expressions in the pic?

Mr. ESPN thought it looked like he was trying to cop a feel

Grandma and her girls

A bed time story from Grandpa

Monday Musings

OK I am not sure what musings really are and I don't generally use it in my daily conversation, but it started with an M so I am going with it. 

• So had two of my 5 interviews last week - 1st one the guy tells me he doesn't know why he is interviewing me because he already knows me and thinks I would be great for the job.  Interview #2 was with HR and she proceeds to tell me assuming everything goes well this week I will get an offer next week.  But both of them did tell me the interview with the VP will be tough.  As if I wasn't nervous enough y'all!
• Packing for a family of 4 and preparing for an interview is a little nerve wracking.  Top that off with month end close and trying to get 4 days worth of work done in two = no gym and slightly stressed me!
• Chatty has brought home three recycled contents projects (think toilet paper rolls, paper towel rolls, baby food jars, egg cartons ...) in the last week.  Isn't Earth Day over?  They mysteriously have all found their way into our recycling can without her knowledge.  In addition today she brought home a bunch of bottle caps, strips of paper, string and popsicle sticks and wanted to make something for Grandma.  I convinced her to make it after we get home as we don't have room in our carry on for it.  It was either the project or the portable DVD player.  She chose the DVD player - project averted (for now)!
• Bia told me this morning her belly was getting bigger like Mommy and Daddy's.  I said that's good right Bia - and she nodded and said yes! 
• Grandma asked Chatty something on the phone yesterday and Chatty responded by saying "Yeah baby that's what I am talking about."  I have no idea where she heard that one.
• Bia got upset this morning because Chatty looked at her.  Mr. ESPN says to me "I remember when you used to get mad when I looked at you and spoke to you in the morning too."  What can I say - Bia is a lot like her mama and her Nana! 
• Have any of you purchased or hosted a My 31 Party?  My future SIL is a consultant and I was curious if any of you had purchased any of their stuff.  Looks super cute.