War on Mondays

Mondays. Bah.

It's such a common condition that it's almost pointless to say that you don't like Mondays. It's like saying that you don't like the taste of manure.

I always thought that, in order for Mondays to suck, you had to have a Monday to Friday job to go to. I'm home every day now, seven days a week, what should make Mondays any different?

A lot, apparently.

I thought it was a coincidence at first, so I didn't think too much of it. I just seemed to be more down some times than others, I never really noticed the day. It probably would have taken me even longer to notice if it weren't for the fact that we have a standing Monday night date with some friends of ours, and suddenly, after I quit my job, I never seemed to have the energy to go anymore.

So what is it about Mondays? I have a few ideas. I think the biggest part of it, for me, is that I have all of these plans for what I'm going to accomplish on the weekend. The glorious, magical weekend. Full of unlimited amounts of free time, a toddler who entertains herself, and a husband to help me carry heavy things to the basement. Then Monday rolls around. And the house is still a mess. And there is still a 100-pound computer sitting in the middle of the kitchen.

I'm sure there's a lot more to it than that, but it's enough for me to start troubleshooting solutions. Mondays mark the point during the week when I have the most things on my to-do list, and the longest stretch of time before I will have help getting them done.

So, I'm declaring War on Mondays. Tomorrow, there is nothing on my to-do list. Starting this week, Monday will be the day when Valerie and I can just relax and unwind from the busy weekend. I don't even have to make us lunch, because I made sure that there would be enough leftovers from the weekend for us to have tomorrow. And, most importantly, no guilt. No guilt for not being more productive. No guilt for turning on the TV and letting Pingu entertain Valerie for a while. No guilt if I happen to still be in my pajamas when it's time to get into my pajamas again for bed.

How do you deal with Mondays?

---

Language Acquisition

I never got around to making a list of all the words Valerie says until a couple of weeks ago, and I think I missed my window. I got up to 60 words, and I spent the entire next day going "Oh yeah, I forgot about that word," so I'm guessing her word list is actually over a hundred. And she's learning new words every day, so I think I'll just stick with the impartial list I have, and not sweat it too much. Suffice it to say, Valerie likes to talk.

One of the things Valerie says a lot is "wawa," which means any one of four different things, depending on intonation and accompanying signs. "Wawa" with hands outstretched means she wants me to hold her hands so she can "walk." "Wawa" along with the sign for "wash" means she wants a bath. "Wawa" accompanied by wagging her head back and forth means "penguin" (because I don't know what penguins say, so I told her that penguins "waddle waddle.") And "wawa" on its own, or accompanied by the sign for "drink," means she wants a drink.

I often let Valerie watch Pingu while I make breakfast, but the other morning we were running late for a meeting, so we were going to eat on the run, and didn't have time for Pingu. Valerie kept pointing at the TV and saying the "wawa" that means "penguin." I knew she wanted me to put Pingu on, but I was in a hurry, so I played dumb and offered her a drink. She asked again, and I played dumb again. Then she got quiet for a few seconds, concentrating really hard, then she said, "watch wawa." It makes me wonder how big her hidden vocabulary must be. Maybe I should play dumb more often and see.

---

Consignment Sales!

I've always been a thrifty shopper, and I have become even more of one since I became a mom, because babies outgrow clothing so quickly. There have been occasions that, by the time I get the tags off of a new outfit and wash it for Valerie to wear, it's already too small for her. Which is why I have absolutely fallen in love with the semi-annual consignment sales. Every spring and fall, dozens of local mommy groups organize consignment sales, where you can buy barely used baby clothes for a fraction of the price of new. And, because I am a computer geek, every spring and fall, I compile a chronological list of all the local consignment sales, so I can plan my weekends around the sales. I've never made it to all of them, but I like having my list "just in case". And, since I already have my list all typed up in html format, I decided to share it with the world. (Although it will really only be useful to that part of the world which happens to occupy my little corner of Montgomery County, PA.)

Some tips:

• If you can only make it to one sale, go to the Cozy Tots one. It's huge.


• If possible, leave the kids at home. It can get chaotic at some of the sales, and you'll want both hands free. (Also bear in mind that a lot of the sales don't allow strollers.)


• Double check beforehand if they take credit cards - some sales do, and some sales don't. Bring enough cash for what you think you might buy, plus a little extra. You just never know what you might find.


• Make a list. I know it sounds obvious, but I can speak from experience, when I don't have a list, I forget things. Make sure to put any bigger items you might be in the market for on the list, too. You'll save a lot by getting a used stroller or exersaucer.


• Look for "new in package" items that you can set aside as Christmas/birthday gifts. No one has to know you didn't pay full price.


• Unless something really awesome jumps out at you, only buy clothes in the next size or two and/or for the next two seasons. There will be another sale in six months.


• Get there early. Things get picked over pretty quickly.


• Alternatively, wait until the end of the sale, and get huge discounts. (Most sales have half price days at the end of the sale - check the individual websites for details.)


• Volunteer or consign some items of your own, and you'll usually get to shop before the general public, giving you first dibs on the best stuff.


• Be picky! There's a lot to choose from, especially if you go to plenty of sales. If you're not sold on something, pass it over, there will be something else that grabs you.

And, without further ado, here is the list!
(I will come back and add sales and dates as they get announced. Please let me know if there is a sale I should have on my list!)

Local Consignment Sales - Spring 2010

As Kids Grow
February 26-28
Langhorne, PA

Cozy Tots
March 5-7
Bryn Athyn, PA

L'il Angels
March 6-7
Bensalem, PA

Chester County MOMs
March 13
Exton, PA

St. Luke's UCC MOPS
March 12-13
Trappe, PA

Just 4 Kids
March 12-14
Maple Shade, NJ

The Clothing Tree
March 12-16
Richlandtown, PA

Kool Kids
March 12-14
Feasterville, PA

Best Dressed for Less
March 19-21
Burlington, NJ

Branch Creek MOPS
March 20
Harleysville, PA

Just Kids Stuff Yard Sale
March 20
Eagleville, PA

Spring-Ford Area School District March of Dimes Consignment Sale
March 20
Royersford, PA

Bitty Bee's
March 20-21
Kimberton, PA

Treasured Twice
March 20-21
Norristown, PA

Smart Moms Sale
March 20-21
Eagleville, PA

Simply Kids
March 26-27
Pottstown, PA

Mommy Market
March 27
Calvary Church, Souderton, PA

Just Between Friends - West Chester
April 9-11
Glen Mills, PA

Bucks-Mont MOMs
April 10
Lansdale, PA

Kids Kloset Swap
April 10-11
Doylestown, PA

Just Between Friends - Western Mainline
April 15-18
Oaks, PA

Spring Chicken Sale
April 16-17
Havertown, PA

Valley Forge MOTTC
April 17
Oaks, PA

Mainline MOMs
April 17
Springfield, PA

Just Between Friends - Reading
April 29-May 2
Reading, PA

Kids Weecycle
May 1
East Norriton, PA

---

Looking Back

I hate to be one of those bloggers who is always apologizing for not blogging often enough, so I will try to resist the urge.

This blog used to be such a pleasure for me. Now it's starting to feel more like burden. One more thing in my life that I've taken on and then run out of energy for.

I'm weary. I feel like I've been in crisis mode for so long, I don't know how to handle everyday life. Maybe I'm not cut out to be a stay-at-home mom. I need someone telling me what to do, and when to have it done by. Perhaps more importantly, I need someone telling me I did a good job. It's a weakness, I know it. But I thrive on positive feedback.

I'm in the middle of seventeen different housework-related projects right now. They're all interconnected, so I can't just complete one of them. And I can't really complete any of them with Valerie around, because she just gets into everything, and unsorts whatever it is I was just sorting. Ironically, it would be much easier to keep track of Valerie if all of my sorting projects were done, because then she would have less to get into. Catch 22.

When I was in school, I always used to get sick on breaks. I read somewhere that it's a stress thing. Stress keeps the illness at bay during school term, and then, when the stress is gone, the illness gets to take over. I think this is the holiday flu for my soul.

A friend of mine recently did a "decade in review" thing on her blog, and I was considering doing one here, too. I think I might have done one here before, but I'm not sure. At the risk of being boring, here's my decade in point-form:

2000
-graduated from college in May
-actually didn't quite graduate from college in May, took incompletes in three classes, and finished my degree over the summer
-went to Japan with my family
-took a summer job at a lodge in Colorado
-started law school in Toronto, in a city where I knew no one

2001
-got married
-Jeremy didn't quite graduate from college as scheduled, so I took a year off of law school so he could finish his degree
-got a job as a waitress
-got a job as an administrative assistant

2002
-played a small part in "The Comedy of Errors" with the campus Shakespeare troupe I had started as a student
-Jeremy graduated from college
-moved back to Toronto with my husband, and started my second year of law school

2003
-Jeremy couldn't work, because his immigration didn't go through yet
-spent the summer in Philadelphia, working as a waitress
-moved back to Toronto, and started my second year of law school
-Jeremy's immigration finally came through, but he still couldn't find a job
-in December, my dad had a stroke

2004
-Jeremy got a job as a church custodian
-graduated from law school
-started the bar admission courses
-my dad had a second stroke, and died
-I managed to find an articling position in Ottawa, so we could move closer to my family
-Jeremy was unable to find work in Ottawa for a while

2005
-Jeremy found a job in January
-my articling position almost killed me, but I stuck it out
-I was called to the bar of Ontario, and promptly resigned
-in December, we moved in with Jeremy's parents in Philadelphia

2006
-started seminary
-started working at Starbucks
-dropped out of seminary
-after a few months of looking, Jeremy found a job doing computer stuff
-a few months later, Jeremy got mysteriously sick
-still sick, Jeremy lost his job

2007
-Jeremy still sick
-found a job at a law office
-bought a car
-we moved in with a friend on the other side of town
-Jeremy finally got the right treatment, and started getting better
-Jeremy found another job
-went back to Starbucks to be an assistant manager
-we got pregnant, but lost the baby
-we got pregnant again in December

2008
-we finally got our own place - a nice little rental townhouse near Jeremy's parents
-I demoted myself to part-time at Starbucks
-Valerie arrived on August 5 (three weeks early)
-Jeremy lost his job in October
-I went back to Starbucks when my maternity leave ended, instead of quitting as I had planned

2009
-I tried to juggle working with being a wife and mother
-Jeremy got to spend some quality time at home with Valerie
-Jeremy found another job in July
-I quit my job in December in order to stay at home full time

Phew. I thought that might be exhausting. I wonder what it's like to have a year go by without at least one major life-changing event, like moving, graduating, losing a job, death, or new life? I wonder if I'll ever find out?

I'm sorry for the down-ness of this post. I swear, I have cute stories and Christmas memories to share. But this is what is on my mind right now, in the middle of the night, surrounded by Things To Do. Okay, time to sleep. Everything is always brighter in the morning.