Crazy Like a Loon

The last week has been crazy.

Last Saturday my brother-in-law and nieces came in from Hungary. They came to our house immediately after arriving (along with my in-laws and other brother-in-law and his family) for a bagel dinner.

Sunday was my mother-in-law's birthday celebration and we had brunch at The Red Barn (an institution here in Southwestern Connecticut and one of the last taverns still standing despite the recent economic turmoil). While it was nice, it definitely reminded me how much I hate the "all you can eat" brunch idea.

First, there is no way I possibly eat $25 worth of food. Good for the restaurant, bad for the person picking up the check. Second, in case you haven't noticed, I am not a patient woman by nature. Buffet brunches are so freaking inefficient! I always get stuck behind a slow moving old couple. And you can't really jump ahead. People will give you the evil eye. The only "all you can..." concept I ever liked was the "all the watered-down beer you can drink" in college. For a few months during my freshman year I might have drank my money's worth (of water).

Monday I went in to the office. This is unusual for me since Monday is typically a work from home day. So unusual that my brother-in-law called in the afternoon and asked about getting together and pretty much invited his family over for dinner. I got home with the girls at 5:30, I fed the girls at 6 while I made meatballs, my five guests showed up around 6:15 and we sat down to eat around 6:45. I went to bed at 9:30. The Hoos asked me if I was sick; In case the look I shot him didn't say it all, I replied "No, just EXHAUSTED."

Tuesday was pretty normal. Except the Hoos had a work event and didn't get home until after both girls were bathed and in bed.

Wednesday the Hoos and I kept the girls home and both worked from home in the morning in anticipation of leaving for the first Seder at my parents' house shortly after lunch. We both got a minimal amount accomplished for work and left at 1:30. We then sat in traffic and two hours later got to Bohemia. LP fell asleep approximately 15 minutes before we pulled in to their driveway. Everyone enjoyed the Seder and my girls charmed all of the guests by being very well-behaved and all-around adorable. The drive was shorter, but LP didn't fall asleep until we got back to CT. She talked the entire rest of the trip.

Thursday I was back at work. Until 3:30. Then I had to pack up, get the girls and head to my in-laws for 24 more people and the second Seder.

Friday everyone was off and we met the Hoos' brothers (and their families), his parents and some other folks at the Beardsley Zoo in Bridgeport. We then went back to my in-laws house for a dinner of leftovers.

Today was much calmer. You know you have had a rough week if you consider a birthday party for a 3-year old relaxing. I did learn that if you show up to a party with two kids under two by yourself, people want to help. At some points other people were watching BOTH of my kids and I had nothing to do but sit on the couch and chat. It was almost like an hour at a spa; how sad is that?!

What was I Thinking?

This week I am home with both of my fantastic daughters for the entire week. Quite a way to ease back into work...or maybe this will help me WANT to return to work.

At 10 Dee has orientation for day care. She goes for half an hour today, an hour and a half tomorrow, and four hours on Wednesday. I can't really believe that my little munchkin is going to be in someone else's care. At least I have the three hickeys she gave me on my shoulder to keep her close. Sniff, sniff.

Good thing I have LP to keep me busy. As I type she is "painting" her hands with markers and using her hands as stamps to decorate paper. I just looked up and her feet have joined the fracas as well. Awesome.

If Not Now, When?

I have a disease. It isn't life threatening, or even related to my physical health, but it definitely makes me question my mental health. I don't even know if it has a name - what is the opposite of procrastination?

Seriously, I just can't let stuff go undone. If something needs to be taken care of and I really don't feel like doing it, I ask myself, "If not now, when?". If I can't put a finite deadline on it or the alternative timing just doesn't seem right, I force myself to take on the task right away.

For example, LP is napping right now. Instead of taking a few minutes to relax and sit on my big old arse on the couch, I ran around like a crazy person:

• 1:55 - Put LP in her crib
• 2:00 - While listening to LP scream unhappily, pick up and put away all of the toys that we played with this morning
• 2:15 - Check my email and do a few small projects for work
• 2:35 - Prep the turkey meatloaf for dinner
• 2:50 - Clean up from meatloaf prep
• 2:55 - Notice that dishwasher is done running and full of clean dishes. Contemplate writing on blog, but instead empty dishwasher
• 3:05 - Sit down and formulate blog entry

See? Sick, sick, sick! I am five months pregnant, I deserve a break, right? But I just refuse to give it to myself. In fact, even as I write this I am thinking about getting up to put up a load of laundry. Despite the fact that I did three loads yesterday while watching a sick LP in the afternoon, the pile doesn't look like a dent was made.

The other person seriously suffering because of my illness is the Hoos. Just this morning he was sitting at the breakfast table and noticed a credit card bill, "I usually don't even see these, they are gone by the time I get home." I didn't want to tell him that I had checked the statement online earlier in the week and already set up the payment online, so I just didn't bother to move it into the office with my usual efficiency since it was really already taken care of.

The poor guy. Seriously. He asks me to leave stuff for him to deal with when he gets home from work - like the garbage, laundry, dishes, etc. - but I just can't. I know he will take care of it, but I just can't leave the timing to chance. Yes, he'll get the laundry, but it will be in a few hours, or tomorrow, and by then I could already have it folded and put away.

Do they make a 'chill pill'? Because I think I could use a few bottles.