mommy check in

I arrived home after work last night with our little smiley in full smile. It was a smooth pick up at school. I didn't see another mom get an incident report (because another kid wacked her bitty baby leaving a big welt, although the teacher kept saying, "...but it didn't break the skin"...eek. I think that Kyla character is getting bored lately and she is ready for the big kid room next month.) I didn't have to wisk Aiden out of a bouncey saucer as he fussed for attention. I don't have any worry that he isn't getting what he needs at school. He just needs to be safe, and there may be minor incidents with that Kyla character, but they always keep him safe. At school, I feel like some days he gets more and some days less. Yes, I feel guilty when I think he's getting less, but whos to say that he wouldn't get less from me some days if I were staying home with him?! Life is about having on and off days.

It was an 'on' day. J immediately came out to help Aiden and I get out of the car. He started explaining that the cats had done something to the couch. I was literally just emailing with a friend about how we never declawed our cats, and I had visions of a ripped up couch... and then visions of us being indecisive trudging through a furniture store with Aiden ;) I bounced in the door and he said that I should look behind the big cushion... I looked and saw a bag tucked back there. Thinking: I wonder how this bag fell back here and I don't see any damage... then waaaait, why does this bag have a new flip video camera in it?! It was a nice early birthday present surprise from my thoughtful husband! We don't really stick with the actual holiday and it's sometimes such a treat to get a present out of the blue. Case in point yesterday. I can't wait to use it during the fourth of july holiday family visit!

Today is a big day in the financial life of the Brennans. J has a real Assistant Professor gig that officially starts today. I'm super proud of him, and it's hard to imagine that we are really making as much money as we are. I still think sometimes we live like we did when we were making under $50,000 a year [that was a long time ago, J wants to add]. I got the typical raise along with the biggest bonus yet - I get to work from home two days a week starting in August! It will be so nice to have a distraction free work environment for creative projects. Aiden will still be at school like normal, but I think it will give me more flexibility. I can also go over to visit and feed him at lunch time since it's right around the corner from home.

Summer hours rock - getting out of work at 4pm every day. On top of it, I'm taking my RISD class Tuesday/Thursday from 10am-1pm which means that it breaks up the work day well. I have my tired days, but most days are very manageable. I got distracted during my break from class today and this baby link my friend sent me sucked me in - ohdeedoh.com. (etsy highlight is the dribbledana = a bandana drool bib)

They were also highlighting a book on motherhood called "The Second Nine Months"...Being a new mom is just as up and down as being pregnant and just as challenging. I think more challenging really. I then got sucked into all the new mom books on amazon. I wish I had time to actually read them (to go back in time I think I would read them, but with caution, because some seem to have a negative approach that isn't always necessary), but instead my demanding day means I'm only reading the amazon reader excerpts (I love the surpise me function that picks a page at random for you to read!) The jist of the books all say something about you just don't have aaaany idea what you are getting into until you are actually a parent. Oh, that is soo true.

Another book that caught my attention was called "I Was a Really Good Mom Before I Had Kids: Reinventing Modern Motherhood" The use this cupcake recipe analogy that I think will hit home for many. Here is your surprise me page! - click to see larger: