Weekly wrap-up

I had a fabulously busy weekend and have nothing scheduled today for the first time all week! Hooray! So I'll use this time to catch up.

The weekend started with Carl's mom visiting us....yay! She and Ingrid stayed with William while I got to take Lily out by herself for our playgroup on Friday. It was amazing how free I felt with just one child! Before William was born, I had it in my mind that I would schedule special trips with just Lily or just the baby. I wanted them each to have their own quality time, but I'm finding that Lily really doesn't desire time without William. She is always thinking about him and would much prefer that he be with us. I do get some quality time with just William while Lily is at school which is nice. I think that he is a bit more relaxed when she's not around. :) However, I will say that she is excellent at entertaining him, and he often watches her very intently and smiles so big (most of the time) when she plays with him. She can be quite helpful in interacting with him so that I don't feel so guilty when I have to get some other things done around the house. Win-win!

On Friday night, I got to hang out with my friends until the wee hours of the morning. I haven't done that in quite some time! As I told them, I think I lose about 15 years of maturity when I'm with them...something I think is vitally necessary and am grateful that I'm able to do every once in a while. Thanks to Janie, Sara, Kelly, Kitty and Bev for a great night out and for enlightening me about BOGO!

On Saturday night, I got to go out with the girls for my aunt's 50th birthday. I'm always surprised by how much I feel rejuvenated after spending time with the women in my family. It fills up my soul in a way that is beyond compare. They are very special women, and I'm so grateful to have such strong, insightful, and grounded women in my life!

On Sunday, we packed up the kiddos and went to my parents' house for breakfast with Ang, Zach and Suzanne before they all headed for home. It makes me sad to think that I may never live in the same city with both of my sisters again, but I am glad that we live close enough for frequent visits. We may not be able to get together to just go shopping or do lunch or meet for a playdate, but our time together is that much more valuable since there are lapses in between. I miss you guys, but we have firm plans to visit you both this summer (Ang - last weekend in July; Suzanne (and Tori) - late May or mid-June). Sunday afternoon was spent with my brother and his family at their house. Jeff served up some of the best Italian beef sandwiches we've ever had! Kudos to you, Jeff; we'll be trying our hand at those this weekend.

The rest of the week has been mostly about getting some (important) things done. It has been a very productive week thus far. We are also currently considering trading in my car. My car is getting to a point in its life that it will probably need some bigger maintenance-type things done, and Saab isn't exactly known for its inexpensive repairs. So, the most cost-effective thing to do right now may be getting a newer car with a warranty. I was a little sad about giving up my zippy turbo-charged car, but I will concede that a larger soccer-mom-type vehicle would probably be more useful to us at this stage in our lives. While getting back into a monthly payment is a very unpleasant prospect, getting hit with unpredictable and potentially large repair bills is even less desirable. We'll keep you posted.

In other news, Carl just started his Derm-Path rotation. It has similar hours as his GI-Path rotation but is less strenuous which makes for a happier Carl and thus a happier family. Even with the rigors of his job, Carl manages to keep a sense of humor most of the time. Before my girls' night out, Carl had a talk with William and Lily and quite seriously told them that the theme for the night was "ELE - Everybody Love Everybody". Just last night, we got Lily some m&m's as a treat, and I told Carl to remind Lily to be careful with them so that she did not get chocolate everywhere. He responded, "C'mon, you know they melt in your mouth, not in your hand". I'm telling you, as corny as it is, I need his humor to get me through the days when stress can weigh you down. It truly makes all the difference in the world.

Speaking of stress, my first class begins February 8th, and I'm entering into my freak-out stage. I alternate between thinking this job is the best thing ever to thinking that I set myself up for a world of pain, taking a part-time job at home while also having kids full-time at home. I think it will be great once it starts and I get into the swing of things. Trying something new is always a challenge, but this will lead to a great new (marketable) set of skills. Also, I think it is always a good thing to get a little bit out of your element. It is the only way to grow as a person. So, that's the State of the Deetz household right now. I will update separately about William and Lily. There's just too much to say about them to include in this post!