Randomness

TGIF For Those With Jobs

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / Leave a comment

For me….well at least I’ll have a helper for two days–oh wait only one as he’s playing golf on Sunday. 

I have so much I want to post about, but can’t quite pin it all down. 

Peepers only woke up twice last night–once at 11:20 and once at 3am.  We are making progress and all are all a little happier for it.  Did I mention that she slept until 8:30am and that hubby got up with her at 3am.  Even though I heard her and woke up too–I still got to go right back to sleep.  I hope this is a signal that we are moving towards sleeping mostly through the night.  I could deal with one middle of the night feeding. 

I have so much more I want to say about yesterdays post…I know it’s a loaded topic and one that I must tread on carefully as I am not black but my kids are and so I have to look at it from two sides while I really only experience it from one side.  So, please click on over, read it and chime in.  EDW commented and I think her comment is valid and great.  It is nice that black wasn’t the leading descriptor–that she saw more in my precious little boy than his skin color–but in this case it would have been a helpful lead as he was the only little boy of color in the place.  It is such a hard topic, especially since we often shy away from it to not offend. 

I got the most awesome compliment the other day from an awesomely kind black woman.  She thanked my for taking such good care of my kiddos and for really putting forth a great effort with Minnow’s hair.  We chatted about the products I used–Carol’s Daughter’s Hair Milk and she said that was a good choice and that their Tui shampoo and conditioner were also awesome.  I commented about not wanting to cut Minnow’s hair and she said that I’ll have to eventually because it will be too much to take care of.  She was being sincere and her tone was not at all “oh come on white woman  you won’t be able to do his hair.”  I agree with her, especially since Minnow doesn’t sit still.  I’ll be taking him in someday to get his hair cut…maybe before he starts pre-school (in a year). 

I pride myself on being a good mother and raising good, polite, and kind children.  So far, so good.  We were at the store the other day and a man held the door for us and as Minnow walked through he paused looked at the guy and said “Thank you.”  It was awesome.  Minnow has also begun trying to hold doors open for me, which is too cute especially when the door is a little heavy for him. 

I lost another pound this week and lost 12lbs (almost halfway to my September 26th goal).  WooHoo.  I don’t mind slow–especially this week when I had a really bad week of binge eating ice cream.  I have banned it from our house, because I must eat it all.  Until. It. Is. All. Gone.  That is not good for the waist line.  I simply cannot have that our brownies around.  But I must say if you are looking for a good no-fat brownie–NO Pudge brownies are the frickin’ best. 

Next week at this time I will in Portland for EOR’s first annual board meeting.  I am excited to get to meet my fellow board members IRL and get to meet their adorable children.  I am taking Minnow and leaving Peepers at home, even though I am really having a hard time leaving Peepers behind and may end up taking her with me too.  I know, I am crazy.  But she’s my girl. 

Summer Don’t Move So Fast

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / 4 Comments

I cannot believe that it is already the end of July.  I will be back in school too soon to even thing about (three weeks or some crazy shit like that).  I am so happy that I am not teaching this semester as it would just be too much for me with the new baby–who doesn’t believe in sleep.  This summer has been so fun and exhausting.  Minnow has become a true toddler and is so close to being a pre-schooler.  He is talking better and better and is really blossoming.  It is amazing to watch. 

Peepers is growing at an alarming rate.  I had a hat for her yesterday at the park–one that was too big a month a go in Ethiopia the now is so tight it must almost cut off circulation to her brain.  That is good that she is growing–but bad that she thinks she is too big for baby food and only wants to eat cheerios and wagon wheels.  She is going to be a trouble maker, I can tell.

I love summer and I wish it lasted longer.  We have spent a lot of time outside playing in the kiddie pools and on the swing set.  Minnow loves being outside and before I know it–it’ll be too cold to.  Life moves too fast and I wish I was awake enough to move with it.  I am already starting to miss summer and it isn’t even gone yet. 

What will you miss most about summer? 

My Handyman and Friday Weigh-in

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / 2 Comments

We put Peeper’s crib together last night.  We are hoping to start the transition to her sleeping in the crib.  She is eating a lot less at night now so should be ready to sleep on her own soon.  It will take time to transition her and we will start with naps first. 

Anyway to the funny part of my story.  I guess it’s funny in that “paint yourself into a corner” kind of way.  We were putting the crib together and I wasn’t paying a lot of attention to Hubby’s part.  We get done with putting the frame together and I am admiring it, but notice that Hubby is in the middle of the crib.  Now he is a big guy–6’5 250lbs.  He has built himself into the crib.  Now this isn’t the funny part.  The funny part was watching my completely inflexible husband get down on the ground and attempt to crawl out from under the crib.  It was priceless and I wished I had had my camera with me. 

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I didn’t lose any weight this week, but I didn’t gain any either.  Considering I didn’t count my points and didn’t really exercise and certainly didn’t sleep or eat very good, I am so very happy. 

Nighttime Is For Sleeping

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / 3 Comments

Minnow has started this horrible habit of waking up somewhere between 1:30 and 3:30 every AM wanting to go downstairs.  He goes back to sleep really quickly when you tell him no and remind him that it is time to sleep.  But boy, does it wreak havoc on one’s ability to function.  I know what you all are thinking–just 9 more days and waking up once in a night will be what I dream about.  But that time hasn’t come yet and I want Minnow to get back to sleeping through the night. 

If this continues we will have to just let him put himself back to sleep, but it is hard when we know that if we go up there and tell him to go to sleep that he will.  UGH. 

I am leaving in 9 days and I cannot believe it.  I am so excited to think that a week from this coming Monday I will be holding my little Peepers.  So exciting. 

I am not taking a job this year.  I decided after a long talk with a good girlfriend of mine who was in town visiting, that working full -time isn’t what I want right now–it is so restrictive and I really love spending so much time with my kid (soon to be kids).  I called the school and talked to the principal that was doing the hiring and she was totally understanding and she encouraged me to apply again when I was ready to come back to work as they were very impressed with my vitae, etc. 

I am comfortable in my decision and know it is what is right for me and my family.  I am lucky to have a great part-time job and I really was starting to freak out about teaching kids again.  I really like college courses.