my new job

I've been a lazy blogger lately, mainly due to my new job. As you know from previous posts, my old job wasn't quite working out how I wanted. Meaning, I wanted a better job and they didn't want to put me in a better job. So I figured that I could stick it out, prove myself even more, then get passed over again, or I could leave. It's not really that simple though. I liken my old job to a boyfriend that just isn't up to par. There were promises made, promises broken, and to stay meant that I was prolonging the inevitable - we just weren't meant to be. By the way, in this scenario, it's not me, it's you!

Anywho, I found the only job in Texas that utilizes my West Virginia law degree. I'm now a title attorney doing West Virginia title opinions for oil and gas companies. Yes, even for the one I just left. And how can I do this job in Texas, you may wonder? I'm actually contracted with a firm that does work in Texas, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and a slew of other states, and I do my work from my house.

That was actually the biggest drawback of the job, to be honest. I just didn't know how it would work - getting up but not putting on my office clothes, driving Britton to daycare just to drive back home, and being responsible for turning off the celebrity gossip websites and actually doing some work. At work I am quite a chatty person, and I wondered if I could survive with just my dog to keep me company. Not to mention that I was now going to be responsible for all those things your employer typically handles - retirement plans, employment taxes, and insurance. And most pressing is that I actually abhor change. I'm a routine person and I like knowing what's coming, so any new job or city or what have you sends me into a nervous flutter.

But I decided that this change could be good, I promised the hub I'd continue showering and dressing in non-stretchy waistband clothes, and I bought a new desk chair and file cabinet. It's been over two weeks now, and I have to admit that it really works for me. I make a point of meeting up with Memaw once or twice a week to do errands or go to lunch, and it gets me some socialization and a reason to put on make-up. Taking Britton to daycare means I'm still getting up at 6:00 am - on the same schedule I once was, but no longer tied to a commute of over 1 hour roundtrip.

And I actually like my new work. Figuring out who owns what in West Virginia is complicated, and I'm out of my comfort zone with this new property law side. And it does seem odd to be practicing law without stepping foot in a courtroom. Granted, my first love of law has and always will be public defender work, and I think one day I will return to it. But for now this new job suits me just fine. Let me introduce you to my new job....

My new lunch hour...



No longer tied to running errands or grabbing lunch within one hour, I now can do things at home during my lunch break. Case in point - so far this week I've quilted one day and made a chicken pot pie another day during lunch, neither of which I could do (well) at an office.

My new cubicle mate...



Yes, this is what Sadie looks like all day. No, actually sometimes she's completely stretched out to where half her body is on the floor and the other is still in her bed. She snores loudly and farts obnoxiously smelly farts (all things I wasn't exposed to before), but the upside is that with me home to take her out she hasn't pooped in the house since I started work!

My new co-worker...



When people hear I work from home, they almost always ask immediately if Britton stays home with me. And I get to feel like the bad mom when I say no. Honestly, if she was home with me I wouldn't be getting much work done, and it's not worth it to me to keep her home and then work all night. But without my long commute, she does spend over an hour a day less in daycare than she did before.

My new business lunches...




Actually, this is all of us this weekend at Pei Wei! I don't miss going out for lunch anymore because when you're home it becomes a big pain to leave the house. I'd rather watch the noon news for thirty minutes while eating a sandwich, then knock off work thirty minutes early. Plus I have my Tuesdays and Thursday with Memaw, and a couple of lunches lined up with my used-to-be co-workers.

cammy came to visit

I've been wrapped up in work this week, so I haven't gotten a chance to share stories and photos of Cammy's visit. My mom came in last Thursday and hung out with us until Monday. It was so freaking hot that we couldn't do any touristy-type things, like the zoo or the aquarium. But we had fun nonetheless! On Thursday and Friday Cammy and I went shopping, to get Britton some fall clothes and me some clothes for my Disney World trip. Then on Saturday morning we got pedicures. We also went to go see "Bridesmaids" and if you have not seen that movie you have to go see it right now! Cammy and I were embarrassing ourselves with almost-peed-my-pants laughter. We were still laughing coming out of the theatre and the entire drive home!

Cammy didn't want food she could get back home. And since I know she only has access to Taco Bell-esque fake Mexican food, Cammy was treated to not one, not two, but THREE Mexican food throw-downs. The hub capped off Sunday with his magical fajitas. It was a relaxed, low-key visit and man did it fly by.

Cammy scratched her eyebrow (yeah, I have no idea either) and used a Dora band-aid. Guess who else wanted a Dora band-aid? By the way, she put it on her face herself.




We spent a little time outside, Sadie being deliriously happy someone would throw the ball for her! Then Britton introduced Cammy to the sand/water table, poured her bubbles into the water, and proceeded to get into the water table.






A creative partner-in-crime!

5th anniversary

And we're still together! The hub and I had decided to just do dinner out together with no gifts. Well, sneaky one he is, he had flowers delivered for me, and aren't they just beautiful?



We went out to the Porch in uptown Dallas, and had to wait close to an hour for a table. See, this restaurant doesn't take reservations and yes, the food is worth waiting an hour. We scouted tables, counted people leaving and people left on the wait list, and in general kept ourselves entertained enough so we wouldn't get ornery. One benefit of five years of marriage is that you can count on the other one to keep your spirits up when you tend to get cranky because you aren't a very patient person. Yeah, that's me folks.

We had a great time and stuffed ourselves, right down to their are-you-kidding-me ooey gooey butter cake with vanilla ice cream and salted caramel drizzle. Oh yeah - you read that right. A part of me can't believe we've been married for five years because I thought five years of marriage would look different. It's like before I went to law school I thought all law students sat around at dinner parties, drinking wine and having deep political and philosophical discussions. So not how it is. There is a certain comfort, not created out of sense of obligation because you are in fact married, but of knowing the other person so well. Some people think that is suffocating. I think it's freeing.

"A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person." ~Mignon McLaughlin

less than 1 month until disney world!

I just started my new job today, and I already need a vacation! We do something Disney every year, and this year we're exposing Britton to all the wonderful magic of Disney World. Our flight out is super-early, and of course there's the whole hour difference thing, but I'm hoping that Britton will make it on this flight better than last time (if only because now she is in love with Dora!). She's never horrible on flights, but it's hard to entertain a toddler in such a tiny space.

But first, clothes and supplies must be purchased. Or made, as is the case of the first shirt here, which I put together one night and hope Britton loves:



And I ordered her this Minnie shirt with her name, very similar to her Mickey shirt last year. She's going to wear this shirt to the character breakfast.



And my friend Allison in West Virginia makes bows, and sent Britton some! I was trying to hunt down a bow to go with her Minnie shirt, but no more because the pink polka dot or pink and white/black combo would be perfect! Now I just have to decide which one. Thanks Allison!

calendar quilt

I've already begun Britton's third year quilt because I'm motivated by all the cute holiday fabrics I've found. I decided to do a sampler quilt, where each block was not only a different pattern, but themed for that month. When I finish I'm going to embroider the month in the middle square of each block. This will be my biggest quilt so far (about a double bed I think). January and February are missing because the cute winter fabrics, besides Christmas, aren't out yet. But that's fine, because that will give me a fun project when it's too cold to go outside. I've had to buy little fabric, as I only get a 1/4 of a yard of themed fabric, and use my scraps for the rest!

The quilt starts with August, Britton's birth month. Thus, the "happy birthday" fabric...



September is for going back to school, and in our family - our annual Disney vacation!



October - how can you not love Halloween?



November - not much choice in the Thanksgiving department, but I thought this fabric had beautiful colors without being too dark



December - of course, Christmas, the hub's favorite holiday ever...



I love love love this vintage Santa fabric!



March - St. Patrick's Day and green...



April showers...



I would use this fabric to cover my entire house if the hub would let me, it's that cute...



May flowers. By far the most involved block...



June - watermelons. Memaw found this fabric, and it's a good possibility I squealed in delight...



4th of July...



Of course, more pictures in the months to come on the progress of this very involved project!

britton: 1, potty: 0

Britton used the potty at home today FOR THE FIRST TIME!!! We've kept it in the family room for months now. She'll claim she has to potty, pull it out, sit on it, so cutely put her hands on her knees - but she never potties. She does, however, jump up triumphantly every time she sits on it screaming, "I potty! I potty!" And the hub and I congratulate her, even if there's not a drop for miles.

Well, tonight she declared her need to potty, sat on the potty, and nothing. Then, sans pull-up, she ran behind the couch and announced that she had "pottied behind the couch!" I checked, certain she was just telling fishing stories again, and lo and behold she did pee behind the couch! She went over to her potty, sat on it, and then got up. She again announced that she had pottied, and we checked the potty - pee!!! High-fives all around, and the hub ran to get the cameras for memorializing the occasion.

After careful cropping, the only proud-I-went-potty picture I could post. See, she's not exactly dressed from the shirt down!



The potty full of pee. Such a sight to see!

2 years old!

Today is Britton's SECOND birthday!!! Our day was pretty normal, with us going to work and Britton going to daycare. She brought cupcakes to share with her class, and seeing how every kid's birthday seems like it fits in this two-week span, the kids are all jacked up on sugary cupcakes every day. The hub picked her up early and they met me at the pediatrician's office for Britton's two year check up.

Britton passed the time between acing her milestone discussion and getting a vaccine by wearing two purple rubber gloves.



Britton is 37 inches tall (over 97th percentile) and 32 pounds (95th percentile). To give you a perspective, she is currently the size of the average three year old. The doctor said she's doing really well, doesn't have autism (we never thought she did, but they check that stuff), and that she doesn't have to drink whole milk anymore.



Britton is reaching so many heights we just weren't expecting this early. She can count to 10 in English and Spanish, she "reads" her books to us because she has them memorized, she can say her entire alphabet and almost spell her name (the 2 "t"s get her), and physically she can throw a ball and run. She very recently started asking for Dora the Explorer on television, and I found out that at daycare she sees an episode on Thursdays. She loves playing with iPhones and even put a new picture on my background without my knowledge (and videotaped her feet and took pictures of the ottoman).



Britton's vocabulary is through the roof! In addition to full-on sentences, she uses "thank you," "excuse me," and "please" correctly. She mimics us on the phone, holding her play phone up to her ear and having a conversation, with inflection! She is infinitely more interested in Sadie than in the past, trying to tickle Sadie, pet her, and carrying on a conversation with her. We haven't had too many discipline problems out of her except for her penchant to hit when she gets pissed. But I grab her arm and not-so-gently tell her we don't hit and she gets the idea. Or she cries and the hub and I point and laugh. Either way, momma ain't raising no brat!



Britton's eating is still going well. She has discovered a yogurt she likes - the orange mousse from La Creme. In fact, she had a bowl of it tonight during her bath. Something else that happened in her bath tonight - Britton pooped in the tub for the first time ever! I know some people don't celebrate these kinds of achievements, but really? The hub got the camera and I won't subject you to the photos, but I will subject Britton's future dates to them. Also, today at daycare Britton peed on the potty for the first time! So it seems we're moving right along on the potty training, though we've done nothing to push it on her. The potty is in the family room and she sits on it when the mood strikes her.



Britton is wearing 3T clothes, size 5 diapers and pull-ups, and size 7 shoes. Britton got some cute outfits from Cammy and Memaw for her birthday, so I've tried to stop buying summer clothes. I am impatiently waiting for the adorable fall stuff to come out!



This is the cement handprint we did today before dinner. We did one last year too and I loved that it froze a single moment in time. Memaw and PawPaw have one too from Britton's first Mother's Day, and Britton puts her hand up to it when she's sitting at their table. The change is remarkable.



Happy Second Birthday to my beautiful precious and ever-so-lovely baby girl!