Sunday night we all had cabin fever, so we decided to take the kids to the Forum shops off exit 13 and walk around a bit. Then, we ended up at Red Robin for dinner. When we left the house we hadn't planned on eating out, so I wasn't prepared with cups and toys. So dinner ended up being Jason walking around the restaurant with Harper while I ordered, waited for the food, and paid the bill. It was yet another reminder why we are not at a stage of their lives where dinner at a restaurant with a waiter is a good idea. Not to mention that Red Robin, while very good, is quite expensive (for what it is).
But what was most significant about that dinner was that while I was waiting at the table for the check (while Jason had the kids "playing" video games in the front of the restaurant) I was looking around. Apparently, Red Robin is a good date place because there were a lot of young couples obviously on dates or double dates. And for the first time I had the feeling that I wanted to be a young, dating couple again. I am not one to wish I was back at an age; usually I am looking ahead and wishing I was there. I had a thoroughly enjoyable childhood, high school was decent considering it was still high school, college was a blast, but I have always been so happy to be married and on my own. So it was a strange feeling, but it was very wistful. I think it's just a reaction to getting the minivan.
When we were driving home from getting the minivan, I asked Jason how he felt about owning and driving a minivan. He said it was fine, but it was weird because it meant we were truly grown up now. You don't get a minivan unless you have a family (usually) and now there was no denying it. We are married parents in our thirties. We rarely get carded anymore. I am more and more getting used to being called "Mrs. Russell" and am most often identified as "Garrett's mommy". We have conversations about the economy and our 401(K). We are losing touch with popular culture, but are very well schooled in Disney Channel, Noggin, and Nick Jr. I have conversations about very personal issues with women I have just met because we now all fall into the category of "women who have birthed a child" and that blurs the lines of personal space.
Now don't misunderstand me. If you come and try to take my minivan, you will draw back a bloody stump. I LOVE my van. I LOVE my children and my husband. We have a beautiful house in a great neighborhood, I love my job, we have fantastic friends. Our life is as close to perfect as I would want. But I found myself wishing, for just a minute, to go back to that time when it was all new and there was very little responsibility. Just for a minute.
So I have two quick things to share with you about my children. Wednesday night the whole family was loaded up in the minivan (glorious thing of beauty) and we were headed to a work Christmas party. Remind me next year that taking my 2 children to a party in someone else's very nice house is not at all festive, but I digress...
Jason and I were talking about something terribly important and intelligent and he was frustrating me and I said "Jruss" in my exasperated mom voice and Garrett pipes up from the backseat with "Just hit him, Mom!" I guess normally a "Jruss" uttered in that tone is followed by a little "love tap" to my husband and Garrett was waiting for it. I think he just likes to see other people get in trouble, because it's usually him! Too funny. Who's raising that kid anyway??
Tonight Garrett had a birthday party to go to (quick aside: it's both weird and awesome that Garrett is old enough to be dropped off at a party!), so Harper and I had some quality girl time at our favorite hangout: SuperTarget. As we were getting out of the car I was asking her if she was excited about our girl time and she nodded. I put her on the ground and told her to hold my hand because we were in the parking lot and she did. It was sticky (of course), but still so sweet to walk with her in to Target. But there was this moment when she was holding my hand and we were walking and she looked up at me. Nothing special, just a glance. But it took my breath away. I am so outrageously in love with that little girl. I am so glad to be her mom. She's my little tiny girl, who's quickly becoming not so tiny. And watch out world because she's about to start talking. She is trying so hard and I'm beginning to catch on to her Harperisms. Heaven help us all when she can talk too.
After my sweet moment in the parking lot, we went on to a fairly typical wrestling match in the store about sitting in the cart, not sitting in the cart, holding my hand, being carried by me... She did, however guzzle half of a Starbucks caramel apple spice drink (that was a picture) and stop in the middle of a tantrum when I offered to go look at shoes (I'm not exaggerating). She was about the ramp up from whiny to crying when I said "Want to go look at shoes?" She stopped and nodded and got back in the cart. What can I say, she loves her footwear!!!
You'll notice a new link on the left hand side of the page. My friend, Sally, has started a blog called "I'm the Best Mom". Check it out, tell your friends and make sure you post a comment or two. Sally's daughter was born 4 weeks after Garrett and we experienced the newborn hell together, though admittedly, she had a rougher go of it. Her tiny little 5 pound baby was no match for my 9 pound beast of a baby. We were the first in our "group" to have kids and didn't have any really honest mothers in our life telling us how hellish it was going to be. I remember sitting in her living room and her telling me she felt like she had been lied to. This started our campaign to find out if we were the only ones, which led to the shock of finding out we most certainly were not the only ones and Hallmark had been lying to us all those years about what a blessed state motherhood was. Then began the brutal truth campaign. It led both of us to feel as though we needed to write a book to save other sweet innocent women out there who were having babies to get a minivan or decorate a nursery, only to find out that sweet, little tiny clothes got nothing on a full night's rest. She's farther ahead in her book writing campaign and this is her first step. Let's support her!
Since it has been right at a month since I last posted, I thought I'd update with random musings on a rainy Friday morning. Is there a better time to blog?? Please note that I said random...think stream of consciousness.
1. This may be a bit TMI, but oh well. I am so grateful that we have lived in our fabulous new house for just shy of 3 months and we have yet had to use our plunger! Our last house did not have the best water pressure and the plunger was our friend. I certainly don't miss that.
2. I am really impressed with Downy Wrinkle Releaser. Few things actually do what they claim, but this product is really cool. I'm not a huge fan of ironing, but I hate wearing wrinkled clothes and this makes it so I don't have to iron everything. Love that.
3. Garrett is really into superheroes these days. Just for the record, he is Batman, Harper is Catwoman, Jason is Spiderman, and I am Mary Jane. In fact, he rarely calls me "Mom" anymore-he says "Mary Jane Mom" when he addresses me! Yesterday's quote "Mary Jane Mom, Catwoman is awake!"
4. Harper has had a yellowy runny nose for the last two weeks. No other symptoms, just a constant runny nose. It's annoying. Especially since her favorite method of wiping her nose is Jason or I's shirt.
5. Can I get an amen for dishwashers with locks on the control panel?
6. I got a hairdryer that mounts on the wall (kind of like a hotel, but better quality) and it rocks. Our bathroom is a great size, but that small addition felt like it added a lot more space. It's especially great since the suction hook I bought to hang my other hair dryer on kept falling (that's a great noise to hear when you're home alone!), so it was a welcome addition.
7. Harper and Garrett have really turned a corner in the area of playing together. It's still not as good as it's going to be (I think), but I can see the future. My favorite is that he sits on the seat of his trike and she sits on the little platform behind his seat (just her size) and he rides her up and down the driveway. It's adorable.
8. My little boy turns 4 in two weeks. FOUR!!! No more baby, that's for sure. I just can't believe that he's four. How has it been that long?
9. I've given up on Heroes. Too crazy. Still pleased with the Office (last night had several laugh out loud moments for me) and House is a new favorite. Love Dancing with the Stars, but am ready fro Cloris to go home. Warren Sapp has really surprised me. Too bad about Misty May. Survivor is interesting-amazing how long that show has been on and the people who play it are surprised over twists in the game and being blind-sided. I mean, did you watch the show?? Amazing Race is always a favorite, but I want to see a normal married couple make it. I know that's not good TV, but I'm sick of all the weird married couples they dig up. The runner guy is weird; "I need you to touch me"-that's creepy. Still laugh out loud about Ty calling one of the frat guys "Superbad" in the first episode. That was hilarious!
10. I paid our mortgage twice this month (obviously by mistake), but by the time I realized it, both payments had been sent to the company. Had to wait like 5 days before we got the money back. Not good times. However, very pleased with our switch to Bank of America. When I called about it, they actually called the mortgage company with me on the line and helped me get a refund. I would lay money that Wachovia would have just told me to call the mortgage company.
Well that's 10 and I've neglected my family for too long. Have a great weekend!
I am asking you who read my blog in the Atlanta area to boycott the Star 94 radio station. This morning as I was laying there trying to motivate myself to get up, I heard one of their morning show's prank calls that completely offended me. They called a local Baptist church and asked to speak to someone for prayer. When transfered to a pastor they asked for him to pray for their fantasy football league draft and then when this sweet man launched into a prayer for this, they laughed at him.
I will paste below the email that I sent the station. If so led, I hope that you will join me in standing up against the double standard that exists in our culture. Somewhere along the way it has become vogue to be tolerant of everyone but Christians. We, as Christians, do not dare voice our beliefs as they come across as "intolerant", but it is perfectly acceptable for others to be intolerant of us. I am tired of this. I am only one woman and my boycott will more than likely not change a thing, but it is better than doing nothing.
Here is what I sent the station:
I am a decade-long listener to your radio station, but I will no longer be tuning in. This morning (9/22) on "The Morning Mess" they made a prank call to a local Baptist church asking for prayer for the fantasy football draft. While I consider myself to be someone who can take a joke, this was particular call was extremely offensive to me. I find it hard to believe that you would have made the same call to a Jewish temple or a Muslim mosque for fear of being politically incorrect and insensitive to the beliefs of others. However, it is perfectly acceptable to laugh at a man who prays to a God who cares about the details of our lives and is trying to be sensitive to what he feels is a need of a fellow believer.
I am distressed by the lack of respect for evangelical Christians this prank call displayed and if this is indicative of your station's management, I will no longer be a listener.
Sincerely,
Allison Russell
So remember how my last post was about the 5 things I love about being a mom? Wasn't it sweet? Felt sort of Hallmark-y or Kleenex commercial worthy? Yeah, scratch all of it. Never mind, I would like to hand my membership card in. Not really, but let's just say it's definitely a happy-hour kind of evening!
All this year I have been reading through the New Testament in the Daily Bible for Busy Moms. It is referenced in my "Books" section on the blog. The fact that it is September and I am still reading it is marketing enough for how doable this is. My entire Christian walk I have struggled with the whole quiet time thing-this is the first thing I've ever stayed with for longer than like 2 weeks. But I digress...
OK, so life is a bit hectic and I keep waiting for it to slow down, but I'm finally catching a clue and realizing that's not going to happen. I have all these posts that I want to do and it's starting to seem overwhelming which makes me less likely to ever sit down and do them. So as of now, I'm implementing speed blogging. Right now I'm waiting for the oven to preheat to cook the kids frozen pizza for lunch (our favorite Friday treat) so in that time I'm going to post some random things. It's not pretty and I don't have any pictures and it's not in any order, but this is what I'm thinking about this morning.
1. Garrett is dressing himself these days. His new closet has a rod that's hung at his level, so his shirts are there and his shorts are in his dresser (also within his reach) so we are fostering his independence in this area. Don't we sound progressive?? It's KILLING me. His obvious fashion style is COLOR, COLOR EVERYWHERE. Today he picked a bright yellow shirt with a handmade orange pumpkin on it (made last October at his preschool) and fire engine red shorts. This is topped off with Diego socks and Lightning McQueen shoes. I completely understand that he's 3 and this is NOT a big deal, but I really have to work to not force him to change into orange shorts that at least match the bright shirt.
2. Our trash company has still not replaced our garbage can. The one we have is from the old owners and the lid is broken and the old owner called before they moved and I've called once. Still no new can. Yet one more phone call I need to make. Is it me or is there rampant incompetence in the area of customer service these days? I had a completely frustrating call with AT & T the other day-don't get me started!
3. I love our new home and my new job. We have so much space here and it's just a beautiful place-the view from my windows is beautiful. Such peace. And let me brag on my job a minute. It's hard and crazy and fast paced, but I'm learning cool new things, I work with fantastic people (hey Amber!!), and I feel not one speck of guilt over my kids because they are thriving in Weekday (North point's childcare). Garrett is learning Spanish, for pete's sake! Don't get me wrong, I love being a mom and I love my kids, but staying home is really tough mentally because it's not challenging in a traditional way. It don't take much brain power to run a vacuum and change a diaper. I am loving working out my brain at work. It makes me feel normal again, although I'm pooped when Thursday rolls around.
4. After agonizing for a couple of months, I'm proud to announce that the baby train has stopped running in the Russell house. We have not closed the door on adoption one day (in the far future) but unless God has a radically different plan, Jruss and I are closed for business on the procreation side of things. This decision has had many side benefits. I am cleaning out our basement and putting the kids baby clothes in a consignment sale (what a project!), I was proud to give my maternity clothes to my fabulous chiropractor who just recently learned she was pregnant (she had a hard time, so it was joyous news indeed!), and that's what spurred me on to take this new job. I am seeing a future for me that doesn't include another pregnancy and another horrid newborn phase of life. My future involves kindergarten and dance classes! It was rough to get to this spot, but now that I am here I feel more and more peace everyday about it.
There's the timer!
Pencils down, I'm off!
So, I'm hoping that you understood my extended absence from my blog. To say we've been busy is the understatement of the year! We are doing fantastic though. I cannot tell you how happy I am with our home. There is still a lot to do and we haven't even started any of the projects that we have in mind, but it is FABULOUS! I can truly say that I had no idea how bad things were in our other neighborhood until now. It is so quiet here. I had no idea how much traffic noise we had gotten used to. Plus it is DARK out here in the country. We were able to sleep with our windows open last week and there's a lot of nature sounds, no big trucks, no loud radios, no car doors slamming. We've already met 3 of our neighbors-the couple across the street has a little girl a month older than Harper, so we're excited about developing that relationship. Both kids have adapted very well to their new rooms and seem to be happy. It is great to be able to play out in the FLAT driveway and the front yard.
One week after we moved in I started my new job at the church. So far, I'm really liking it and the kids have done great going to school 3 days. It was not the best timing to have chaos at home and at work, but I'm muddling through. Plus, the chaos is slowly dwindling at home and I'm getting my cube the way I need it at work, so there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I'm excited about all the new stuff I'm learning at work, so I think it was definitely the right move for me.
Well, sorry to be so short, but I really need to go get some stuff done. I did update the Russell family website (link to the left) with 3 pages, so please check it out for pictures of Harper's birthday, our beach trip, and the first month in the house. Enjoy!
