Just Stuff

Not all that exciting but things to highlight on this Spring day:

1) The New York 26 election yesterday has me somewhat a fan of the Tea Party. The TP candidate (I love that acronym, don't you?) drew votes away from the conservative candidate to ensure a victory for the liberal candidate. American politics at work! Considering the conservative candidate was campaigning on 'abolish Medicare', her loss is not all that surprising to me. But according to Yahoo this morning, conservatives are confused about the defeat. Hmmm.....confused.....

2) I wasn't the least bit surprised about our former Governor's confession that he'd fathered a child 10 years ago with a household staff member. I mean, they announce they are separating - and you know there has to be a lot more to the story....so it's finally all coming out. What does amaze me is how it was kept secret for so long. Behold, the power of money - and a great publicist.

3) My baby turns 18 today. My little HB (his baby nickname - it's really cute but I can't tell you because then I'd have to disclose his full name. I could also sing you the little song I used to sing for him when he was a baby wherein I compare him to a loaf of bread...but again, you'd hear his name....) is a man today. Sort of.

I've been thinking a lot about my baby - how he was as a little guy vs. how he is now. And there are some striking things that have come up the past few weeks that strike me as 'inborn' in him vs. acquired.

First thing: the kid doesn't want to work too hard. He was a breast fed baby - no, this won't turn into a breast feeding vs. bottle feeding debate - but he was easily frustrated at the amount of effort it took. He just didn't want to have to give it sooo much effort to be full. I actually had a breast infection of some kind that required me to pump and give him my milk in a bottle - and from that point forward, the little bugger refused to nurse. He wanted his milk from a bottle....so for three months, I was a human cow and spent huge chunks of my day attached to a pump. He's like that now - just doesn't want to put in too much effort on things.

We're still awaiting the 'will he graduate on Saturday or not' - hopefully, we will know by today.

Second thing: he's a charmer. He has this quiet, almost reclusive demeanor about him and people gravitate towards him. Sure, he was an adorable (ADORABLE) baby - all hazel eyes and thick brown hair and who doesn't love a baby - but he was really aloof most of the time to most people. But if he attached to you, he attached with all his might.....he's loyal and loving and such a hoot so much of the time....and he still is. He's just taller and bigger and older - but much the same as his baby self.

We are celebrating with a party tonight. Shhh....don't tell him. It's a surprise. (Don't worry - he doesn't read my blog....).

Also, H. is now wearing contacts - and I think the thing he likes the best about them is how he can order different colors and change his 'look'. He paid for a box of 'light brown' - they look just like the color of Edward's eyes after he's been hunting [if you don't know who Edward is, read Twilight...you won't regret it] - H. says 'yeah, Mom - the chicks really dig that whole vampire eye thing'....the kid is deadly handsome and charming (see above) and now, he can switch up his eye color too. Though his hazel eyes (which are like mine and change color on their own depending on what he's wearing) are still his most striking feature and I don't know why he feels compelled to change them with lenses - but oh well. He's got his own money and if he wants to spend it on lenses, it's ok with me...

4) I was signing some stuff at work yesterday (sometimes I feel like signing stuff is all I do all day....my signing folder is typically brimming and I'll sign a massive amount of stuff and leave for a meeting and come back to find it massively full again - repeat several times per day, everyday) and realized what the date was. Yesterday was the 11th anniversary of my mom's death - and for a minute, I felt my body just sort of 'collapse' at that reminder. 11 years is a long time to be without your mom. I miss her. Life goes on without her - but I miss her. On a happy note, yesterday, J. told me that H.'s newest 'friend who happens to be a girl' has a nickname that everyone calls her - MamaG. Not sure where that nickname for her came from - but H. told her that was his grandmother's nickname and she got a kick out of that. She'll be at the party tonight so I can't wait to find out about that nickname.....she's a sweet girl....and her dad's a cop! If that doesn't keep H. on the straight and narrow, nothing will!

OK - it's just after 5AM and I promised myself I would be at my desk by 6. It's budget time.....that time of year when I work way too much and stress a huge amount about a document that has to be board approved by the end of June. On a good note, we are not having to take the drastic hit to our revenue that we were planning for - so that's good news. Though I'm implementing a budget based on things that haven't actually been approved by the Legislature.....which is always true. The State rarely has a budget when school districts are required to prepare theirs. It's so odd....but this is my fifth time doing this process so I'm used to it.