My Loving MIL

Ahh- I love my mother-in-law! She has been so good to me, to us and she adores my daughter. Why then does she irritate the crap out of me sometimes? Please tell me why!!! There are days where I really can't handle being around her - and I feel awful because she has done nothing to deserve it. She takes care of my daughter 3 days a week, she is very kind and sweet to me, she and her husband gave us their car, she is constantly trying to help if we need it. But yet...something irks me.

I mean I know what it is sometimes. Like when she pats me on the back for what feels like an eternity but is probably only a minute or so - I really don't like to be touched. Or when she makes comments that are opinions, but does so in a way that make them sound like facts...I get it then, but why oh why can't I get past all of that and just appreciate her?

Gilmore Girls

So, I love the Gilmore Girls - it is probably in the top 5 of my favorite t.v. shows - and I have a lot of t.v. shows that I like to watch, but I love The Gilmore Girls!!!

Anyway, here I am w/ my cat curled up in my lap, my husband on the other couch falling asleep w/ our daughter in his arms and The Gilmore Girls on the television and I was just thinking how nice it was to have a quiet night in. But then I started thinking how great it would be to have the Rory/Lorelai dynamic w/ my daughter. But that would mean having to be her friend and do I really want to be my daughters friend or do I want to have the distinct difference of parent vs. friend? I have no answers for these questions...but...of course I had to start thinking about all of this stuff because...well because this is what I do...

A Matter of Interpretation

So how is it that men can interpret a question so differently than it is said? For example, I ask my darling husband - Did you do this? He responds w/ a slight vague answer that does not actually answer the question, but yet appears to. For example, DH - Did you ever ask our friends if they did X for us? His response - I don't believe they did. Now he isn't lying - he doesn't believe they did, but he also isn't answering the question which was did you ever ASK our friends if they...his way of getting around the fact that he didn't do what he was directly asked to do, but w/o lying about it.

I hate when he does that - it smells of a general lack of accountability to me and it pisses me off. But, in my head - it's just one of those battles that I will choose not to fight. I'll write about it, but I won't fight about it...

Not PG

So, I broke down and took a test - I'm not PG. Which is nice and relaxing, but also kind of sad. B and I are slightly dissapointed, but relieved at the same time - what an odd feeling...I don't quite understand what this feeling is...but...

Care Givers

Finding a care giver for your child is so important. We looked at nannies (in home) day care centers, and in-home daycares before settling on Ms. Brandy who takes care of her own 2 children (11 months apart!!!) as well as one other girl on MWF and her 2 children and Reese on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Her girls are almost 3 and almost 4. They are cute and they really seem to like to have my daughter at their home.

But, the best part is Ms. Brandy - she is great. She genuinely seems to enjoy children and she really wants both Brendan and I to feel comfortable with her. She is so great - she sends me pictures at work so that I know that Reese is doing alright and she even took a video of her rolling over this week - something that Brendan had yet to see! Leaving Reese isn't easy, but having someone so great take care of her makes it that much easier!

Book Club

So, I joined a book club. Yes, me - joining something. And before you say it, yes I did "join" 2 on-line Mom's clubs, but that is different because it's on line - you don't have to do anything that you don't want to, you don't even have to meet the people if you don't want to. A book club however is a different story. You have to get together with the group and read something that is decided by consensus...not typically my cup of tea. But, I have found a group of women that I think I will enjoy being with and if I read a book that I really don't like - what is the harm in that right?

Guess I am just trying to figure out what about having had a baby has made me into someone who would become a joiner. Have I changed that much?

Full Disclosure

In an effort to provide full disclosure I must admit something. I have been updating the links on my page and I added a new one today. Charity Navigator. I hope that a lot of you have heard of this site - or even use it, but my point today is to let you know that I added it - and to add that I did my graduate school internship w/ Charity Navigator in 2002. Nothing unethical going on - just felt like I should be open about it.

That being said, had I not done my internship there I would still link to the site. I think it's a great site for donors who want to know exactly what is happening w/ their money once they give it away.

Also, I stopped by their offices when I was home a week and a half ago to say hi to everyone and introduce them to my baby and it occurred to me that I could link to the site...anyway - enough said - take a look for yourself.