Alone but not at all lonely

Nothing to do with this post, I just think this is a super sweet picture and I think a picture on a post is better than no pictures on a post!

I have a few posts started...Lily's birthday, Lily's birthday party, pumpkin patch visits, seeing the salmon spawning on the Columbia, some other random October happenings. And I know I have to get on it...but tonight I don't really feel like it.

This morning I drove to Salem in the am to see a good friend and their 4 kids. It's been since April, and for us, that is actually pretty good. Shame on us both, no cameras, no pictures. I'm always amazed how Salem (their house) is only one hour door to door. It was great catching up and letting the kids play. Lily impressed me in playing with the kids, always including Addie, even though "no babies allowed" was in full force with the other kids and their siblings. I totally appreciate that bigger kids need their space and their time, and I don't fault them a bit for wanting to play "Ponies" with no little guys to mess it up. But that's also why I think it is So.Damn.Sweet.that Lily would rather have her little sis there. Most of the time!

We drove back and the Addie took a nap and I got to work. There was a LOT of it. I gave Sabine the morning off since her mom has been away at the doctor for 6 weeks and this morning was her first morning to Skype with her back in Germany. She worked more on the babies room, and organizing clothing. She also did (my personal favorite and possibly the #1 Au Pair "light child-related housework") organizing in the playroom. This includes emptying bins and putting things back where they go, cleaning up Lily's craft corner, and her work space, cleaning up finished "projects", etc. I love sitting in the play room on Friday nights because she always does in on Friday afternoons while Lily is at school and Addie is napping. Of course one friend over on a Saturday or a quiet time of projecting will destroy all the hard work, and everything is out of place again. But on Friday nights, I love it. I love it because I didn't have to do it, and because someone else knows how without being told. Awesome.

Today Lily didn't have school so Sabine and her went to Babies R Us to pick out a gift for Baby Bryson and my baby shower tomorrow.

Lawrence had to work tonight. The job has been going okay, but not as many hours as he thought in this first week. He'll be working 8 tonight and 12 tomorrow, getting about 33 for the week total. Although it isn't ideal, we are so happy he has a place to get any hours at all! Tonight, as a coincidence, he is moving a company in MY building downtown.

Sabine is off at Hanna's house, tomorrow we go in search of a laptop for her. Me and the kids. She will also be coming to the shower, and although she isn't scheduled to work, we've pretty much signed up for the whole day together. Lawrence has a race on Sunday morning - 5K. And Lily is signed up for the 1/2 mile. I'm trying to think about how Addie and I could miss it altogether, but are bucking up to the fact that we probably can't. And it will be cool, and cold, and wet, and we have to BE there at 7am.

Tonight Lily went to Disney on Ice with Lucy Ornelas as her birthday present from them. Due to my swine flu paranoia I sent her with a purse containing fruit snacks, hand sanitizer, and some lip balm. The lip balm was her idea. I told her to use as much hand sanitizer as she wanted and to share with Lucy. She was excited about this because she is ALWAYS wanting to do the hand sanitizer on her own. Since we use the safe Melaleuca stuff, I also don't have to worry about all those horror stories of kids getting drunk and poisoned from hand sanitizers so SAVE the warnings you were about to give!

Addie and I still did movie night, we watched Elmo Loves You. Addie was definitely sad as one by one each person left, first daddy, then Lily, then "Bean-Bean". But she was happy to have Elmo, milk free chocolate chips for dessert and mommy.

She also POOPED ON THE POTTY. This is big time for us. I don't want to get into the whole potty training struggles right now, because this blog tonight is about rambling, rambling, and only rambling. BUT she has been keeping a pull up dry all day, every day, but cannot seem to poop on the potty (or sitting down). She sometimes goes up to THREE times at night, and it is such a struggle getting her to stay in her room after bedtime now that she knows she has a "get out of bedroom free card" by simply pooping. And poor Lily is yelling, "Mom, Addie is stinking and she wants to get in my bed", etc.

I bought gummy bears (my first time food / potty ploy) to tantalize her into going. Well she has not gotten one all week. Then tonight, she said she had to go, we went in, I gave her a book, and SHE DID IT. Yay Addie! She was so pleased with herself and I gave her two gummy bears. I thought she would have a hard time going to sleep with no Lily but after doing her usual, run out and show me that she got up, followed by going back to bed and shutting the door...twice. She is quiet in there. I did shut a sock in the door which makes it not rattle and makes it juuuuust tight enough that she can't open it.

Total quiet. Except the tapping of my keys. I don't even know what to do with myself. Sabine asked if I would be okay alone. Yes! I mean I would have been happy if she wanted to stay home too, her company is very enjoyable, but perfect silence, knowing that Lily's show just started 30 minutes ago? Ahhhhhhhh, nice.

Now if the dishes were done and the laundry was put away and the bed was made.

Oh well. At least all the laundry is clean, and after one load the kitchen WILL be clean. I'll miss my husband all weekend, but I'm so glad he is working and I know that it will make our time together on Sunday that much better.

I'm signing off - not even spell checking or proof reading - to run around and chase my tail because I'm so excited to have a few minutes to do so...