birthday bits

monkey cake: monkey sugar cookies:
big boy of one:
banana shirts for birthday boy and nephews:
my favorite, the banana toss:

and the felt bananas:

my new reality

is okay. yes, i'd rather not have to work (show me someone who would! "life of leisure? nah, that's not for me." ha!) but there's not much i can do about it. we've got bills to pay.

so life is okay. the first week back to work went okay. baby j is doing okay. i'm doing okay. work is okay. everything is okay. i'm even managing without my daily nap(s) thanks to two shots of espresso in my morning latte (no longer served in bed, natch.).

i am glad that we spent a week "practising" taking baby j to daycare. as shitty as i felt last week, it did make it easier to walk down that hall leaving my wailing child behind. so not easy but easier. the staff tells me every day gets better.

work is almost like i never left. except for the now being responsible for people thing. but really, we all listened to each other bitch before, now i just do it in an official capacity and can chalk it up as "employee support" as opposed to "time wasting" on my time sheet. excellent.

and yeah, becky, i don't wanna get dooced. especially since i know my boss reads this. hi beth!

the first week is over and i never have to do it again. instead, we're all about the first birthday party planning. baby j is one on tuesday, his party is on saturday. of course we are having a monkey themed party. i'll post more details probably next week. this week is planned down to the minute trying to get everything done in time. today's big task: tearing down the nasty shed in our backyard. thanks to jeff and his reciprocating saw!

(more) stash enhancement and the sucky side of parenthood

building up to my return to work on monday (eep), we've been doing some intensive day care training: every day this week for about 5 hours. and every day as soon as he realizes what is happening he starts bawling. it used to be after a minute in the infant room and now it happens in the hall. i'm sure today it will happen in the parking lot. his little face crumples, he turns red, his nose starts running, and oh the tears.


it is pretty much the worst feeling in the world.

yesterday they tried to distract him with a book as i made my escape. i looked back to see him pushing the book aside and reaching out for me, screaming.

i'm spending my last week of maternity leave feeling like complete and utter shit. nice.


after the book incident, i stopped in at the mall to pick up some lunch items and needed a moment to calm my nerves. i stopped in at the LYS and headed to the sale corner.


debbie bliss soho. it was 50% off. the blue is for a hat, a scarf, and mittens for baby j. the other two are just 'cause they are pretty and will make a nice scarf or wrist warmers or maybe something felted. i know i bought some of that soho for a scarf for my sister in law but i can't seem to find it to see if they are indeed the same colorway. i think it is time i sign up for ravelry.

beef with benji

i was watching a so you think you can dance season 2 rerun a few nights ago and i've got a beef with benji.

benji is an incredible performer but i don't think he should have won and i think america was duped. because when benji dances he performs for the person in the very last row with the crappy seat practically behind a pillar. he's so very "on" and giving his all that you, the audience, cannot forget for a moment that he is on and giving it his all. every single kick ball change is telegraphed and tap danced across your brain. bam. bam. bam. jazz hands!

maybe my years of ballet have spoiled me a bit. ballet is all about hard work looking absolutely effortless. there is nothing effortless about benji. travis, the runner up dude, moves with a grace and fluidity that is effortless. watching him, you are entranced by his body, swept away by his movements. what travis does is infinitely harder than benji because he is making it look easy. like, hey i can do that! nothing benji does looks easy. and granted it is not, there's no way i could move like he does. but every move of his performance reminds me of that fact. whereas travis, now travis can dance.

this concludes my beef.