A Full Day's Work

Two batches of mint chocolate chip merengues made (because I put too much peppermint extract in the first one and had to make a second to balance it out), cooled and stored away...

A shopping trip to pick up part of my mother-in-law's Christmas present, some wedding things at Target and wrapping paper for some of the larger gifts completed...

A batch of sugar cookies made, cooled and stored away...

A trip to the zoo to see the Christmas lights...

Dinner out with the husband and child...

Made a breakfast casserole for a friend who is packing up to move...

The kitchen cleaned and ready for another day of cooking...

Balanced the checkbook...

And now I am waiting for Mr. Bean to get up and start prepping his famous homemade lasagna so I can clean up after him. At least a huge chunk of my to-do list got checked off today!

New Parking Lot

At work, they put in a new parking lot to accommodate the new science building they are putting in. I have been among the first to be asked to park in it.

There isn't anything like being one of the first cars to pull into a freshly bricked and painted lot. The lines are visible; the potholes do not exist.

It is the simple joys.

Working (from Home)

At work we have an inspection coming up on Friday. Nothing like a deadline to light a fire under your butt and get you moving. I'm going to be putting in some extra hours this week in preparation for it.

As a stay-at-home mom, deadlines and other work issues aren't quite the same...

• Rushing to finish a project happens when you hear the baby waking up from the nap and you aren't quite finished with whatever you planned to do during nap time.
• You hear your "boss" having problems with a "project" and you race into the bathroom to clean up the mess before it gets worse.
• Getting to an important appointment on time is a great day. Getting there a few minutes late is par for the course and getting there early is virtually unheard of.
• When your "boss" makes you redo something it usually was done correctly the first time such as the laundry, the carpets...you get the idea.
• Dressing for success equals clean clothes that are preferably stain-free.
• Your boss calling you at home in the middle of the night is typical.
  
• It is pretty easy to leave your work worries at work since you rarely leave work anyway.
  

More Free Advice

When you've been on the job for less than a month, do not make your coworker mad by saying or doing any of the following.

1. Coworker: Where is _____? Me: They just stepped out and will be right back. Coworker: Oh, good because if they weren't here today, you'd hear about it. I think to myself: I fail to see how this is my problem.
   
2. Coworker: *Whispering* Get off the phone! I need to talk to you! *repeat ad nasuem*
3. Coworker to me: Wow. That's a big rock on your hand. Someone must really like you.
4. After helping your coworker through a crisis moment, your coworker puts his arm around your other coworker and says, "Thanks for being helpful. Mandie is not helpful at all."
5. After you tell him to get out. He sticks around and continues to berate you.
   

Learn from this guy's mistakes and don't repeat them.

Free Advice

On your first day at a new job, do not lie about something and get caught in the act, show outrightly that you are unimpressed with the system, or point out that you are lazy. These do not make good impressions on your bosses and it makes your co-workers mad.

That goes for new college freshmen, too.

...Much Crying Ensued

Baby's first lip bite, much crying (and blood) ensued. This was quickly followed by baby's first complete somersault down a (very small) flight of stairs, much crying (sans blood) ensued.

Everyone's shoes were piled by the front door and tried on over and over.

Croutons were the only food consumed by the toddler despite ice cream being one of the choices.

While the boss was carrying on a conversation, String Bean decided it was time to say goodbye. After saying it and waiving 3 times, she yelled, "Bye!" at the top of her lungs. Yeah...that got his attention.

Not sure we'll ever be invited to a work social again and if we are, we might just need a babysitter.

One of those...Years?

I went in to work today and turned on my computer only to find it wouldn't turn on. I'm now on computer #4 in my last 19 months of employment. I believe the first one broke around this time last year, so I've managed to break 3 in a year. I must have radioactive fingers or something.

On the bright side, I've now got a sexy new laptop just in time for me to quit working for the summer!