Why I am changing my name...

If you've ever had "one of those" evenings with your child, then this is the post for you. If you have every wanted to change your name from "mommy" or "daddy" (because of this) then this is the post for you.

The sad thing is that I really spent hardly any time with Jo today. She spent the day with one of her best friends, Katelyn, whose mom graciously agreed to watch her so I could get some work done on the house with a good friend . The day went great. We got a lot done, and I was excited to see Johanna when I went to pick her up at 5:00. Then, it began all over again...life with a 3 year old. She didn't want to come with me from Katelyn's house (of course....I really can't blame her on that one). Then, it was WW3 to get ready for VBS. Yup folks, that's right. I had no child again from 6:30 until 8:30 while she was having a blast at Vacation Bible School. Not only did I not have a child, but I got to spend quality time with a good friend.

When I picked her up from VBS things seemed well. She was her usual 3 year old self (think girl with a curl right in the middle of her forehead), but we had fun on the way home, and she went straight upstairs to get ready for bed (could this be actually happening) at which point she flooded the entire bathroom while I was getting the laundry. I have no words at this point. Let's just say that plugging the sink and letting the water run full blast can make a big mess in a short amount of time (did I mention we are trying to see our house). I don't recommend trying this at home.

I got her in bed in time to try and get all the trash out for tomorrow before I fell over of sheer exhaustion (good thing I had that sixth cup of coffee). I came back in the house to find her at the top of the stairs and needing to go to the bathroom AGAIN. I once again have no words (this is not normal for me).

And so here I sit, writing as she is calling "mommy, mommy, mommy...." needing something that I am SURE she doesn't really need. I think I am changing my name. At least until tomorrow.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5...

I figure if I start counting to 10 I won't use profanities in my blog post tonight. As I sit here writing, my child is upstairs going to the bathroom and complaining about needing to "gloss" meaning floss. We put her to bed over half an hour ago. I have a question for all you parents of toddlers or older children out there. Please tell me-

WHEN WILL MY CHILD JUST GO TO BED???!!!

I am SO tired of the 30 minute bedtime routines and then the extra trip to the potty and let me tell you I have tried every strategy in the book to curb this process. When will the day come when my kid will just go to bed or maybe even sleep in past 7 (I might die of shock). I am seriously over all of this. UGH.

On a cuter note, this is what I walked in to see when she was brushing her teeth....

Yup, that was her slathering herself with a bunch of Brian's deodorant. Why do they always have to do something so cute when you just want to be mad?

Some friends are like a bowl of ice cream...

Yesterday I got the chance to spend the day with an AMAZING friend. Let's call her, ummm......June, just for fun. June came over to help me with some projects around the house (I did mention we are moving, right?). I swear that June and I were separated at birth. One of those friends who eats like you, thinks like you, acts like you. SCARY! When we went out to breakfast she ordered first. Then I was the embarrassed one who had to say that I wanted the EXACT same thing all the way down to how we like our toast. We've already discussed that it was good we didn't meet sooner because 1) we would have gotten into way more trouble 2) we wouldn't have done as well in college (both perfectionists wouldn't ya know). The bottom line is that spending time with June feels like vacation. I get to be me- the real me that secretly has contempt for a lot of things. The me who isn't always perfect or nice. When you put the ability to truly relax and be real on top of liking to do the same things and stir, you get one fantastic friendship.

In the evening we went out for sushi- one of my favorite things (Brian HATES it, so I don't get it often enough). We got lost on our way to the sushi place on Wadsworth (no good sushi in Wooster. Don't believe anyone who tells you different).

Some of you from this area might be asking how a person gets lost in Wadsworth. Good question. The answer might have something to do with the fact that the main road was completed block off. Why you might ask? Not sure I have the why. What I do know is that they were having a parade. A parade on a Tuesday. A parade that consisted of nothing more than what looked like a bunch of people walking down the street in shorts and t-shirts. Did I mention this was in Wadsworth? I am not trying to offend, but what does Wadsworth have to celebrate? Period. Let alone on a Tuesday night. Let alone thinking they need to completely block route 94. Seriously. I was only slightly agitated.

After much chagrin, we found our way to the restaurant, had a GREAT dinner, did some shopping, and then headed home to watch some Gilmore Girls (our fav show) and have a big bowl of chocolate peanut butter ice cream. I must note that I don't typically like chocolate ice cream. But this ice cream was different. It was the kind with huge chunks and swirls of peanut butter in it...so rich and decadent. It was delish!

As I am sitting here this a.m., I am thinking about my fantastic day, my amazing friend, and that bowl of ice cream. Good friends are kind of like that ice cream. They are something you look forward to and sometimes even crave to be with. They bring a richness to life that makes you say ahhhhhhhh and feel at home. They are surprising (hello peanut butter chunks) and there is never a dull moment. Even the quiet moments (just chocolate) are comfortable and fulfilling.

This horrible analogy made me realized how blessed I am to have friends like this in my life. Not just regular go out and have fun friends, or can have a deep conversation with friends. I am talking about friends who will tell you when part of your boob is hanging out the side of your swimsuit or if you have a booger stuck on your nose ring. The kind of friends who helps you decide which pair of sweatpants make your butt look better so you can still feel kind of cute even when your vegging out.

I hope you all have friends like that, and I am so glad I do.

*Note- A HUGE thank you to my parents, grandma, great aunt Ginger, and in-laws for taking care of Jo. Yes, people. I still have a child, and I didn't just give her 20 boxes of bandaids and shut her in her room all day with bread and water. Thank God for family. I am sure she had a blast.

Inside Hugs...

I thought about posting this morning while Jo was eating breakfast, but I have kinda been sucking on the mom-o-meter lately (see this to find out why).

Jo woke me up this morning- "Mommy, mommy..It's time to get up now."

I slowly squinted one eye open and rolled over (it was 6:56 on my clock, but 7:00 on her clock- make mental note to fix that).

She came over to the other side of the bed, about 2 inches from my face, "Mommy, mommy..It's time to get up NOW!"

I slowly open up both eyes through the burning sensation realizing I definitely stayed up too late last night.

At this point Jo starts shoving my glasses on my face, "Get up mommy! Don't you want to make me breakfast?"

I withheld the urge to say my true answer and stumbled downstairs to make some killer homemade oatmeal per my 3 year old's request.

As she sat to enjoy her breakfast I sat down to a cup of coffee that I reheated from the day before (too tired to brew new- that's a bad sign). I get the mug about 3 inches away from my face and the familiar aroma enters my nose. As I take my first sip I feel the warm and smooth texture spread and I know that everything will be ok......it is an inside hug.

I am now having an afternoon inside hug. Do you think I have a problem?

Quickie..

All I have to say is that Johanna's "rest time" = my sanity time. Example of my daily day long conversations-

Me- "Johanna, you play while mommy cleans up the kitchen from breakfast."

Jo- Plays for 1 minute. Then, "mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy..."

Me- After checking to make sure that all is ok, "Johanna, stop calling me. I hear you, but you need to be patient while mommy finishes what she is doing."

Jo- Goes back to playing for a minute or two. Then, mommy, mommy, mommy,

mommy, mommy,mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy..."

Me- "What do you need Johanna" (maybe a little more annoyed then my typing conveys)

Jo- "What are ya doing"

Me- "Dishes"

Jo- "Why?"

Me- "Because they are dirty and Mommy doesn't like messes"

Jo- "Why?"

Me- "Because mommy wants to be able to relax later"

Jo- "Why?"

Me- "Johanna, because mommy gets tired... like I am tired of talking right now. You need to play by yourself for a little while so mommy can finish what she is doing. You can choose to obey, or you can choose to have consequences for disobeying."

Jo- "ok mommy"

A few minutes pass.....

Jo- "mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy...."

I THINK YOU GET THE PICTURE!!

Change makes me itch

Miller Family 10 months down the road.......

We are preparing to move to Lexington, KY. That's right. I said the words, "We're Moving." Those two words represent a lot in my life right now. Let's do a top ten-

1. Stress- We NEED to sell our house and it's not even listed right now. We have started the process, and it should be in the MLS at the beginning of July. Did I mention we're moving.......I think that moving and stress are synonyms.

2. Good-bye- I resigned from my teaching position which was actually very difficult. I absolutely LOVE the people I worked with. There are some people there who hold a very special place in my heart. They know who they are, and I know that we will be connected forever.

3. New beginnings- I am gonna be a stay-at-home mama now. This is very exciting and a little scary at the same time! I know that it is what is best for my family, and I am excited to spend so much more QT with Jo. It is still a big change in my life, and it will be strange for me to not be working in a professional environment. I am sure that I will call people just to get out some "teacher talk" on a regular basis!

4. PARTY- I have been trying to spend as much time as possible with friends and family who I will be leaving. This equals LOTS of good times! Details will be kept to myself ;-)

5. Exciting- We are going to be moving close to some good friends of ours. I am happy that we already have a built in support network, and I love them dearly. It is also nice that many of them have kids Johanna's age, so she already has friends!

6. Projects- I did mention that we are selling our house, right?

7. Packing- I am not ready to talk about this yet. AHHHHHHHH!

8. Transition- Those of you who know me, know that I like to be in control of things (call it a downfall or a gift). Since I seriously have NO control over my circumstances, my hair color is going to be changing again soon. The purple has disappeared (yes, I had purple highlights and it was AWESOME), and now I am ready for something new again.

9. $$$- Not a word but you get the picture. Brian has started his own business in Lexington (upcoming post about this). Between drives, projects, moving, etc... Let's just say $$$ is a pain in my #%&.

10. Mess- Did I mention we're moving?

Well, jut a brief look into the Miller house at this stage. Stay tuned. It's going to be an interesting ride. It's good to be back.