1-month hiatus

I haven't had the chance to post in a long time.  I've spent the majority of my time working on a grant that's due in a few days PLUS we had to let go of our nanny...so, technically, I've had no time to write.  I read once that if you want to write a good blog or a dissertation or anything, you should plan to write a little bit every single day.  However, my motivation to write was sapped by my reality and I had no creativity left in me at the end of the day.  However, I'm in the process of finishing the grant, cleaning up the house after hosting 6 family members for a long Thanksgiving weekend, and getting Desmond back into his previous groove that I'm just now starting to get my writing mojo back, albeit slowly.  Therefore, this post will be a short and sweet update and will hopefully be a jumping off point for more frequent, interesting, and lengthier (but not too lengthy) posts.

Desmond is currently almost 16 months old.  He's quite a little man, although his face, to me, still looks babyish.  I find myself excited for him to move on to bigger and better things, but am a little bit sad that he will never again look this way, act this way, smell this way.  I'm trying to grow alongside with him as a mother: to grow in patience, understanding, love, and happiness.  But sometimes, I find myself severely stunted.  I'm trying to get out of this funk I've been in and to try to spend the short (relative to life) time that I have with Des in the best, most loving manner possible.  It's been a long road with Desmond and I hope to write in the coming days about how difficult it has been for me to admit that I'm a not-the-best-at-it mother and how that realization is going to impact my desire for a future child.

I'm currently nanniless, which means that I have to devote my entire day to Desmond and do my work at night.  It's made things a bit stressful here in the Thomas-Reeves household, but we're doing our best.  I'm trying to think of as many things to do outside of the home that doesn't involve playing around a park in 28 degree weather.  Long story short, because of an hours-worked-and-payment-received misunderstanding, our ex-nanny wrote us a scathing email demanding that she be:

• paid 25% more per hour because she's "teaching" Desmond Spanish
• give the equivalent of 30 days paid vacation per year
• paid in full at the start of every month for hours yet to be worked
• paid for the week even if she doesn't actually work the hours.

Obviously, we couldn't accept her terms.  But, as the saying goes, when one door closes, a window opens, or whatever the heck it is.  I went to an open house for the local Waldorf school to check it out and whilst there, I met a mother of 2 little boys, spitting images of Desmond, who was from...get this...Colombia.  In St. Louis!  The Open House was just about to start so I couldn't speak to her anymore, but she quietly slipped her phone number and email to Billy so that we could get in touch.  And I did, which led to me not only meeting a new friend from mi patria who's raising her children in much the same manner as I am raising Desmond (they're 4 and 7 and speak perfect English and Spanish), but also to meeting her mother, who nannies kids at their house for 30 freaking dollars for a full day.  $30!  I almost fainted when I heard that.  Granted, we'd have to drive Desmond over to her house (10 minutes away), but it's sooooo worth the inconvenience.  We're getting double what we used to get for half the price.  Plus, she only looks after one other boy (besides her grandkids) consistently, so it won't be such a chore for Desmond to get her attention.

Let's see, what else...I cooked a Thanksgiving dinner for 8 people...it was a small success.  I should've planned better.  I stumbled upon this great new site, called Weelicious, that gives you recipes for your toddler, but really, I've liked every single thing I've made for Des from that site and have made it for dinner for me and Bill, who's also a big fan.  I just made some homemade pumpkin ricotta gnocchi and Des loves the beet pancakes from Weelicious.  You should check it out.

OK, peeps...I promise to write more about my current parenting struggles and Desmond's crazy antics/accomplishments/milestones.  Oh, and I'll post some pics of our fall photo shoot here in The Lou done by my new friend Sam.

A sneak peek to tide you over.  Check out his luscious mullet.