Daddy is home supervising the installation of our new air conditioner. In other words, the installation of what would have been our nights out for the next 3 years. Well, I guess it can't be helped. With summers getting up into the hundreds, one must make cool air a priority. Hopefully this will lower our electricity bills. The technician said the old one was functioning on 5 and the new one will be a 15 whatever that means. 15 is 3 X 5, soooo. . . okay, it'll be lots better.

Here's the little one hangin' out with Dad:

 I think I may have gotten a slight case of food poisoning Friday. Ick!  Have been hanging in there, though, and going to work since I am running out of sick days, and who knows when E will need them.

Went to the Art Festival on Saturday with E and an old friend from Indonesia who happens to now live about an hour away. Little bit had a good time putting his little hands in all the fountains and running away from me on the grass. His little socks got all muddy. I even caught him singing to himself. What a cutie! But right in the middle of all that lovely sunshine and green grass, my little camera officially died. I will have to start hinting around for Christmas. The big camera is wonderful, but I can't toss it in my handbag (which is probably why the little one died in the first place).

Then went to the Halloween celebration at the zoo on Sun. My sister-in-law came into town with her son, whose voice is starting to change. Great fun! They had a pumpkin patch full of little pumpkins for the kids to take home. E loved his so much he held on to it for most of the day. It was so nice to see all the little kids dressed up in their costumes, and the costumes have gotten so cool! When I was little store-bought costumes were a printed plastic apron that tied around your neck and a plastic mask that left your face all damp when you took it off - if the elastic didn't snap off first, that is.

 Looking for a different daycare. The one we are using is fine, I'm just trying to see what else is out there and see if I can find one where he is taught a little more, now that he is getting to a point where he seems to respond well to teaching. 

I visited one at lunch today that I love. It is part of the local university and benefits from all the graduate students who are completing their theses. Everything I saw today also shows me that they are in line with my child care goals and philosophies. Unfortunately it an extra 350 a month. Ouch! So I'm trying to figure where I can cut some costs so that I can swing this. Don't know if I'll be able to, but I'm definitely going to put my budgeting skills to the test. The amazing thing is that this is kind of the going rate for day cares that don't smell funny. Even though I'm looking around, I think we got awfully lucky with the one we are using now.

 It looks like the tubes are already doing their thing. (Thank you, by the way, for the cheery notes. ) Little bit has started articulating some made-up words again instead of the little grunts he had reverted to using the last couple of weeks before the surgery. Now it's "ba" and "da" again and he has even added a few new consonants and vowels to his repertoire.

He had also been more spritely with the fluid gone. Now when Daddy says, "No!" when he reaches for the TV remote, he picks it up anyway and hands it to Daddy as if to say, "I was just getting it for you." 

Naughty little thing.

 Took little bit in to have his tubes put in yesterday.

We had to be at the hospital at 6 am for 8 am surgery.

We weren't so much worried about the procedure as the anesthesia. He seemed so little to be put under general. It only made it worse when the anesthesiologist came out and told us that since he had a bit of a cold, there could be serious complications: his breathing could stop and they might have to administer drugs and a breathing tube to try to revive him and could result in paralysis and even death and did we want to continue with the surgery? AAAGH!

Anyway, it turned out that the only way to improve on that is to have him sniffle-free for at least 6 weeks, and since that wasn't likely to happen, we went ahead. At least the agony only lasted for 15 minutes, and he was back in my arms, plugged in and drugged up. I just wanted to cry, except hubby's shirt was already speckled from the last 15 minutes.

Although he was still woozy when we got home (falling over a couple of times when he tried to stand up on the bed) by nighttime he was playful as ever, and figured out that Mommy jumps when you pinch her.

This morning he went back to the day care, good as ever with brand new ears.

  Our oldest came home from school for the weekend and took gobs of pictures and little movies of her baby brother. . . then posted them all on Facebook for her 500 "friends" to see.   So I wrote her an email trying to be as lo-key and non-accusatory as possible, highlighting privacy issues and fears, and ending up with an "I know if you had known all this you would have taken care of it already". Sent a copy to her dad, and waited for the backlash that inevitably was to follow. Amazingly - I got an e-mail back saying no problem, she would take care of it right away. I could not believe - had to re-read it 3 times - no fuss, no bother. I guess she's maturing at last!

Needless to say, I'm having a wonderful afternoon. 

Anyone with teenagers will understand.

 Went to lunch with an old friend from school today. What a lot of fun he is! Very sweet and goofy. He'd like a job at our company, I know. I wish I had more of a say-so on that, but will put in a good word. I've been connecting with a lot of old friends on Facebook lately - what a great way to keep up with everyone without much effort! It's a lot like seeing them in the hallways at school. Sharing pictures is so much easier, too.

 My husband is in his own world when it comes to time. It drives me nuts. This morning I missed a conference call because we were late for work because he decided he had to do our finances about 15 min before we were scheduled to leave the house. And during a review period, too.

It makes me crazy. We both work for the same smallish business, but he is higher up than I and has more latitude, and I am a little sensitive about my work time since I had the baby - the other women who have worked for us that have become moms have generally not worked out so well, their attention has redirected and their work has suffered, so I feel like I have to go above and beyond to make up for not being able to stay late or work weekends any more, and taking plenty of sick and vacation days. Although I know I am entitled, that doesn't really help the perception that much.

Don't think I can do much about work - time will work all that out. Have tried to do something about hubby, but I think that is a lost cause.