Showing Appreciation

Generally speaking, people these days don't expect much from work when it comes to the holidays. I hold my own expectations low, not because it won't happen, but more so as to avoid possible disappointment. However, I find I should have held my expectations exceedingly high this year instead. A good thing from anyone's point of view. The company I work for had a good year this year, and apparently good things (as well as sh@t) roll downhill, at least in this case.

Our sales person has a habit of making promises to new clients that are rediculously outlandish. A common "ailment" among many sales people and the top reason why sales and IT generally mix as well as oil and water. Among them are quick start dates. By that I mean, sign the contract and we'll have you on board and ready to go in a week! That's just fine for one client, but it seems this particular individual prefers to do this in groups of three. One person does not have enough hours in the day to crank out code to board three clients in such short spans of time.

As if to make up for this, the previously mentioned sales person has been lavishing gifts upon people. She bought a bottle of wine for everyone in my group, and sent at least some of us a link to a site where you pick your own gift. The choices were pretty nice too. Neither gift was expected, but I refuse to look a gift-horse in the mouth as it were.

Each year, my boss' boss brings in a gift for me as well. Usually it is a box of truffles. Yum. This year though, I was upgraded to a hot chocolate "kit" I guess you would call it. Four mugs, cocoa mix, mini marshmallows and all the necessary items. Everyone else got the old box of truffles. Not that I am scoffing at their truffles for they are quite good, but still...

As a final surprise, last night I was informed by one of the management that I am going to be presented with a huge 30" LCD monitor for my computer or something else of my choice if I so desired. I was blown away and quite literally beside myself. When I worked for the old MSS my Christmas bonuses were measly compared to the value of this. Although I did get a bonus in that day and time. So certainly nothing to scoff at.

At first I said yay to the monitor, but after thinking about it I realized that I would feel guilty having a monitor that nice that wouldn't get used often. So instead I am opting for a very nice digital SLR.

I have wanted a digital SLR since they first came out. They have always been out of our budget. Especially these days. Finally I will have my chance! And not just for some mid-grade SLR either. I can't wait nor can I put into words how excited that makes me. I have spent all day researching different camera models and I think I have found one I like. Now the wait begins...I will submit a short list of digital SLR models to management tonight and let them make the purchase. How exciting! Woo hoo! I haven't really "enjoyed" taking photos that much since my photography days in college. Ahh, those were fun times. Krista and I developed many photos together in the dark room there. Something tells me those times are coming back!

Christmas Reflections

I spent many hours planning Christmas this year. Mostly to such an extent as to fit within the family budget, but also to provide the maximum fun value to Kiernan. This is the year he would finally start to grasp what Christmas was all about. Or at least that was the plan. Funny how things work out isn't it?

Last year, we had to start tearing the wrapping off a package for Kiernan and he would finish. Well this year Kiernan didn't need to have nearly as much help opening his gifts. Of course, he seemed to think all of the gifts must be for him. He seemed to revel more in the opening of gifts than in the realization of what the gift was and whether or not it might be fun to play with. That is, with the exception of the gifts from my best friend Buffy.

Buffy is the QUEEN of tape! That woman could tape anything shut and you'd have no hope of ever getting it open again. Poor Kiernan would come to a package from her and look at me hopelessly like, "how am I supposed to open this, every inch of it is taped". I think we should hire her to come to the house and tape a few things shut that Kiernan gets into frequently despite our pleas to leave them alone. I teased her about that when I talked to her yesterday, but I have a feeling it didn't hit home. Surely she can't have forgotten what it is like to have a toddler around trying to open a gift given to them?

Alas I digress. The point I was getting at is that Kiernan gets the idea of getting gifts but still hasn't quite grasped the concept of why or what the occasion is. I did not take him to see Santa Claus this year, even though all our friends took their kids. I wanted to, but I kept thinking of how over-priced photos with Santa are and having images of some poor sap in a Santa suit in the mall, waiting in line for an hour only to find out that Kiernan is terrified of him. Or he might be throwing a temper tantrum by then because he is bored out of his mind and mommy just won't let him go do anything fun. It would be just my luck wouldn't it? Plus I don't think it would help him to understand the reason behind the season.

I put some window clings up on the big windows in the living room for the season. We would review frequently the various shapes and names. One of the scenes is of Mary and Joseph bending down over baby Jesus in a manger and the three wise men coming to bear gifts. Still, the concept of the season is elusive to our little boy. Perhaps I held my expectations too high? Or maybe I failed to explain things on a level he can understand? I will try again next year, probably with more luck.

Part of the reason for all of my planning for Christmas this year was to find some gifts to occupy Kiernan and reduce his demand to watch Monsters Inc. We had previously bought him a stuffed Mike for his birthday last month. This month Grandpa and Grandma bought him a stuffed Sully to go with him. He seems to like him just fine, but not enough to take his mind off the dreaded show.

We also got him some Megablocks to allow him to build things with, a Radio Flyer Rocket ride-on toy, and that was about it for the big ticket items. Do you know what that kid is drawn to more than anything else? A little $10 cell phone toy I bought as a stocking stuffer. Isn't that the way it always goes? It's the cheapest toy or the wrapping paper (or box) that gains all the attention. Even the little things he got from Buffy and Marci didn't hold his attention long. I am hopeful that over the next week something, anything, will grab his attention for more than a few minutes and it won't be something that is off limits.

Excuses, Excuses

I had most of this post written a couple of weeks ago but never finished it. I finally decided to wrap it up and publish it today.

Generally speaking, Colorado has a rather mild climate in the winter. In the 11 years I have been here, the number of times that have been below zero is still in single digits. Recently though, while the temperature has not been below zero on its own, when wind chill is factored in it has been.

Not having a child of school age yet, I am still becoming aware of the various nuances. Including, but not limited to, delays in start time due to weather. Having been a Montana native, I am familiar with things that would warrant delaying start time of school, but I have to say I disagree with many of those decisions here.

Where I grew up, we had below zero weather frequently during winter months. It didn't matter if it was 20 below with a windchill of 40 below, school still started on time. If you rode a bus, you either caught a ride with someone to school or you sat at the bus stop in the running car of your parents until the bus arrived. If the school's water and heat were working, school was still on normal schedule. Seems reasonable to me.

Here in Colorado that is definately not the case. Seriously what a friggin' joke. Someone here tried to tell me it was related to the busses, but if it is true, then why not have the drivers show up a little bit early to get the busses running and slightly warmed up before the usual time that they leave the storage lot?

Think about it, what difference is it going to make delaying school for 2 hours when the high for the day is only 10 degrees different than the low that day? Pointless. It will still be just as cold out and just as risky to stand around waiting for a bus as it was 2 hours prior. What is the sense in that?

I understand delaying for 2 hours when there is a good amount of snow accumulation or icy roads. Give the county time to get the plows and other equipment on the back roads to clear snow and lay down some sand. But just because of cold? Maybe I really am getting bitter in my "old" age. Just call me the Ice Queen I guess. Address me as "her majesty" please.

Missing My Creativity

Before Kiernan entered our lives, I was a creative, crafty sort of person. After he arrived, I expected to give up some of the things I did. Well now the reality of that has hit home.

Yes, I miss the time I once had to do crafty things. It was my outlet. My way to make everything right with the world again. It seems those days have been left behind.

I miss the quilting, the cross-stitching, the general crafty ideas and items. I think often of ways to work it into the day, but honestly, where does it fit into the schedule? During Kiernan's naptime? On weekends? After he goes to bed?

All fine ideas. Yet each of those times comes and goes and I find myself doing other things that I feel need my attention more. Cleaning, laundry, bill paying, Christmas cards, email, blogging. Sure, I know some of these things can wait, and yet there is only so much time to get certain things done. Others such as cleaning for example, if I put it off it drives me quite insane. I will eventually feel like a slob living in my own filth. Although I am certain it is really nowhere near as bad as I elude myself into thinking it is.

I love Kiernan with all my heart, but I really do miss having an open weekend to do as I please and not have to entertain a toddler. A bit selfish of me I think, and yet there it is. Out in the open for all to read. How do other mom's do it? How does one achieve a perfect balance in life between motherhood, work, housework, and me time?

I have so many ideas for crafty things I would like to do. I have quilts and fabric for them coming out my ears, yet no time to put them together. I would like to create a custom scrapbook kind of thing for Kiernan, and yet I have had little time to do so much as research who has layouts I like, ease of use and cost going for them on their sites.

I have managed to find time to read at least one book per month, to take long bubbly baths again (with the occasional "hi mommy" interruption), and to get out each weekend alone if only for a couple of hours and a run to the store. It is more for sanity than anything. To collect my thoughts and gather my wits.

Beosig doesn't know how well he has it made with his Saturday game nights. The more I think about it, the more I think I am jealous. Where is my Saturday game night?

DisneyLand or Bust!

As anyone who knows me will confirm, I am a big Disney fan. Not so much the classic stuff like Bambi, 101 Dalmations, but the newer stuff like the Little Mermaid and anything that has come out since Pixar came into the picture.

Even as a kid I always wanted to visit DisneyLand or DisneyWorld; to completely immerse myself in the world that Walt Disney himself built. Well, recently Mom came into some inheritance money. She has determined she would like to take the three of us (and them of course) to DisneyLand, CA.

I was beside myself at the mere mention of this. It's one of those dream come true kinds of things. The problem? Beosig, who is as anti-Disney as they come. We're only talking about spending a week, so not a lot of time.

We were told it could be somewhere else, but the alternate, DisneyWorld is just too much for Kiernan at this age. We would need more time off to do that anyway. Plus, we would need to come up with some other place to go that would interest a two year old as well. So I decided to bargain with him. We will go to California, spend one day at DisneyLand, one day at LegoLand, one day at Sea World and one day at the San Diego Zoo.

Bonuses:
Since Kiernan is only two, he is free for hotel stays, food, and most entry fees for the various places we will visit.

DisneyLand is small enough that I think we could cover the things we wanted to see in one day. Kiernan is afraid to ride on a carousel, and will surely be terrified to try most of the rides there, so no waiting in lines really. He will be to short for many of them anyway.

Kiernan is going through a phase right now where we have to watch "Mike" - more commonly known as Monsters Inc. - multiple times per day. Very recent development. He's a bit obsessed. That in mind, I think he'll be very happy there.


I'll have to post some of the pictures of him with his stuffed Mike we got him for his birthday. Very cute. Ah well, content for another day I suppose.

Eek! Clowns!

A friend on Facebook keeps posting scary clown photos. What's that? Clowns aren't scary you say? Ok, perhaps for most people that's true. Not for me.

As a child I remember attending many circus events when they came to town. I loved the circus...except for the clowns. Why do children like clowns anyway? They are dressed with huge ugly shoes and fake horrible hair and the nose...well it's just plain rediculous! That's not to mention how noisy they are when they get on the microphone during their act!

Perhaps I might have liked clowns more if they had been silent as a kid. Instead they scream into some microphone in a poor attempt to invigorate the crowd. Particularly the kids. I only remember plugging my ears and wanting to crawl under the bench when they came out. To this day I dislike them.

I dread the day that Kiernan asks to go to the circus when they are in town. I will surely arrange for Beosig to take him when the time comes!