Mini Me Girly Tomboy

My girlie little tomboy. I love it.  We had a super fun day today. Mainly bc College Football started. And Tennessee won. Those things always make for happy days. But having a mini-me to share it all with is even better.

This has been the first weekend in about 5 weeks that we've had no plans. And while it is fun to have plans.. it can be just as nice to have nowhere to be.

I

t has been oddly cool the past 10 days. As in we've had the windows open ALL WEEK. I can't WAIT to get the electric bill. Anyway.. so the weather was completely positively perfect this morning for a run. I had a really nice 6miler and was pumped. I got home just in time for Game Day. yeeeehaww!  Eileen entertained herself upstairs while I cleaned and watched Game Day and Josh went for his run. Love that she's old enough now to hang out for a while by herself.

Today, of course, our game was at noon. Sweet.. I thought .. as Eileen would take a nap and I could watch most of the game while she slept. Of course she had no desire to sleep. She chatted to herself for about an hour, and then decided she wanted to get up. So I told her she had to watch football with mommy. She said OK.

And you know what?? She did! She lasted a little more than a quarter. Not too bad for a three year old!!  I told her about end zones, and goal posts and referees. She was pretty interested. Yes.  My own little sports buddy. LOVE it.  We also did her nails while we wtached. Football and manicures. I say that makes for one cool chick.

While it was odd to watch UT football without the Great Pumpkin.. I did not miss the sweaty bellybutton. Coach Kiffin.. much easier on the eyes.

So after the game we headed to Fleet Feet - which is a running store - but Eileen calls it the Sock Place. There really aren't many socks there... I think she just associates the Feet part? who knows. but i thikn its hilarious.

Last week at school they had some soccer coaches come in.  They'll be offering soccer at her school, so they came in for a demo I guess. I'd planned on signing Eileen up for gymnastics - also offered at her school - but somehow soccer sounds more like her. So we told her we'd get her a soccer ball at Target - of course she insisted on a purple one!  So we got home from running errands and I went outside to play with her and her new soccer ball. She said she wanted to show me what they'd learned last week. And oh.my.gawd.  She's like Mia Hamm, or maybe Brandi Chastain since she's blond. She's not even three. And I swear she took off down the back yard - 110% dribbling that ball with her feet! I stood there in shock. She moved that ball all over the place - but only where she wanted it to go. Clearly soccer is the better choice over gymnastics. She also did the move where you put your foot on top of the ball to stop it. NICE. So since soccer has loads of running, I am, of course, sooo excited to start molding my little training buddy.  I can't wait for her to start soccer at school next week!

So we still have two days left of our three day weekend. Did lots of chores today so hopefully we can just play tomorrow. We might go to Boomsday... but not the fireworks bc she's scared of those! Monday I'll have a long run. And then summer's over. Wow.

I hate to see it go. But I am kind of loving this weather. and a day of football and Octoberfest and candy corn does make me excited about Fall. Oh... candy corn. Yeah. its out. and yeah.. I bought a boat load. I do love it so. As does Eileen.

mmmmmmm.

Happy Holiday weekend all. Make it a safe one!

You Spin Me Round..

Do you ever have that day where you just feel like you've been a puppet on a string? Or perhaps sitting on a merry-go-round just going around and around and around...? that was me today. I worked like a mad woman all day, but not a thing got crossed off my to-do list.  in fact, not a thing even got started.

I blame email. what did we do before it? I honestly think that's what I did most of today. Sort email. And everytime I got it whittled down and felt like I'd filed and responded and deleted, I was faced with at least 30+ new messages.

Yes, I know. All those 'time management' experts tell us to just turn off our email for a couple of hours and get something done.  But you know what? Those 30+ messages will be 95+ if I ignore them for a couple of hours. So which is worse? Which is the lesser evil?

And I brought home three folders-full of work to do tonight. But I can't bring myself to do it. I am just too fried. So I guess it will be there tomorrow. And by the end of tomorrow I will be just as fried and more behind.

A friend recently wrote on my FB that if I am overwhelmed I should ask for help. Oh and I do. We're all overwhelmed. And don't get me wrong. In this economy, I am so very grateful for my job. And that I am overwhelmed. Because we're busy. Busy is good.  I guess I'm just jabbering.

Eileen started her first day in "PreSchool" today. A bright new shiny classroom. Actually, a mammoth classroom. It is just a really big room. And she was mesmerized. She moved up with all of her friends, but sometimes she still has a hard time adjusting to a new teacher or slightly new schedule. Today she just walked up, little HH came running up to say hi and show us Eileen's cubby, and she was off!  She didn't care where I was. Which is good. I don't at all get my feelings hurt when she doesn't notice if I'm there or not.

So she had a good day. I think she'll be excited to be learning new things and being a 'big girl.' Almost there with potty training.. but I'm not pushing it.  It would be nice to not have to be spending money on diapers.. but eh.. it will come.

There was a mom last week not happy that the snack her son had eaten did not seem to match the snack indicated on the 'snack calendar.'  Ok.. to each his own. But hmm.  I am much more concerned (and thrilled) with the fact that my not quite 3year old can write some letters and name all letters and numbers by sight and count to 15 in Spanish and so on and so on.. if she eats crackers and water for a week.. well.  umm.. who cares?  Said mom was frustrated that all her son would eat at home is mac'n'cheese and chicken nuggets. UMM.. they're THREE. Every three year old I've ever seen exists on cheese and breaded meat. And they all turned out pretty OK, right?   Anyway.. like I said.. to each his own.. but lawsy, she needs a cocktail or something!

So Eileen likes to umm.. have some 'private time' after dinner each night.  She generally comes home in panties, but refuses to do number 2 in the potty, so we trek upstairs to get a diaper.. and then she heads down the hall to her Princess Tent.  And she proceeds to do her business.  So last night, I'm laying in the floor in her room waiting on Miss Thang to finish.  She comes running down the hall at full speed.. comes into her room.. throws her hands up in the air.. and says "Mommy!!! I did a SCARY poop!"  Wowo. so NOT what you want to hear from your three year old child.  Its that moment when you want to laugh your arse off.. but also want to run away and hide til she's 10 or so.   Yeah.. she's going to kill me some day for telling that story...

OK.. its almost bed time. I am clearly not going to get any work done. But I will read some of the paper... goodnight all. :)

Hello Fall..

Funny how it can feel so very much like Summer and so very much like Fall all at once.

I do love Fall, but I am a girl of Summer. Light in the morning.. light well into the evening. Warm. Ahhh warm. Long lazy days. Tans. Grills. Pools. Beaches. ahhh... mainly, the bright warmth.

I dread its departure.

Because for all of the fantastic things that come along with Fall.. Football.. pumpkins.. World Series.. crisp air.. candied apples.. cozy sweaters..witches.. mums... marathons.. all those perfectly fun things are followed by winter. .Cold gray winter. We do not get along so well.

But I digress.

Today started out almost chilly. And there was almost no humidity. Which, to be honest.. a day with no humidity in AUGUST in TENNESSEE is somewhat disturbing. But so very enjoyable. It warmed up as the sun came out. Felt more summery. We ran errands and did chores. We went to the park in the late afternoon.

And the shadows were long. And there was a breeze. And it felt like Fall. Except there was that undeniable Song of Summer.. the bugs.. those "Back to School bugs"... I missed them so much when we lived in New York. Tonight its like they were screaming to be heard and noticed.. as if to tell us that in just a couple of more weeks they'll be gone... so be sure to hear them and enjoy them. And then I came home and had a Sam Adams Octoberfest.. and it felt again like Fall. So you see, today has me all over the Seasonal Map!

And with Fall, of course... comes School. Eileen starts her new class tomorrow - PreSchool 1. How in the world is she old enough for a level called "PreSchool?!" She'll move up with all her friends, and be doing even more Big Girl things. She already writes some of her letters and can recognize them all by sight. She memorizes her books.. word for word. Mind boggling. Her school is amazing, I don't know where we'd be without those teachers. We love that place.

Her imagination is unreal. The things that come out of her mouth have us hee-hawing. For instance.. last night I gave her a mani/pedi. I was taking off her old polish, and she pointed to her toe. "Look at that!" she said.

"What?" said me

"That toe! it's GORGEOUS"

I died. "What?!" i said.

"Gorgeous! its gorgeous!"

I asked how she knew that word and where she'd learned it.

"Grandma." she said matter of factly.

So who knows if there is truth to that.. because then conversations like this morning happen...

I got her out of bed. She showed me two of her fingernails void of polish.

"These two aren't pretty!" she said.

"You're right. We'll fix them! what happened?" I asked.

"Daddy did it."

Now, let me fill you in. I painted her fingernails and toes, and then our babysitter arrived. And we left. Daddy never touched her fingers. Most likely the polish came off in the tubby. So I knew that little story was a fabrication! Her little mind spins constantly.

So I find myself constantly wondering what is true and what isnt. She'd have me believe they eat cake and ice cream and popcorn every day if I were any more gullible.

Luckily, I'm not.

I am, however, tired.

So.. I'm signing off. Swearing to try to get back to better blogging.

Happy Sunday.