Grandparents can save a person’s life
Aug 20, 2008 Family, work work work
My dad: I mentioned yesterday that my dad gave me a pep talk, which was just what I needed. My dad is a financial planner (here’s his linkedin) and he cut his teeth as a door-to-door insurance salesman. He knows from hustling and working on commission and not letting the bad days stop you cold. He knows a lot about marketing and networking and all the things I’m trying to learn. A pep talk from him includes stellar advice and encouragement.
(As some of my longertime readers know, my dad and I have had our issues. One of the latent consequences of Brett losing his job and me going out on my own this past year and a half has been to help me build a positive, nurturing and loving relationship with him. Thanks corporate lay-offs!)
My mom: I can always count on my mom to boost me up and cheer me on. She’s my biggest fan. Just knowing I can call her anytime is enough to make me not need to call her, you know? Unconditional love that I can take for granted — well, I know that’s made me the woman/mother/writer I am. PLUS! She has this fantastic elliptical machine that’s gym-quality that I’ve been nagging her to loan me for years. (She used to use it a lot but doesn’t so much these days.) I nag her out of habit now because she always rolls her eyes at me. But guess what! You guessed it! She’s loaning it to me ’til she retires (a couple years away) and that means: ENDORPHINS! Yes, my friends, a steady workout is in my future! Our own elliptical trainer is getting noisier and lumpier every time I use it, which precludes using it. Can’t get on when the kids are occupied watching tv because it’s too loud for them to hear the television. Can’t do it while they’re sleeping in the morning or after they’re in bed because it’s loud enough to wake them up (it’s just below their rooms). I get it this Sunday and I am already full of joy just thinking of it!
Brett’s parents: They’ve offered to take the kids whenever I need it and whenever their schedules allow (they’re very busy retirees). I hate to ask because I’m like that but today they called and asked — asked! — to take the kids fishing. As if I’d refuse. This is incredibly fortunate because I have a lot of work and the kids are driving each other nuts so I can’t leave them to kinda play together since I’m breaking up a lot of fights that go like this, “You’re a potato.” “Mommy! Noah called me a potato!” “Rudikins tattletale!” “Mommy! Noah called me a rudikins tattletale!” Then poking/tickling ensues or the dreaded looking in each other’s direction without being invited to look. “He’s looking at me!” “What — I can look!” “AHHH!” “Rudikines potato!” “Mommy!” etc etc etc. Clearly not a day for work.
And this is why the grandparents are at the top of “my god, you are awesome people” list. This is why we’re in Ohio and not in the beautiful Pacific Northwest!!
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Tags: babysitting, childcare, elliptical trainer, inlaws, job, kids, my dad, my inlaws, my mom, Noah, pacific northwest, work, working
All shook up
Aug 18, 2008 The Story of My Life, work work work
Seems like I’m living in a snowglobe minus the snow. I’m discombobulated and every time I think I’ve got my footing again — shake shake shake — I’m knocked off balance.
Good news: Let go of a timesuck client that people have been telling me to let go of for months.
(shake shake shake)
Bad news: Client still hasn’t paid me for last month of work.
(shake shake shake)
Good news: I think working around Brett’s schedule is more than do-able because the kids are older, I’m better organized and teleivion is a magical baby sitter.
(shake shake shake)
Bad news: Brett isn’t loving the job.
It’s kinda like that only it’s everything. Every. Little. Thing. So that’s how my mood is, too.
Good news!
(shake shake shake)
Bad news!
(shake shake shake)
Ad infinitum.
I am neither happy nor sad about this or that or the other thing but I am interested — sorta like a bystander in denial that the shake-ups are actually happening to me. I find this to be a sanity-saver since I’m pretending not to nice the way I’m being buffeted by whichever rotten kid is messing with my personal snowglobe.
(shake shake shake)
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Tags: client, denial, job, kids, schedule, snowglobe, work, working
Noah is not awesome at reviews (so giggly!)
Aug 16, 2008 Blogging, work work work
But he’s on Kids Know Stuff any old way. I think they let him in because he’s kinda cute.
Today I’m taking him to WOSU’s Digital Days at COSI to help me sit and talk about blogging to any interested passerbys. See, I figure one of the advantages of working from home is that you get to involve the kids and give them an understanding of the ins and outs of the work-a-day world. I’ve noticed that Noah is much more willing to watch Madison when he gets that I do this work, I send this invoice and then (theoretically) I get paid. He comes and looks over my shoulder a lot and he at least feigns some interest in my portfolio.
I figure all of this is homeschooling, too, being involved with our work stuff.
Lately we’ve been talking to him a lot about budgeting explaining to him what we would have done differently at the start of this freelance gig with what we know now and talking to him about the long-range plans and why Brett’s at work now. He’s clearly feeling more ownership in how our family does and feeling more integral to our success. I know he’ll have his less than stellar days but this past week he’s been extremely helpful in getting the house going, Madison settled, etc. so I can finish a project or get lunch started before I have to field a call from a client. He’s very “we’re all in this together.”
Anyway. He’s a nice kid if giggly. He can’t help it. Those Lena and Liberty girls are funny — what’s a boy to do?
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Tags: Blogging, Friends, kids, kids know stuff, Noah, reviews, work, working from home
Bribing my kid
Aug 14, 2008 Friends, Parenting
Somebody was calling Brett’s cell phone all night last night and he couldn’t just turn it off because he uses it as his alarm clock so we are wicked tired. It’s 10am and I’ve been up for a little less than five hours already so I sent Noah off on his bike to get me a Diet Coke from the CVS at the edge of our neighborhood. (See, the real reason we moved here isn’t just so Noah could walk to the library and have a paper route and other Mayberry things but also so he could fetch and carry for me.) He just got home with Skittles to split with Madison, which is the bribe — he can keep the change and buy a treat.
So I’m on the phone with Abby – work stuff, totally not a fun conversation because we are serious workers — and she mentions her kids are just waking up and haven’t even had breakfast and I, of course, take the opportunity to tell her what a lousy mother she is what with it being 10am and her kids not having eaten. (She selfishly goes for a run every morning when she could be at home grinding her own wheat for homemade pancakes and I think it’s high time someone called her on it.) Then Noah pointed out — mouth full of Skittles — that he hasn’t had breakfast either.
Yes, I made my 11-year old ride to the store on an empty stomach to buy me my drug of choice and then placated him with Skittles. (snicker)
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Tags: abby, breakfast, Bribing, CVS, kids, library, Madison, Noah, Parenting, phone
Kids Know Stuff
Aug 12, 2008 Friends
And they know about kid stuff. My friend Abby has started a product review site powered by her kids and the stuff they know about stuff. Targeted to kids, the site has videos of product reviews and she’s going to be working out some promotional efforts in a few weeks here. Meanwhile, stop on by KidsKnowStuff.com and give ‘em a holler. Better yet, let your kids do the hollering — after all the site is for kids who know stuff!!
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Tags: abby, Friends, kids, product reviews, reviews