Views Near Our House

This morning, I put the kids in the jogging stroller and walked up to the cross on the top of the mountain in La Jolla. One of the best things about living here is getting a chance to enjoy the views. I love looking out at the ocean. That was something I enjoyed in Miami too.

Eternal Frat Boy

This afternoon, I was working on a proposal for my company. I realized that we might need someone to fill a very specialized position. I only know 2 people who can do that kind of work, so I decided to look one of them up in case we needed him. I haven't seen him in seven years, so I started with google. I didn't have any luck. Then, I tried Facebook & BAM there was his picture portraying an image exactly like I remembered him. He was sitting in a hot tub wearing a cowboy hat with 3 bikini clad girls surrounding him. Proof that some guys never change.

Thinking about him makes me laugh. On paper, he would be a tremendous catch for any girl. He is a great looking guy, is probably about 6’2”, has a master’s degree in engineering, is very social, loves to have fun, and makes great money. In fact, he started his own company, bought an air plane and does lots of work in the Caribbean. Who wouldn’t want a guy like that? ….ME and probably every other sensible girl alive.

Despite the fact that he is in his mid thirties, he will always be a frat boy. Not only does he party hard and drink a lot (like he is always on Spring Break on Miami Beach), but he is the ultimate dare devil. Basically, he can pretty much check off his to do list every wild/dangerous activity known to man. He is also the MOST unorganized person ever born. We worked together & his office was such a disaster that nobody dared to enter. Someone once saw a pair of dirty underwear under his desk.

He was actually the butt of many of our office jokes. Who else could sink a company boat twice in one day? I will not even try to remember how many lap tops he broke. Perhaps, I will just friend him on Facebook for the laughs and leave him off of my proposal.

Toddler Mystery

I have spent the day mainly working on my laptop in the living room. The kids have been keeping busy with various activities. For a little while, they were playing in their room. I got a phone call (*Steve has been offered a job*). While we were talking, the kids made thier way to the bathroom. I figured that Lexi had to go. Jordan often follows her in there.

Suddenly, Lexi comes running out announcing that "Jordan was peeing like a big boy!" I ended the call quickly and ran in there nervous about what I would find. Jordan's shorts and diaper were on the floor. He was struggling to keep himself up on the toilet. Lexi was happily dancing around me saying that Jordan told her that he needed to go potty, so she helped him.

This news came as a complete shock to me because other than flushing the toilet and wiping himself, he has shown NO interest. I decided that I would wait to potty train him until he was 3 because I heard boys were more difficult. This was the first time he ever sat on the toilet. Could I possibly believe that he actually went?

Being highly suspicious, I looked in the toilet. There was evidence that something had happened, but I am finding it hard to believe that Jordan did it. Lexi seems to believe he did though.

I guess this is just one of those things that I will never know exactly what happened, unless of course it happens again and I witness it.

Made It

We made it to California. I don't have much time for blogging though. I still have a lot to unpack and put away. Plus, my work is backing up and somehow I have to find the motivation to get started on it all.

...and thanks to some low down thieves in San Antonio, I have to do research and figure out how to protect the kids and me from ID theft. It all started on Friday night. We pulled into a nice hotel (Drury Inn) in San Antonio. I parked in a seemingly safe location where we could see my vehicle & u-haul trailer from our room. That didn't seem to stop the thieves though. The next morning, when we were ready to pull out, we discovered that the lock was broken and the trailer door was open about a foot. They didn't take much, but they did manage to steal one of the most important things in there. My file box with all of our ID documents was GONE. Our birth certificates, social security cards, tax returns, old resumes, old drivers licenses, and probably more that I just can't think of was in there. I have been angry and sick to my stomach ever since. I feel so sad for the kids. I can imagine evil people using their documents to sneak illegal immigrants into the country and wrack up loads of credit cards. It makes me boiling mad.

See why I never blog anymore??? All I do is complain. Hopefully, sunny California will help turn this train wreck around.

Husband Free

The court date is set for tomorrow morning. I kind of feel like it is already over especially since Steve has pretty much been missing since we signed the papers on Thursday. He comes in late at night and disappears by mid-morning. He doesn't call or answer his phone all day. Then, he apoligizes for it every morning before he goes off & does it again. It is not like I am even getting mad at him for it, but I hate it.

I am so sad that the kids are missing out on their last few days with him. Plus, there is a LOT of things we still need to do like moving and wrapping things up on the house. I have had to turn to friends for help. As the time for the big move keeps clicking down, I am getting very nervous about how all this can happen without him & his truck. So many questions and what ifs. I guess I'll know by Friday.

Death of Crocs

Someone mentioned to me the other day that Crocs are going out of business. My first thought was that my mom is going to be heartbroken. She started her love affair with crocs long before most people even knew they existed (certainly before I did). She had been suffering from foot pain (I can't remember the reason), but had to find a solution because she is on her feet all day as a nurse. She bought her first pair of crocs and never looked back. She told me all about this wonderful miracle and I thought they sounded pretty interesting until I saw a pair. ...UGLY!

Time marched on and she continued to buy crocs in different colors. Then when she came to visit me in Miami at the beginning of my pregnancy with Jordan, she talked me into purchasing a pair for myself. Let me defend myself! I was extremely worn down. Pregnancy zaps ALL the energy out of me. The thought of comfort far exceeded the non-fashion statement. Besides, I was living on South Beach and loved to do lots of walking. They seemed to be the answer. I even bought a pair for Lexi, because even ugly things are cute on little kids. Besides, I thought it might distract others from looking at mine.

I wore them quite a few times during the pregnancy and now only occasionally when I just don't care what I have on. My mom, however, is probably more in love than ever. She graduated to the Mary Jane’s style and then to the pump style. I don't know what she is going to do, but I imagine that stocking up is the best solution. Once her last pair wears out (yes she wears them that much), she will cry a little tear.

Parenting Class/Exception to the Rule

The divorce is moving along. We had to attend a Children Cope class on Saturday. Neither of us really wanted to go. I felt like it was one more thing we had to deal with in the little amount of time I have left. However, we both decided to make the most of it. This is a semi-mandatory class that is aimed at getting divorced/separated parents to understand the importance of co-parenting. Mainly, it is about putting aside your differences and communicating for the benefit of the children.

There were about 40 – 50 people in the class and only two couples. Most of the (outspoken) people had horror stories about fighting with their ex. They had also been separated for a while (1 – 2 years). Sitting in the class, I started to REALLY appreciate that we are pretty much the exception to the rule when it comes to divorce.

1. We don’t hate each other.
2. Even in this situation, we probably fight less than average married couples.
3. We are still living together.
4. We actually enjoy spending time together.
5. It is easy for us to discuss our kids.
6. People are still saying we look so HAPPY together.

I don’t want to make our divorce sound like a piece of cake. It is very difficult emotionally. Right now, we are just at a stage when I am in the acceptance phase of grieving and Steve is in the denial phase. I am horrible at being angry and quite good at forgiving and moving on. I am worried that Steve will probably move into the angry and depression phase once we are gone. The thought makes me sad for him. Then again, it is all part of dealing with it.

Today, we met with the lawyer to sign the final decree papers. They are going to call me with the court date soon. Next week will be a BIG week. Sometime between Monday & Wednesday, I have to go to court for the hearing. My sister is flying in on Tuesday. Steve’s birthday is on Thursday. Friday, I hand the keys to our place over to the tenant & head out to California. It is enough to drive anyone CRAZY! You'll have to excuse my scattered thoughts, those are the only kind I have lately.

Brighter Side of Life

Life is still going quickly in the same direction. Since there are no updates and nothing new to complain about, I decided to post a picture of the kids. They sure make life seem a lot brighter.

Lightning Speed

Our place was listed on the MLS on Thursday night, so things were completely crazy this weekend. It turns out that keeping it spotless isn't nearly as bad as having to evacuate every time someone wants to see it, especially around nap time. We had a showing on Saturday, two on Sunday, and three on Monday. Apparently 5 out of the 6 wanted it, which means that we should have asked for a little more. Perhaps another $50 a month. Oh well. We took the first good applicant. The realtor is running a credit & criminal background check. We should have a report by tonight. The future tenant wants to move in on August 1st, so we have approximately 3 weeks.

While this is very good news, it has also added a whole new level of stress. This makes it all very real. We have to start packing. Plus, Steve still doesn't have a job and doesn't know what he is going to do at the end of this month. That makes us both very nervous, but him more so of course. I am just glad we'll have someone giving us enough money to make our mortgage payments.

The job hunt is going fairly well considering the poor economy. Steve is great at networking and talking to anyone and everyone. He also has an amazing gift of being able to talk to strangers. I am hitting the e-mail and internet side hard. He has two companies that are interested in hiring him. Unfortunately, one of them THINKS they'll have a project for him the middle of August. The other one wants him if they get a project. Basically, the search continues...

Absolutely Immaculate

Everyone has a different standard of what they think an acceptable level of cleanliness for their house. In my mind, immaculate is the goal. In reality, I just don't have the time, energy, or motivation to keep up with my standards. Since my idea of clean for my own house is so high, I feel strange inviting people over because I never feel like it is as clean as I want it to be. However, when I visit friends or other people's houses, I am quite comfortable with a normal amount of clutter and mess. Why am I so hard on myself? I don't know. It is silly.

Today, I finally met with the realtor. It took me a while to set up the appointment because I wanted to get the house somewhere near my high standard. Steve and I have been working on it. There is still a little more deep scrubbing I want to do, but the first thing she said was "It is sooooo clean!" That is the good news. The bad news is that I have to keep it like this until it rents, which she thinks will take 30 to 40 days at the most. A completely clutter free house that is sparkling clean for that long without kids is tough. With two little ones, it is going to be a nightmare.

Should I hope & pray that we find renters quickly? The money and peace of mind would be nice, but I can't decide. I am not ready (emotionally) to pack up and go to California right away. I want the kids to spend as much time with their dad as possible (one nice thing about him not having a job). I also have to be in town for the court date. Hmmm ... we'll just take it as it goes and see what happens.