Today was a quiet day. I woke up and took care of the kids, drove David to the bus and then came back to do some work while Nathaniel did some acrobatics and entertained himself.

He also played outside some.

He took a really long nap which meant I could get much done. I’ve got so much to do that I am in that super-scattered place I get to when I have too much to do. So I accomplished a bunch but not nearly enough and then it was time to get David. Since picture day is tomorrow, we did a final bit or practice.

And then an authentic one.

Jake came home and played with the kids while I dealt with my allergy attack and I’ve been moping around ever since. Just feeling exhausted but I guarantee you my second wind will come in one hour, just when it’s bed time.

I wanted to take a moment and talk about work. My sister commented today that I don’t talk about doing work on the blog. And since I mention so many other things…I’ve been writing my blog for ten years now and I rarely ever talked about work over that time. A few cryptic posts when I was at Goldman, some sad, depressed ones from TFA and none from the job before Google. And nothing from my previous positions at Google either. There are several reasons for this. The foremost is that this is a personal blog. It’s not about work. It’s not even about technology so I tend to not focus on work, here. Secondly, I want to keep it completely separate lest I get carried away and write something that will get me in trouble. I have enough other things in my life that I don’t need to do that. Third, since this is a record for me, I prefer to focus on things I care about more like my kids, art, books, etc. However, lest you get the wrong impression, I work. Every single day. Some days more than others. Some days I am more productive, other days not as much. Just like I was when I worked at the office. Some days I had meetings all day long, some days I took a super long lunch cause I had to. Some days I got interrupted 100 times. Working at home is similar. The interruptions are different and I never take lunch and there’s no smooth beginning and ending to my day but there’s also no commuting and much more kid-time. It also means I can work in super-comfy clothes that may not be suitable for outerwear. But in case others are under the same impression, I do work almost all of the day, every day. I do most of my crafting early in the morning or after the kids are in bed. Or weekends. And I love my job. I love my team. I love our product. I love what I do and I am very proud of it.

So there you go. This is likely the most I will write about work for a long time.

One more thing, in case you haven’t noticed or read my blog through an RSS reader, I added a new “Little Notes” section to the right. It is a place for me to talk about things that may not fit in with my daily post or things I might mention earlier in the day. They do also go to my Facebook account but I wanted to let you know just in case.

Last week, I made four layouts for Margie, whose going to be on the Home Shopping Network with the Paper Girl line at 4am EST tomorrow. It’s a 24-hour crafting marathon on HSN and Tim Holtz will be there, too. If you have a Tivo, I recommend you record it. Maybe you’ll get a glimpse of my layouts. (I hope I do!)

Three Things I’m Grateful For:
1. I am grateful for my kind husband who knows that I am crazy but loves me anyway. Bless him for forgiving me for getting stuck in little things.
2. I am grateful that I know PHP and was able to tinker with the plugin on the side to make it do exactly what I wanted it to do.
3. I am grateful to have finished another wonderful book. I am on a roll lately.
4. I am grateful for a birthday call from one of my bestest friends, Levent, all the way from Turkey. Love you my friend.

Three Things David’s Grateful For:
1. having some of Daddy’s poptart
2. playing with my paper airplane outside
3. checking out an Amelia Badelia book from the school library

Yesterday, I opened the front door to find these beautiful flowers. My wonderful husband had ordered an early present for me. I cannot tell you how happy the colors make me.

Today was the perfect day in that it was quiet, peaceful, and calm. It was David’s Wii day but he spent the morning coloring as Nathaniel played and I read my book. We then put the little one down and David and I did some reading. Then it was time for him to play.

Nathaniel took his nap, woke up and took the other set of controls (which had run out of battery) and thought he was playing, too.

I snuck in one more smiling-practice. We’re running out of days and it still looks funny. Though it does seem to be improving, no? I know it’s no big deal, it’s mostly for fun than anything else.

I spent the morning looking at some inspiration and finally did the cover of my December Daily album in the afternoon. I bought a 6×6 American Crafts album this year. More on this later of course.

I love how hard Nathaniel focuses on the little lego pieces. putting them on and taking them off.

I don’t know how I caught this shot but it’s a rare peek into his mouth which he won’t let me look at. Looks like almost all the teeth are out!

And finally caught red-handed with the little pieces in his mouth. I am not too worried cause he knows not to do that and he knows not to swallow. So while I still watch him like a hawk, I do let him play with them.

And here we are. My last day as a 35 year old. I am now off to read my new book and cuddle with my hubby. I expect 36 to be even more fantastic than 35 was. Though I am not complaining at all. If there’s one thing I learned this year, it’s that I have a lot to be grateful for.

Three Things I’m Grateful For:
1. I am grateful for my new December Daily cover. I love doing this album and look forward to it each year.
2. I am grateful that I finished my book. Not the best I read but it was ok.
3. I am grateful for a quiet day and for two layouts I did last night with a lot of joy and no stress.

Three Things David’s Grateful For:
1. playing wii (he played wario and lego star wars)
2. daddy helping/showing me what to do on the wii
3. coloring

Today was much better. Since I was done with my last minute layout project, I felt a lot more relaxed and finished a whole bunch of personal todos and I did almost all my work catching up so it was a good good day!!

While I worked in the morning, Nathaniel looked at his book. You can’t see it well in the photo, but it’s there hiding behind the pillow.

Today was the short day at David’s school and Jake’s parents came here early to come with me to the bus. And, of course, we practiced smiling some more. This looks like progress.

But then I get this.

Ugh. 4 days to picture day. We’re not doing so well. Then the kids did some playing in the backyard with their grandparents. And some hugging.

Jake’s mom had gotten me some gifts for my upcoming birthday and David helped me open those.

Nathaniel came to help, too. He likes to do whatever David does.

Some hugs and goodbyes and they are off to dinner with Jake and then the airport. I have still a good 30 items on my todo list and my class started today, too, and I have too many unanswered emails still. So off to tackle some of that!

Three Things I’m Grateful For:
1. I am grateful that life will go back to “normal” tomorrow. I will finally hopefully get to establish the fall routine. Let’s see if I do.
2. I am grateful that the kids got to spend so much time with their grandparents and they all got along wonderfully. We’re blessed with great grandparents on all sides.
3. I am grateful that I got so so much work done today. It’s a big load off my shoulders.

Three Things David’s Grateful For:
1. coloring my apple for school
2. watching a movie with papi
3. making a banner in art class (even though I didn’t get to finish it)

Last night I had trouble falling asleep. Possibly because I’d made a list of 42 to-do list items. And then Nathaniel decided 4am wake up was as good a time as any. He wailed and wailed so I finally gave up and just woke up.

big mistake.

it meant that my whole day was exhausting. It also meant that this little one napped at 7am to 9am and then not again.

Then David called from school and said he lost his backpack and had nothing to eat. So I packed another lunch and rushed to his school. After I delivered it, I then found his bag so I brought it back home. Then I had to drive to Michael’s to buy a punch I needed for an urgent scrappy project I am doing. I scrapped a page. And I can barely hold my head up.

Then we picked up David from school and practiced smiling some more.

Yes, not really getting close. Honestly, I am too exhausted to write more. More tomorrow, I promise.

Three Things I’m Grateful For:
1. I am grateful that my husband agreed to pick up some medicine for me instead of making me drive all the way there with two kids.
2. I am grateful that I found David’s bag. It would have been a shame to have to buy a new one this early in the year.
3. I am grateful that it was less stressful at work than I anticipated so I can do my work slowly and carefully.

Three Things David’s Grateful For:
1. going to PE and racing like cars at school
2. watching more of scooby-doo two
3. getting to put a piece of paper in people’s cubbies at school (each of the kids have cubbies)

There are many many photos today. We’ve had a very full two days so feel free to skip this and the next post.

Today was my husband’s birthday. 3-6. I wanted to make it extra special. So it started with my giving him his present the night before at 1am. I made him this book of stories from all of the people he’s had in his life. (more on the book later this week.) I had been working on it for months and I was worried he wouldn’t like it or it wouldn’t work ok. But he loved it. The only bad side effect was that he couldn’t fall asleep after getting it so he ended up staying up until 4am. But we let him sleep in, in the morning. We got up early and set the table and waited for him.

When he got up, I made pancakes and the four of us sat and ate. Amazingly, this was the best photo I could get of the three of them.

Before we began, David gave his card.

the inside of which he wrote all by himself. And on the back it says “2010.”

He then opened his friend Kendall’s present which was a boba fett sweater. I have no idea what that means but Jake was really happy and that’s all that matters.

As we finished having our little family breakfast, Jake’s parents showed up. David rushed to open the door and Nathaniel followed him.

I’d asked Jake’s parents to get a cake on the way and some candles. That’s a lot of candles, eh?

We ate some cake and then it was time to open more presents. David was all too happy to help open them.

Once Daddy’s presents were open (and there were many), David, Meme, and Jake went to Target to get David some legos and a playing table (I’ve had enough of having legos on my dinner table.) We then took a little break and went to a late lunch at a nearby cafe. When we came back, Jake setup the table and Meme gave David another present, too. So they went outside to play with it. David threw.

Meme’s jacket caught.

Meanwhile, Nathaniel woke up from his nap and saw the Lincoln logs Meme bought so he had some fun of his own.

Look at the way he’s crossing his legs, my little boy.

I made the house and he attacked it with vigor. It took many minutes to make and seconds to come down.

And David put his new legos together in split seconds too.

After a bunch more playing, it was finally time to put the kids down. They had dinner, bath and bedtime. We had reservations at Gary Denko (a fancy restaurant) in San Francisco so we got dressed and left for the city.

Our delicious dinner lasted a long time and we finally made it home around midnight and I basically crashed in bed. An amazing day and one I will remember for a long time.

Happy Birthday, my love. You make each of my moments brighter.

Three Things I’m Grateful For:
1. I am grateful for my husband. Love and adore him.
2. I am grateful for all the friends and family members who contributed to his book and enabled me to give him such a wonderful gift.
3. I am grateful that today went smoothly and with utmost joy.

Three Things David’s Grateful For:
1. My new legos
2. playing dodgeball with Meme
3. eating ice cream at the cafe
4. daddy’s birthday!!

More from the aquarium. Almost done, I swear.

I’ve been trying to get up earlier so I can be up before the kids and give myself some time to wake up. It’s working better,too and I hope to get it to be 5am. Slowly.

After we took David to the bus, Nathaniel did his share of playing and exploring while I worked. He’s drooling a bit and teething a lot.

When David came from school, he wanted to color and sat at his table. Nathaniel immediately went over to see what was going on and to watch his brother (and take the markers away of course.)

so he had to go sit at the big table.

and Nathaniel moved on to other toys like the wrapping paper my mother in-law had brought over to wrap Jake’s presents. (look at that hair!)

Don’t you love that “what, I’m not doing anything” look….

David and I practiced smiling some more. We’re not making a lot of progress. I am not sure what to do.

And then Daddy came home and they both rejoiced.

We all rejoiced. We love Daddy so much.

Once the kids went down, Jake and I got to go out again. We saw “inception” which I’ve been wanting to see for a long time and I was not disappointed one single bit. Loved it. Came home, finished my layout and I am now off to bed.

Three Things I’m Grateful For:
1. I am grateful to get to go to the movies.
2. I am grateful for a three-day-weekend.
3. I am grateful that I will hopefully get some crafty time this weekend.

Three Things David’s Grateful For:
1. Coloring my brown bear at school
2. Meme’s present (a book)
3. Seeing Mommy and Nathaniel at lunch (we dropped off some paperwork there so we stopped to say hi to David.)