Work ends, Work begins

I probably ‘work’ harder from 6pm-10pm than I do from 8am-5pm. I don’t have time from 6pm-10pm to engage in a lengthy coffee break conversation, to Twitter, to gossip, or to scour the office in search of leftover food. I am simply forced to do more stuff in less time. (If I had a dime for every time someone said “do more with less” let’s just say I wouldn’t be writing about being a working mother.)


Despite that I do more, I love the stuff that happens between 6pm and 10pm. First of all, I get to spend time with Robby! He smiles at me way more than anyone in the office ever would. It’s not always easy to make people laugh in the office. At home, Robby laughs when I dance, make a funny face, spin him around, or make a weird guttural sound of syllabic nonsense. Last time I tried that in the office it raised more than a few eyebrows and didn’t get me any stand-up comedy gigs. At home, I’m the cats ass. If Robby were CEO, I’d be his top aid making beaucoup bucks for doing a few tricks and preparing the occasional dinner.


The other stuff I get to do from 6pm-10pm is spend time with my husband Jude. He has the most positive, laissez-faire (in a good way) attitude of anyone! Robby just adores spending time with his father and so do I. He’s a ton of fun, makes us all laugh and teaches us not to take things too seriously.


In addition to the cool stuff, there’s also the drag of washing bottles, preparing dinner, laundry on occasion, house cleaning, packing for daycare, lunches for work, sometimes more, sometimes less. I really like my day job and it doesn’t always feel like work. I really love my evening job and it almost never feels like work. Without my day job, I wouldn’t appreciate my evening job nearly as much.


Some days I'm as weathered as a pinata at a six year-old's birthday party, but some days I feel like I scored all the candy inside. I'll suffer a few blows for some of the sweetest moments life can serve up.

Baby vs. Blackberry

You can give babies every toy known to man, but for some reason, they will always go for the one thing on the floor that is not a toy. I did a test with Robby the other day. Step 1: Surround baby with toys and get him engaged with the toys. Step 2: Place Blackberry out of reach when baby is not looking. Step 3: Wait for Blackberry procurement.
Robby took a little time to text some of his friends before he brought the Blackberry back to his den and would not take his hand off of it. Some people have dogs that eat homework, I have a baby that would probably swipe and eat my Blackberry in about three minutes. I don't think that would go over too well at the office.

A stupid cute hat

Stupid cute - an adjective used to describe something that under normal circumstances would be ridiculed, but in this instance is endearing and funny.

Babies are the prime example of stupid cute. You can dress them up in the most insane things and they keep getting cuter. The more 'flair' you add to the ensemble, the higher they score on the stupid cute scale. This may not lead to nod on Regis and Kelly's beautiful baby contest, but it certainly will get a nod of approval from parents, grandparents, and random strangers.

Hats are an accessory that scores very high on the stupid cute scale. They are an easy accessory for a baby to rock, assuming they actually like hats, and the had doesn't fly off with a gust of wind leaving you with a decision to drop the baby and chase after that damn hat or leave it blowin' in the wind. (totally kidding about leaving the baby for the hat)

I digress. Robby loves wearing hats. I think he knows how sharp he looks in them. We can thank Grandma and Grandpa for this recent newsboy number from BabyGap. Here's a picture of Grandpa and Robby. I challenge you to think of a better adjective than 'stupid cute'. Bring it on!

Say cheese

Sometimes I look in the mirror and I'm almost surprised to see a fairly attractive person looking back at me! I'm less surprised these days when the scary version (which could include crazy hair, non-existent makeup, dark circles, snot and/or drool on my shoulder, etc.) appears in the mirror.

On those rare days that I think I actually look halfway decent, there's not a camera in sight. But boy, on those scary days when you don't even want to walk into Price Chopper for risk of seeing your eighth grade science teacher, photography is abundant and inevitable!

I'm not a hater, but I could fill several gigantic photo albums with great shots of my husband Jude and Robby. Each shot cuter than the next; big smiles, all eye's open and looking at the camera, everyone's head relatively centered. You get the point. I'm not asking for a lot here!

Maybe someday when I'm actually looking well-rested and normal, someone will take a good picture of my baby and me. I can't let my own insecurities get in the way of a great shot. I need to just suck it up and say cheese.

A (cold) walk in the park

As a skier and snowboarder, my motto for winter sports is the faster the better! If I'm going to freeze my ass off, I better be flying down a mountain at (my) top speed on the edge of 'out-of-control'. At least that's how I used to feel.

These days the pace has definitely slowed down. If skiing is like thoroughbred racing, snowshoeing is more or less a pony ride. Nevertheless, I geared up head to toe in snowboarding gear only to sport a pair of snowshoes for a leisurely walk in the Saratoga State Park with my dad and Robby. Robby got a pelican baby sled for Christmas and we were dying to take him out for a spin.

Snowshoeing may not be thrilling, but it definitely is fun in its own way. What made it even more fun was seeing Robby's wide eyes through the windshield of the sled, open with wonderment at the sight of the snow. Apparently the snow got boring after a few minutes because he pretty much napped for the entire three mile trek. Maybe Robby will be a skier or a snowboarder but these days, mama is taking the easy road and trading skis for snowshoes.

Everything I need to know I learned from my baby

Eating and Drinking

- It's perfectly acceptable to be cranky and fussy if you haven't eaten in three hours. Throw a fit and get some grub.

- Messy eating is okay, as long as you laugh and smile while you do it. Go ahead, smear that food on your face.

- Food in your hair washes out. Food on the ceiling may not.


Bathing and Bathroom

- If you have to go, just go! Don't let anything stand in your way, even a half hour drive to the next rest area.

- Splashing in the bathtub can be quite fun. Don't be afraid to get innocent (dry) bystanders involved.

- Rubber ducks can and should be used.

Socializing

- If you greet everyone with a big smile, they will almost always be happy to see you.

- Insomnia is best experienced with others. If you can't sleep, wake up the others and have a little 3am party.

- Crying is a pretty good way to get attention if used properly.

The coolest boots EVER!

One gift that Robby received this Christmas from a dear friend of ours were these boots...

Our friend Veronika is from the Czech Republic and now lives in Brooklyn, NY. I'm so happy she is closer to us now because she is one of the most thoughtful people I have ever met.

This Christmas was no exception! These handmade boots were made for walking (in sub-zero temperatures) and Robby loves touching the fur and pulling the tassles. He's really warm and super cute!

As an adult, it's nearly impossible to be warm and cute. For example, the parka. Parka's are super warm because they are typically bulky as hell and completely cover your butt = not cute.
Sorel boots are another example. If you find yourself in a Northeast snow storm, there's no better boot to keep you warm and dry than a trusty pair of Sorel's. The problem is you won't want to as much as walk into your local grocery store with these bulky shit-kickers on!

I've given up on looking cute this winter. Thankfully when I'm with Robby, no one pays attention to what I'm wearing! Looking cute and staying warm this winter is certainly possible for some adults. For me this winter, I'll let Robby be the cute (and warm) one, and I'll stick with practicality.