New hoodie

Dear Grandma Susie,

Thank you so much for the beautiful new hoodie and hat. Everywhere I go, people want to know where they can get one. Sometimes we lie and say we got it in a fancy boutique but usually we just say that my incredibly talented grandma made it for me.

Its raining here, as usual, but mommy and I are going to walk around Greenlake anyway. We tried to convince daddy to come with us but he has a phone interview for a new job! Yea daddy! I miss you tons and can't wait to see you over Christmas!

Hugs and kisses,
Alice

The positive side of life

SDN lost his job. I guess that makes it sound like one day he woke up and couldn't remember where he put it. It would be more accurate to say that the evil start-up company that SDN worked for called all employees into a meeting on the last day of the pay period and informed that this would be the last day that they were getting paid, and, oh yea, would you mind working for free for the next two and a half weeks so that this company (which has treated you oh so fairly) can put on a good show for investors and do well? OK, to be totally fair to this evil corporation, they did offer the ex-employees stock options to continue (note: stock options that will be worthless unless the company makes it big - an increasingly unlikely scenario given the current state of the economy - and they had already given him stock options but somehow those are worth less now...don't ask me to explain it, I don't really understand). SDN, being the wonderful - glass is always half full- type of person that he is, happily accepted and has been diligently working full time for a company that unceremoniously laid him off for the past two weeks.

I just realized that I made it my mission in writing this post to be positive, because I do firmly believe that being positive can actually change your circumstances for the better. So, here goes: SDN has a wonderful opportunity to find a different job that will hopefully pay him lots more money and allow him to work fewer hours so that he can do things like go for walks with us around Greenlake and smell the spices with Alice.

I've been trying to tutor as much as possible, but 6 hours a week of tutoring does not really compare with the income of a full time tech job. I really want to be one of those people that is always positive and can calmly assure SDN that this is for the best and what a great opportunity this is and now we get to see him more...but I do find myself slipping into very negative and dark thoughts about his stupid job that screwed over their employees and them asked them to remain loyal.

Changing the subject, Alice as begun to do all sorts of wonderful things. She can grab onto anything - silverware, clothes, friends - and eat them. She makes hilarious raptor noises and has even put herself on a daytime nap schedule (yea, for nap time). Her grandma got her a sea turtle costume for Halloween which we have been showing off everywhere we go (I always thought it was a shame that you could only wear your Halloween costume once a year) to a chorus of "awwws" and "how cute!" I'm worried I'm beginning to get addicted to all the attention that Alice gathers whenever I take her anywhere...I mean at some point she is going to grow up.

It's 10:39pm...

My beautiful baby girl has decided that her bedtime is 11pm and nothing I do will change this. I have diligently followed the advice of the experts - we have a bedtime routine which begins at exactly 8pm every night. We read, take a bath, listen to soft music, and nurse - and it works...for about 10 minutes. Then she is up and ready to go until 11. At this exact moment, she is trying to catch my eye so that she can flash me one of her soul melting smiles - its hard to be annoyed by someone so charming and adorable. Her new trick of the evening is pivoting in a circle around her butt. It reminds me of those people who lay on their backs and move by using their feet to push them in a circle. Its like that, only she doesn't use her feet - she arches her back and gyrates with her entire body until she manages to move. You might think this would tire her out. You might think that this sort of super-human gymnastic routine might be just a bit draining - but no! She is having a ball. I guess I should go spend this non-sleeping time reading more "expert" advice, but I just keep thinking about my middle school students. They would sleep something like 20 hours a day if they could, so eventually Alice will grow out of this. Nothing is permanent - I just have to survive until this phase ends. The unfortunate part about his phase is that it also comes with 7 night wakings. She is starting to get grumpy - this is my cue that she might be ready for sleep....