I'm polishing my tiara!
This morning I am going to throw on my fanciest dress (my wedding dress!), apply my showhorse makeup (with pink sparkling lip gloss! Also, I might give liquid eyeliner a shot!), and deliver Harper's preschool application to the Childhood Center.
Sound the trumpets!
In seven short months, The Baby will be attending preschool on Mondays and Wednesdays, giving me approximately three hours of free time on each of those days!
In one year and seven months, I will have approximately three hours of free time on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. That's 12 hours of free time!
In two years and seven months, both kids will be in school for approximately six hours per day! Thirty hours!
Let the Official Countdown Begin! In approximately 970 days, I will once again become an Almost Full-Time Working Girl!
This means:
We can once again use phrases like "We need a larger house" without breaking down with laughter (or tears) afterward.
We can start saving money for college.
We can maybe figure out how to take a family vacation.
The world? She will be our oyster.
(I know. Something should be said about Cherishing This Time and believe me, I'm cherishing the ever-loving hell out of it. You have no idea. In fact, Kool & The Gang just showed up and they're singing and dancing around with the girls' baby clothes and spraying Fresh Baby Head air freshener into our family room. And we're all hugging and weeping. And now they're hungry. They really love popcorn and soup!)
Let's put the warm and gushy nostalgic melancholy in a brown paper bag for a minute so I can say this: It will be really (really) nice to get Pee Ay Eye Dee.
Time to iron my veil and make a copy of a birth certificate. Wish me luck.
By the way, this optimistic burst of cheery confidence was brought to you by Fiber One Caramel Delight cereal. (Fluid Pudding says: It's truly delightful!)
I know that when it comes time to actually choose a career, my eyes will most likely not be quite this starry.
But that's a horse of a different color. And I'll kick him around some other time.
Submitted by
FP
at 1/17/2008 11:01:45 AM- Alesia--That's me! And what a great idea! (I've always wanted to squeeze into it again.) The dress gently whispers "Let me edit your textbooks!" but it SCREAMS "I'd love to do a yarn inventory!"
Submitted by
You can call me, 'Sir'
at 1/17/2008 11:28:31 AM- Your title = euphemism gold. Also, how much does Kool & The Gang charge to prance around a room waving baby clothes and singing love ballads?
Submitted by
Rachel
at 1/17/2008 11:31:14 AM- Oh, you are singing my song. I'm counting down the years (which are plenty, since I'm not even pregnant with the planned second baby yet) till the kids are in school and we don't have to pay for childcare and I can stop struggling to find freelance work and just...work in a bookstore. Which is probably just as much of a pipe dream as the yarn store. Oh well.
Submitted by
FP
at 1/17/2008 11:31:20 AM- Sir--All they want is popcorn and soup. Seriously, that's all they want. (They hint around about craving spontaneous couch cuddles, but I tend to ignore them.)
Rachel--The funny thing is, I've never really liked working. But now that I'm Not Working, I tend to romanticize the daily grind. Something about the grass always being greener.
Submitted by
Karaoke Diva
at 1/17/2008 11:58:40 AM- Just wait until you have the twins and have to start all over again.
Oooh, sorry about that. I was channeling Tempe. ;-)
Submitted by
erika
at 1/17/2008 12:34:35 PM- Knock on wood! Knock on wood! Karma has a wicked sense of humor.
Submitted by
Amy in KC
at 1/17/2008 3:52:27 PM- What a lovely Pudding!
And I know that I am in the minority here, but I really like working. The daily grind can sometimes grind us down (of course), but mostly I think we all enjoy it - daycare, work, and all. Plus, there's a really nice coffee shop by my office.
We're weird, aren't we? I knew it.
Submitted by
Dana
at 1/17/2008 4:15:06 PM- Purdy! Where did you get your dress? The inside of that place looks familiar.
Submitted by
Alex in OC
at 1/17/2008 6:18:41 PM- Hilariously funny. I don't even feel close to the same way, and I still find this hilariously funny.
Submitted by
heartfull
at 1/17/2008 6:37:30 PM- See? And here I am dreaming about the fabulous job my husband is going to get now that he is done with SLU and maybe, just maybe, I'll be able to quit one day. Just about the time all three are in school (Chip has, um, three years to go.)
And I love my job. I love my hours. I have autonomy and all that mumbo jumbo. But the fact of the matter is, my family gets in the way.
I dunno - the kids keep me so busy when they are home from school that I dream about not working so that I can get the things done that need to be done while they are there (and that part includes adequate "me" time.) Than we can do the whole running around to billions of activities without dread in mama's heart at what she *should* be doing.
Submitted by
gorillabuns
at 1/17/2008 11:54:41 PM- just wait until they come home with the crud. you're 2.5 hours a week are doomed. DOOMED! i say!
Submitted by
Mizmell
at 1/18/2008 7:10:21 AM- Beautiful dress!
And beautiful plans...How wise you are for making plans.
Submitted by
sarah
at 1/18/2008 7:20:56 AM- Just a few weeks ago, I very nearly tried on my wedding dress to entertain my kids. I put it off, though, and now I'm pregnant again. I guess I'll try in a few years.
Submitted by
Jenny
at 1/18/2008 10:48:40 AM- Oh, what a pretty dress! I've been looking at dresses lately, and yours is very nice.
Submitted by
Melissa D
at 1/18/2008 11:12:55 AM- What a beautiful wedding dress, I just wish I could still fit into my old one, which I will never where again, divorced (almost) been there done that never doing it again.
Love your dress though. What math skills you have lol. My son is 27 months old and I haven't even thought of the day when I will have some free time, what is this free time thing again?? I forget.
Submitted by
Erin
at 1/18/2008 11:49:51 AM- My favorite part of this picture is that you appear to be pulling a credit card out of your ear, presumably to pay for the dress.
Because of your magical talents, you are henceforth required to come with me to pick out my dress. Please bring your ears.
Submitted by
brit
at 1/18/2008 1:24:50 PM- ME? I'm also cherishing the hell out of my boys who today? are dressed as peterpan and tinkerbell respectively. All though tinkerbell was dressed against his will and refuses to give up his elmo doll for the authenticity of the story.
But yeah it might be nice to get the leaky roof fixed...and that whole money thing..it comes in handy
Submitted by
tuesday
at 1/18/2008 4:32:32 PM- I have the same countdown going over here. I know it will be glorious, at least for one day.
Submitted by
FP
at 1/19/2008 2:52:00 PM- Dana--That particular photo was taken in the bridal dump on Main Street in Festus. I forget the name. Perhaps The Bridal Shoppe? Perhappes. PPE!
Sarah--Oh man! Congratulations!!
Jenny--Thanks! Six years have passed, and I still love that goofy dress. It's the frilliest thing I've ever worn. Totally not my style. But I love it.
Erin--I will be there! And we'll have the greatest time ever pulling surprises out of my ears!
Brit--Don't even get me started on our roof. (A tree fell through the roof of our garage nearly a year ago. The hole is currently covered with trash bags and bricks. No one knows this except for Google Earth or something.)
Submitted by
Alli
at 1/19/2008 6:12:06 PM- I don't like working either, but I remember a feeling of uselessness when I stayed home with my daughter. Weird considering parenting is THE most important job in the world.
You should edit children's books, from home, for lots of money.
Submitted by
Surcie
at 1/19/2008 6:32:44 PM- Kool & the Gang? I prefer Jungle Boogie.
And I must find this caramelly Fiber One of which you speak!
Submitted by
Erin
at 1/19/2008 7:46:55 PM- Yay! I'll bring some Q-tips. Just in case!
And erika, YES! But it's still on the DL.
Submitted by
FP
at 1/19/2008 8:28:20 PM- Alli--I would LOVE to edit children's books from home for lots of money!
Surcie--I've eaten two boxes of it in the past week. I keep telling myself that it's okay, because each serving has nine grams of fiber!
Erin--I just stuffed a huge Hallmark Congratulations card into my ear for you! It's the kind that has a bunch of glittery hearts and a tissue paper lining! (Tissue paper is good for cerumen withdrawal!)
Submitted by
Stacie
at 1/21/2008 8:26:44 AM- Okay, this is SO very random but I saw bacon flavored mints and immediately thought of you and your subtle obsession with bacon. here's the link- http://www.perpetualkid.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=2146
Perhaps they will distract you from your want of work. ;o)
Submitted by
Susan
at 1/21/2008 9:08:29 AM- Very pretty dress FP. And that cereal sounds delish! Two boxes a week huh? Things must be running pretty smoothly with all that extra fiber.
Submitted by
AmyChop
at 1/21/2008 2:17:58 PM- please, really please, start taking pictures of yourself wearing this dress in random places. preschool registration is only the beginning.
Submitted by
H
at 1/21/2008 4:14:04 PM- You, in that dress, are smashing.
I'm starting to look forward to school because the childcare, it is making me broke. No new car for me!
Sometimes? We buy a lottery ticket. (shh...)
Submitted by
Poppy Buxom
at 1/31/2008 9:26:26 PM- Most. gorgeous. veil. ever.
Also, that thing the veil is attached to? Your head? Containing your brain? It becomes fully operational once they're in school all day. Which is something else to look forward to.
Is that you in that wedding dress? Purdy! You can wear it to your job interviews.