Dear diary:

Okay, I haven't written in awhile and don't have any deep thoughts currently (maybe due to exhaustion), so I guess I will ramble a bit. This last week seemed to be a series of unfortunate events (isn't that a movie title?). My husband got a stomach bug in the beginning of the week so I had the brilliant idea of getting the flu shot my work (a hospital) offers. Then, if that wasn't brilliant enough (after all, the flu shot takes two weeks to work), I talked myself into taking the flu mist instead of the shot because I am terrified of needles (okay that's an exaggeration, I am mostly just a big baby). So if someone asks you whether you want the side effects consisting of a red, sore, and itchy arm for three days or a sore throat, runny nose, watery eyes, and an excruciating headache for three days, what do you do? Well, I am I apparently an idiot, so I spent the rest of the week not with a stomach bug, but still feeling like walking death. Not to mention the fact that I am as white as Casper the friendly ghost, so my red puffy nose stuck out like Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. So people either avoided me like the plague or asked me if everything was okay with me (I think they thought I had been crying and the watery eyes didn't help much). My very sensitive husband even came up to me at a tour of a school we were attending and said "Wow, your nose is all red!" How nice is that?

Speaking of tours... I have also been busy with school of course, but I also set up a couple tours of elementary schools for my daughter because I want to "School of choice" her into a school in a better district. So we went to one school that focuses on the arts and has a fantastic format for teaching things like the history of Africa, religions, etc. The other was just your basic school, but everyone says such great things about it. I know it doesn't sound like a tough choice, but the first is a charter school, with school uniforms, which I am not sure I am happy about and because it is in a horrible spot and seems overcrowded. Plus, while the other kids on the tour were standing still and seemed like super geniuses (I am not kidding - one kid even discussed positive thinking and related his hobby of ventriloquism to famous historians, while my child had her coat on backwards, her hood up over her face, and was pretending to walk into walls.). My daughter is equally as smart I am sure, but she is definitely not as serious in any way. I may have said this before, but it is like having Jim Carey's baby. Anyway, the tours were interesting...

I also attended two presentations as a mentor at a high school for an anti-sexual assault program with my friend "J." This part of the week was actually fun (except the whole walking death cold thing). I had attending the training for the students putting on the presentations, so it was great seeing them in action. One girl is just such a natural leader and an excellent speaker. I was impressed by her. I am always happy when I see kids that are so much more confident than I ever was at that age.

Let's see what else... Yesterday my coworker who harasses me about my child being in daycare gave her notice, which I think I am happy about. Don't get me wrong, she is nice and everything, but I just can't handle the way she makes me feel like an awful mom because I work. Okay, I have to interject here that my old high school teacher would be lecturing me at this point about how "No one can make you feel anything, you do that to yourself." Yeah, he was fun. ;) Anyway, I did a "pretend" therapy session with my classmate the other day and she helped me realize this woman thinks she is being a "nurturing parent" but is really just coming across as critical. I just keep worrying that I may breakdown and yell at her and say something like "I am not like you because I am not so self centered to think I am the only one that has something to offer my child, so mind your own business."

Anyway, then last night we attended yet another party and this morning we got up early to drive to Denver to watch my sister's kids so she could attend a meeting. We took the kids to see Bolt (very good!) and then we wandered the very posh mall attached to the theater. This was an interesting task with four children. So we occupied their time with a picture with Santa, lunch, some wandering, and like two hours in a book store. Thank goodness for the nice lady at the bookstore who essentially adopted the kids for some time in order to read them some stories and color pictures with them (yes, she worked there). So, some $150 later, we survived and it actually went well I think! I do know that I will never have four children of my own because I simply am not that patient.

Okay, I think I am done rambling for now!