Updates

The summer is a tough time to blog, isn’t it? I find it hard to find the time. Although I do also have to blame the fact that I can’t blog at work anymore. True, there are the evenings but once bedtime and dinner are done DH and I usually watch a show (Leverage is a big favorite these days) and then I go to bed. I hope to post more regularly next week once we are on vacation but considering it’s a family reunion (33 of us!) I’m not sure how feasible it will be. In the meantime here are some updates.

I’m attempting to de-clutter. We must have 10x as much stuff as we did when we first moved it. A lot of it is Cameron’s of course but I still hesitate to sell her baby equipment. Instead I’m focusing on getting rid of clothes that are too dated or big (down 2 whole dress sizes so far – or is it considered 4 because of how women’s clothes are sized?) and crap that we haven’t used in more than a year. Included in that list are all of my MBA books. I figure that if I haven’t used them after 3 years at BigFinance I don’t need them and they are taking up an entire shelf in our library. I’m in a Women in Technology & Operations not-for-profit group at BigFinance and they are running a book drive. The goal is to collect books that will help women re-enter or enter the workforce. It’s a great idea and a great way for me to get rid of all of those accounting and finance books. I’ve made two trips so far with one more to go. Damn, those textbooks are heavy!

Cameron has started running. It’s not real running in the sense that she still doesn’t know that she should bring her knees up higher to get more momentum. But she is moving much faster now and with much more purpose. It also seems as though she has inherited my clumsiness. While running through the parking lot at the JCC she took a face planter. It resulted in a nice scrap on her face and her knee but they’ve mostly faded already. I find myself needing to grab her arm or hand to keep her moving at a more sedate pace, especially around sidewalks or uneven ground. The number of falls has increased dramatically over the past week. I only see that getting worse when she hangs out with her older cousins next week! And now I understand how so many kids get Nursemaid’s elbow.

The temper tantrums are back. They don’t usually last long but any little thing can set them off. Cameron usually plops down on her butt and then rolls over and moans and cries while kicking her feet. It would be funny if it wasn’t also annoying. The biggest driver of tantrums is if we take something away from her. We usually try to redirect with another more appropriate toddler item but Cameron wants nothing to do with “safe” toddler items. She wants to take everything out of mommy’s purse or wallet. Or basically play with anything that isn’t a toy. We aren’t planning to bring too many toys with us on vacation. Between us, my siblings and their 5 kids I think we’ll have enough to go around, don’t you? And why do I find myself still buying toys when she clearly prefers “real” stuff instead? I guess I’m just holding out hope that that perfect toy will occupy Cameron for more than 2 minutes and I can go to the bathroom in peace. Too much to hope for?

Work has been kicking my ass lately which is another reason I’ve been so remiss in blogging. I have been trying to get lots done before vacation. I am hopeful that by putting in longer hours now I can avoid anything work related while on vacation. I’ll still bring my Blackberry but will only check the urgent messages and then just pass them off to my teammates to follow up on. It doesn’t help that I’m also sick. I’ve got something sinus related and I’m pretty sure I can point the finger to Cameron for this one. It’s not as bad as when I had my sinus infection earlier this year but I still wake up with crusty eyes (no, it’s not pink eye, thank goodness) and sinus congestion. Cameron had the same thing about a week ago and she’s fine now. So here’s hoping I bounce back and can enjoy vacation to its fullest.

Have you noticed I mentioned vacation like a million times? It’s the first time DH and I have gone anywhere for vacation since last August. We took a week off in mid-December but it was a staycation. The logistics of coming up with a detailed packing list and then actually packing the car are obsessing us. We have a list of about 150 items that need to be packed. Guess how many of those relate to Cameron? If you said most of them you would be right. We’re bringing Charlie with us too since the rental allows dogs. It’s the first time he will be at the beach and we’re hoping he isn’t wimpy about it. But I’m not holding out much hope for that one. Wish us luck fitting everything in the car!