Home Day
January 30, 2009 at 9:45 am | In Caityisms | Leave a CommentTags: Bronchitis, Toddler Sick
Today’s a home day. Unplanned. Caity’s had a cold for a while, but yesterday she was coughing up green goo so I took her to the doctor. We’re lucky that our doctor can usually see us the day we need him to. I was expecting him to say that she had a chest infection but I wasn’t prepared for him to diagnose Bronchitis. 
My poor baby. She’s been really clingy lately and she coughs but she’s a trooper. And yes, we blame Grandma for this… It’s been difficult to wake Caity up from naps sometimes too – she loves to sleep, but lately it’s been excessive. She’s been arguing with Lexy a lot more than normal too.
I woke up this morning and decided that I should keep everyone home today. I didn’t relish the idea of taking Caity out in the cold. Having a cold is one thing, but Bronchitis elevates it to a whole new level. She’s sitting beside me on the couch, happily munching crackers while watching TV. She’s snuggled in a blanket too. I can do work from home if I need to.
This morning before breakfast she kept pointing to her chest and said “Mommy, tummy hurt. Tummy hurt”. Poor sweet baby.
Get well soon baby.
Sunday Morning
January 25, 2009 at 11:34 am | In Caityisms, Family Ties, Sisters | Leave a CommentTags: Sundays
Sunday’s I get to ’sleep’ in, I let Alex have Saturday mornings. I say sleep with a grain of salt because it’s rare that I get to sleep even though Alex has the kids. Usually he takes them downstairs and between the screaming, laughing, growling and general loudness it’s too noisy to sleep. Especially when I hear Alex yell “Would you two be quiet your Mother is trying to sleep!” – all the way up from the basement, I can hear him … *sigh*
Well they try, anyway….
So this morning I gave up the search for more sleep and now Caity is sitting next to me on the couch. She won’t stop touching me. I’m sure it’s a leftover from my trip this week, but she’s sitting beside me, as close as she can get, and she has one hand on my arm at all times. Her right foot is under my knee too. We’re watching Dora and she really amazes me. In the past, nearly two years of life, her vocabulary has ever increased. We’ve also become more aware of the fact that she understands us. So Dora, on the TV asks questions and I can see out of the corner of my eye that Caity’s nodding her agreement. Then I hear “bush” in a very soft little voice. Dora asks which of the pieces of wood is wider than Benny the Bull. ‘Is this one wider than Benny?” Caity shakes her head (and she’s right). ‘Is this one wider than Benny?” Caity nods – right again. She points to the appropriate item that Dora is seeking and will repeat words that Dora asks her to.
I know it’s silly, but I’m amazed. And proud. I always knew my kids were smart but you have no idea what the depth of their understanding is until you put it into practice. Alex just came upstairs and started attacking Caity’s belly. She’s wearing her “Miffy and Friends” pjs and he starts singing:
Him: “Mif-fy, a cute little bunny…”
Me: “Mif-fy, a smart little bunny…”
Caity: “Mis-sy abada l’il bubby…” Well, you get the idea… I might put Miffy on Caity’s birthday cake in two weeks.
In other news, Lexy brought home another test from School this week and again got perfect. I’m so proud of her. The teacher said she’s reading at an advanced grade one level and she’s only half way into S/K!
Home Again
January 22, 2009 at 10:30 pm | In Miscellaneous Crap, Toeses and Noses | 1 CommentAnother long day comes to an end. I asked Alex to keep the girls up because I was due in around 6:30 which meant I should get home in time for the kids’ bedtime. My flight was delayed by 20 minutes at Charlotte because of some “security breech”. It was a little disconcerting but eventually we took off.
When I got home, the three of them were in the basement. I opened the door and shouted “Hello, anyone home?” Lexy came running upstairs shouting “Mom! MOM!”. Caity followed close behind with Alex. It was so cute, Caity couldn’t stop grinning at me. She stared at me for several minutes and giggled. And giggled. And giggled. She kept touching me, touching my face, my throat and giggled. She was so happy to see me. I couldn’t leave the room to go to the bathroom or she’d cry. She had to come into the bathroom with me. She didn’t want to go to bed. I fed her a bottle, changed her bum and put her in her jammies. Caity and I then walked upstairs all the time she babbled at me, presumably telling me all about her day. After Cait, it was Lexy’s turn. We cuddled for several minutes and she told me how she missed me. I put her to bed and began to unpack.
This is the thirty-seater I was on. It’s noisy and small, but at least they had beer.
I went shopping before I left, I decided to check out Target. I spent entirely too much on the kids, but I got jeans for 9.99! even with the exchange ($12-$13), I couldn’t beat the price. Here I’m lucky to find jeans that fit them for under $26. It seems cheap at half the price.
Caity’s birthday is in two weeks. Two weeks today she will be two years old … !! I’m so not ready for that! Lexy had a full-blown party for her second birthday, but then she was born in July – it’s easier having kids around when you can throw them outside. This time we’re just having a family dinner instead.
I got a birthday present for her 
too. It’s a little ‘cd player’ that you can drop a ‘cd’ in and it will play kids’ songs. The reason I put ‘cd player’ in quotes is because it’s actually a toy, a cute one. I’m not sure what’s up with the blogsite today, but the pictures I’m trying to post are going all over the place, and not where I put them… gr.rrr.r
The second picture is also at the Lynchburg airport. As you can see, under the freakishly small plane’s left wing are the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains.
This is the Target Store where I spent a ghastly amount of money. More than I should have. Apparently my husband thinks that I should have spent some of the money on him … sheesh.
This is a picture of downtown Charlotte, NC just after we took off from the airport. We weren’t at full cruising height yet, that took a few more minutes.
To quote Dorothy, there’s no place like home.
Southern Hospitality
January 21, 2009 at 10:27 pm | In Miscellaneous Crap, Toeses and Noses | Leave a CommentMy time here in Virginia is done. This is my last night and I can’t wait to hold my girls. I miss them soooo much. It’s been much harder than I would let myself think it would be. My kids are my life and the worst part is that I didn’t get to say goodnight to them tonight. I was out with the Ad Manager and her husband and because we had a late start to dinner, I completely forgot about the time. They called me. Twice. It was too noisy in the restaurant and I missed their call. I couldn’t say goodnight to my kids. My Husband said he kept Lexy up an extra half an hour because they were expecting my call.
Caity hasn’t been asking about me, but Lexy has. Right now I feel so bad about missing the chance to call them. Thankfully I’ll see them tomorrow.
It was a good trip. Tomorrow I get to go shopping before I leave. I’m going to check out the Target store and stock up on kids’ clothes. They have jeans on for $9.99! Caity’s birthday is in two weeks and she will be two years old! Two!! Holy Crap! Apparently I’m allowed to bring in to Canada $60 worth of ‘legitimate presents’ so I’m shopping! I also promised Lexy a present from my trip and after not talking to her tonight, I better deliver…
The trip was fast yet slow at the same time. Today between meetings, I went for tours of our other facilities and let me tell you, it’s pretty damn impressive. I saw the ‘hot’ shop – the place where they bring contaminated (i.e., irradiated) motors and ‘clean’ (decontaminate) them. I also saw Uranium pellets and how they put them into fuel rods which are used to power the core. It was sooo neat. I didn’t understand everything they were saying, but they knew enough to put it in layman’s terms and it was very interesting. The dose ’sniffer’ and I didn’t get along and it kept yelling at me to move my left foot, then my right foot, then my left foot – it couldn’t get a reading. Once I finally was deemed free from radiated particulate, we left the facility.
In between the tours, I still had a bunch of work to do. I have a client event on Tuesday that I’m organizing and being away from the office has made it more challenging to pull together. I think, however, it will be a success. I had lunch today with my ex-VP and his crew and it was really a nice gathering. We talked and joked and I poked fun at how they roll up the sidewalks at night and the fact that when it gets close to the freezing mark they CLOSE the schools – they don’t even have to have a storm, just the mere threat of a storm is enough to close the schools … and they wonder why there’s an education crisis …
Dinner tonight was a nice distraction. We went to the local steakhouse and despite the ditzy waitress who seemed to have forgotten us when we wanted her and annoyingly pestered us when we didn’t, we had a good time. Great conversation, good food. It was a really comfortable, easy night. I had so much in common with the two of them that there were no awkward pauses in conversation. I don’t remember having a better night out.
I have been wined and dined and sat in on many meetings, and now I’m ready to go home. Back to the cold, the snow and best of all, my family.
I get to tuck my kids in to bed tomorrow night. I can’t wait! That is assuming I can find my way to the airport! 
A Tale of Two Presidents
January 19, 2009 at 9:14 pm | In Miscellaneous Crap | 1 CommentTags: business trip, travel
I left for my trip during one Presidency. I’ll arrive back home during another. Tomorrow, history is being made and I will be (relatively speaking) close to it. I know that in thirty years time, if someone were to ask me where I was when Barack Obama became the first black President of the United States, I’ll be able to say that I was in Virginia, watching it on the net.
Our Bethesda office is stopping work to watch the inauguration, then they are having a party. Sounds like a cool place to work.
So I don’t travel much. I sought advice from my boss. He told me that when I get to the airport, I should check in at one of those kiosks, get one of those blue Customs forms and then go to Customs. That’s what I tried to do. I checked in. OK! Got my boarding passes (for the two really small planes). OK! Went to the Customs entrance and the lady at the door asked me where my bag tag was.
I pointed to the shiny blue luggage tag and said “there it is!”
She told me that I needed a bag tag from the airline. I said where is it? She pointed and said something indiscernible. I headed in the general direction but eventually found the US Airways counter. I asked the lady behind the counter if I could take some of the tags, she said yes. I filled in the tag information and headed back towards the customs door. She stopped me again. “Where is your bag tag”. I pointed to the US Airways tag on my luggage and carry on bag. She said “No, you have to get your bag checked at the airline counter”.
*sigh*
So I go back to the US Airways counter AGAIN and ask the lady behind the counter what I was supposed to do. She took my boarding pass and ID and gave me a printed ticket that attached to my luggage. She also gave me the blue Customs card I needed. I filled it in and declared that I was entering the US on business. I went to the Customs door for the third time and she finally let me in. I went through security without any problems. The lady in front of me, who had several piercings by the way, was being searched. I then went to see Mr. Smiley the Customs guy.
“What are you travelling for?”
“Business”
“What kind of business?”
“Nuclear Engineering”
Oh boy. Mr. Smiley raised an eyebrow. Another thing they forgot to tell me was don’t say the word Nuclear to the customs guy. Then I got grilled. He wanted to know the company name, what department I worked in, who I was there to see, what we were meeting about, etc. Finally Mr. Smiley decided I indeed was no threat to Homeland Security and let me pass.
I went to the gate and waited a while and when it was finally time to board, I found my seat in no time. The airline was smaller than I would have liked, but it was a decent size. We taxied out ten minutes early and then waited the next hour to get de-iced. It only took about an hour and a half to get to Charlotte, it went by quickly. I hardly got to see anything on earth because the cloud cover was so thick. The only point of reference I had was the beautiful North Star shining brightly out my window.
We arrived later than we were supposed to in Charlotte, but still early for the time in the air. I had to high-tail it to the other end of a very large airport to get to the last terminal. I made it with time to spare, so I looked out the window and saw the world’s. smallest. plane. waiting for me. It was a Dash-8. A puddle jumper. After another forty-five minutes in the air and this time I could see Mother Earth the entire time. We only got as high as about 14000 feet.
Then I got to Lynchburg. The mapquest map said for me to turn right out of the airport, drive two miles and there’s my hotel. The lady at the Avis counter said to turn left. I should have listened to her. I went right and drove and drove and it’s looking nothing like what I was expecting. I’m not seeing hotels anywhere. I figured I took a wrong turn. I knew the hotel was on top of a hill, and after I turned around and headed back, I could see it in the distance, near the University. Problem is, I couldn’t get to it.
I took the wrong turn and did indeed go up a hill, however it was the on ramp to the freeway, I was heading to Roanoke, VA. CRAP. Luckily the next exit brought me back to where I was and I attempted to get to the hotel again. I couldn’t find the entrance anywhere. Mapquest said to pass Bob Evans Restaurant. So I did. Now the hotel is behind me. ARRRGGGHHH. I turn around again and still can’t find the damn entrance. I head back to the airport and luckily the nice Avis lady was still there. I told her my adventure and she offered to show me the way as she was done her shift anyway.
Without her I might still be driving around.
Very busy day, met a LOT of people I had only dealt with over the phone. Very busy day. Dinner was fabulous – I went out with the head of Marketing and her boss. Tomorrow I’m dining with the head of Advertising. Wednesday I’m dining with my friend Michele who has been an invaluable resource.
I called the girls and said goodnight. Caity cried because she couldn’t hold the phone. She tried to tell me a story but Daddy took the phone away. Lexy was bad at school today … *sigh* I told them I loved them and talked to Alex for a minute. My cell bill is going to be expensive. The ladies I dined with asked me who my leaving was harder on, the kids or me. I pointed to myself and started to tear up.
I miss my family. Think I’m going to bed now. Tomorrow’s an historic day. At least I found some Apple Jacks!
You Mean Roanoke is NOT on the Way to the Hotel??
January 19, 2009 at 12:33 am | In Toeses and Noses | Leave a CommentGot here. Two planes. One. very. small. plane.
At home there’s lots of snow on the ground. Here, no snow. About 6 degrees Celcius when I landed. Balmy!
It’s 12:30 so I’m going to bed, been travelling since 4:00. I’m pooped. I miss my family already. I’ve talked to my Husband five times since I left home …
I hate driving in this evil city.
More tomorrow. The sleep number bed beckons … zzz.z..z.zz.z
When Your Reputation Precedes You
January 17, 2009 at 9:33 am | In Toeses and Noses | 1 CommentYou know word gets around about your babysitting ability when the people you work with take the time to do this:
It’s a large bag, plastered with the words “Daddy Daycare Survival Kit”. The girls that my Husband works with put it together. I guess he must have been complaining reminding them for weeks that he has to watch the girls for four days when I go to Lynchburg, VA on. a. very. small. plane. He must have told them about the last time he watched the girls and Caity ended up covered in marker.
Inside the bag are stickers, a cake mix, frosting, cupcake moulds, a bottle of beer (presumably for Daddy after the girls are asleep), pizza delivery brochures and a couple of other things. It’s actually very inventive. Kudos to his co-workers for their ingenuity! See honey, what happens when your reputation precedes you – you’ll never live it down
Oh and get this: I leave tomorrow on the same airline, and same type of plane going to the same destination as the one that crashed the other day in the Hudson River. Yes, I have tranquilizers. Wish me luck.
Of Men and Bassinettes
January 13, 2009 at 9:09 pm | In All Things Doodle, Caityisms, Daddy-O, Family Ties, Miscellaneous Crap, The Crap that Men Do | 1 CommentTags: Airlines, Daddy Daycare, Flights, kids, Separation Anxiety, Work Stuff
I leave for the States on Sunday. It’s a work trip and frankly I’m kind of excited by it. I’m travelling down to Virginia to our Regional Head Office. The only thing I’m not looking forward to is the flights. I have to take four of them. On. Very. Small. Planes. You know that expression, you can’t get there from here? Well if “there” is Lynchburg, you’re right. I have to fly to Charlotte on a reasonably sized jet. Charlotte apparently accepts international flights. From Charlotte, I fly to Lynchburg. On. A. Very. Small. Plane. Did I mention it was small? Seriously, on one of the flights home, one of the planes has only 12 seats … TWELVE!! I think I’m taking a freaking Cessna for crying out loud. It’s a puddle jumper at any rate. I think I’m going to have to take some serious anti-anxiety medication … ahhh can you say Ativan …? I don’t do well on small planes, hence I never take them. Now I have no choice. Wish me luck.
I’m meeting with some department heads and will be learning about what they do in the South. One girl at my office, when she found out I was going down suggested I go to The Olive Garden for dinner … um. No. I’ll be out with Ad Execs at some pretty fine restaurants, thank you very much. No endless soup and salad bowls for me… Gotta love expense accounts.
So I’ll be gone four days. Except for the better weather (it only rains in Lynchburg), the Target store and a shopping mall, there’s really not much going on in the thriving Metropolis of Lynchburg. I’ve heard that Taxis are few and far between, but I’m also told they do indeed have a Starbucks. It’s not a pretty picture if I don’t have my Venti Cinnamon Dolce Latte in the morning …
So I’ll be gone for four days. That’s the longest I will have ever been away from my children (except on my Honeymoon). Lexy was three at the time and when I called her from the Bahamas, she tearfully told me as we were getting off the phone “Goodbye Mommy, I’ll never forget you!!” Such a drama queen.
So I’ll be gone for four days. Did I mention that? Did I tell you what happened the last time I left my beloved Husband in charge of the younglings? My friend Carly writes about the trials and tribulations of being a young Mom in Durham. Today she wrotean interesting post about her new baby Alice and what a headache it has been trying to get her to sleep in a bassinette.
It brought back a lot of memories with Caity.
Caity was a month old in this picture. I very much needed a baby break and begged Hubby to come and watch the baby so I could go and veg on the computer downstairs for a while. It got awfully quiet upstairs so I came up to take a peak. There was Caity asleep in her bassinette. Daddy was passed out on the couch and our female cat, Charlie was curled up behind my Hubby.
I’m surprised his snoring didn’t wake up the baby …
So, OK. Can you see why I’m a little nervous about leaving?
My Husband is a wonderful father – but babysitting is not his forte. Honey I love you, but you bring this on yourself …
Just Quit While You’re Ahead…
January 11, 2009 at 12:07 pm | In Toeses and Noses | Leave a CommentTags: Toddler speak, Toddler Talk
Caity came into the family room where her Dad and I are on the couch watching TV. Lexy was standing in front of all of us, showing us her ‘My Little Pony’ she got for Christmas.
Caity: “Mom-ma, Dad-dy, Eye-ee, Kay-kee”
Him: “Caity, say ‘La’…”
Caity: “La…”
Him: “Say ‘Le’…”
Caity: “Le…”
Him: “Say ‘Lexy’…”
Caity: Clear as day “Sexy!”
Daddy’s killing himself laughing, I look over “Did she really say that?”
Him: “Say ‘Le’…”
Caity: “Le…”
Him: “Say ‘Lexy’…”
Caity: Again, clear as day “Sexy!”
Better not call her that in public, kid …
*sigh* Maybe we should back to “Eye-ee”.
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