Yup, he's 3.

Henry turned 3 today. As you can see, he's very proud of his Lightening McQueen cake. (which was also very delicious) He also was quite the host with his guests and is truly the party animal. "You like to see my toys? I have a Kirby. You pet him?"

But, it was really fun just watching him process it all. Even early in the day, after I picked up his cake and balloons, he was dancing around asking when "his guests" would come. I even heard a premature riiiiiipp, when he found his presents and decided to open them early. "My party starts now Mommy?"

Having company was nice and it was good to catch up with some friends we haven't seen since August.

Then today, to switch gears, I spent 4 hours peeling horrid wallpaper off my bathroom walls.

It was very cathartic.

Ahoy...

Well, for those of you who read this and don't know, I'm pregnant. 9 weeks to be exact. Due in August.

So, this is the barfy trimester, which I thought was going okay, until recently. I won't get into detail, but c'mon God, is this really necessary? I feel like I'm on a small boat in the high-seas all the time. I don't like it. I would like to get off now.

On a more positive note, we are having a birthday party tomorrow for Henry. He'll be 3.

He keeps asking me if I'm going to come to his party, "Mom, you come to my birfday pardeee?". "Yes, Henry, I'll be there." I wonder who else he's been inviting that I'm unaware of. Maybe I should make more lasagne.

With that said, I need to get the house ready and make my lasagne... that is if I reach port in time.

"Application not responding" - bite me.

Well, last week was very hectic and expensive.

Beyond the regular clients whining "where is my layout." and the children demanding "i need more juice" and "I don't like sloppy joes"... my computer died. Yup, the lifeline to my outside world. My means to make a living (or at least a part-time one) was blinked away from me with the simple phrase "applications not responding".... over and over and over... its staring its maker in the face now. Unfortunately, my 3-year Apple Extended Warranty EXPIRED last month. Shit.

mmm...

This has happened before. No prob Bob. So,I proceeded to back-up and Stuff my files onto 2GB jump drives (this takes me until 10:30 pm on Wed) I did try to burn some CDs, but the burner sounded like a lawn-mower (even Madeleine said "Mom, that sounds bad") and she's 8. And I begin to re-install my entire OS system from scratch, which pretty much means that you wipe the slate clean and re-load it all back on.

Then at 12:00 am, I begin to re-install my neccessary applications to function on a daily basis. All of my design programs, my fonts, my compression software blah, blah.... except there were disks missing. They just weren't where they were supposed to be. I'm writing it off that they were "lost in the move" - Just like my elf. - Except I can't wait three more years to find them, they need to appear NOW. So I start futzing with my computer, half-loaded with software, and it turns out that I'm still getting the "application not responding" error message. Shit. This is bad.

Then I begin to go through the files I backed up. And they were corrupt, about 20% of them were. Which leaves me not only with a broken computer, but worthless files that I need to re-create when I figure out the first dilemma.

I gave up and went to bed at 4 am.

In the morning, at 6:30, I awoke with Henry's usual "Mommmm!, Where are youuuu?" It occured to me that I couldn't work today. And when Maddie woke up she said her throat hurt and that she wanted to stay home from school. Fine. Whatever. Here's some scissors, run with them. I can't even see straight, and I'm up shit-creek without a paddle or lifejacket. Greg (bless his heart) takes Henry to daycare, screaming "mommy do it.", while I prop my head up and stare at my computer trying to figure out what my options are. Maddie is on the couch fake-coughing watching the Disney channel and playing her Nintendo.

Hey! (I realize) WE have an Apple Store here in Grand Rapids! Maybe I can take my computer there and they can do a funeral. Something nice perhaps. Ok, they open at 10am. Put that on the schedule.

So from 8:30-10:00, I called my boss and about 3 freelance clients with my sob-story, and I even sent out my corrupt files in hopes that someone would be able to recover them.

And then I call the Apple Store to set something up. Ironically, I need to do this online with a broken computer. Luckily, we have more computers in our house than most third-world countires. My reservation with the "Apple Genius" is at 12:15. I call Greg and give him the update. He says he'll meet us there - why? you ask- motives unknown at this point.

So I make eggs, and shower and get Maddie in the car. (she's miraculously healed, now that we're going to the mall). We take my computer in to see the Apple Genius, Dan. I tell Dan, my life-story, and he's very empathtic to my needs. He runs a diagnostic and says, "Well, it is 3-years old, perhaps you've outgrown it and need something faster" Okay Dan, I need something that works right now. Greg, meanwhile, is eyeing up the iPods... Hey, motives revealed!

In short (because if you've read this far, you know where my expensive week is heading), I leave with a new iMac computer (image above), updated software, a free printer and a new iPod for Greg. Maddie is excited that I'll let her surf the web on my old-dying laptop (which is about all it can do after Dan finished with it) and she asks if she can put stickers all over it. No, please let it die with dignity for god's-sake child!

And now, on Monday night, I have finally caught up with my work from last Wednesday. Some of my corrupt files were recovered, others were lost. Thankfully, my clients were understanding (like they had a choice) and my new computer is purrring along nicely. For now. Or at least for 3 more years.

organize all the Christmas crap....

Yes, that was the theme of my weekend. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the generosity of all our relatives, and Santa was good too. But c'mon, do I really need an 18' x 12' room to house toys in? Apparently, I do.

So, I bought a bunch of new shelves/baskets for the basement playroom (not from Pottery Barn) and if it didn't fit on the shelf, it went to the Goodwill box. "Good bye" junky, McDonald's happy meal toys. "See ya" , you one-armed Polly Pocket. "I won't miss you" raggy, filled in giant box of old coloring books.... THE PURGE is so nice. So, so nice. I'm glad to say that we had the biggest garbage pile on the curb yesterday. Greg wasn't as glad.

And coincidentally, I received an email from Pottery Barn, with the image above. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Two sweet children, agreeably coloring on a WHITE table, in a sun-drenched room, with about $3000 of baskets on the wall. AND many glass candy jars perched on top of the highest shelves. Thats a GREAT IDEA, why don't I fill glass containers with candy and just let my kids dip in whenever they want....

that's all I have to say for now.

ahhh, the calm before the storm...

Its nice to wake up knowing that you can do whatever you want to that day. This doesn't happen often to me. I have caught up on all of my freelance work, most of the laundry and now its just me and Henry and some wrapping to do (which I actually enjoy)...

ALSO- (big news for me).... JK Rowling has announced the title for her last Harry Potter book... "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows", This won't come out until next summer, but of course I've already ordered my copy on Amazon.com.

off to wrap.

On Tuesday's episode of Corie...

Tuesday's Agenda:
6:45 Wake up & shower... [while Greg gets the kids up (bless him)]
8:15 Take Henry to Daycare
8:30-11:15 work furiously on vinyl siding brochure
11:20 Drive to Grand Rapids at lunch to sign about 85 mortgage papers
12:30 Celebrate the new hefty-mortgage at lunch with Greg at The Dog Pit
1:15 Drive back home to color-correct vinyl siding house photos
3:15 Prepare last minute items for Maddie's Brownie meeting. (chop lemons, find appropriate-color crayons, sharpen pencils)
3:30 Drive to school to pick-up Maddie and friends, and then drive them to community center for Brownie meeting
4:00-5:30 Lead 16 screaming girls in a TryIt badge on the 5 Senses... watch in amusement as they taste baker's chocolate. This is somehow satisfying and might be the highlight of the day.
5:30-5:50 Wait for all the moms to come get their girls.
6:00 Pick-up Henry from daycare
6:15 Go home, find 3 messages on the answering machine from 1 co-dependent freelance client
6:45 Feed family supper (which is really breakfast since we had eggs and sausages)
7:00 Clean up
7:15 Bathe children (convince Henry to wear only clean pair of PJs he has... this part took 20 min. "I NO LIKE THEM!")
7:45 Bedtime stories, songs, cuddles...
8:50 Sit at desk, call client #1
9:00 Call client #2, spend 50 min. on the phone trying not to snigger at her. (why yes, I can adjust the color on your Foam Crab Head Visor, we wouldn't want it to look ridiculous would we?)
9:55 Work until 1:15am on a Foam-finger Product Catalog (I did take a cat-nap for 10 min. on my keyboard at about 11:45)
1:25am go to bed...

Wednesday: REPEAT

dear santa...

Here are my Christmas wishes:

I'd like a pair of legs that don't ache and arms that don't hurt or flap in the breeze; but are strong enough to pull my screaming child out of the candy aisle in the grocery store. I'd also like a waist, since I lost mine somewhere in the seventh month of my last pregnancy.

If you're hauling big ticket items this year I'd like fingerprint resistant windows and a radio that only plays adult music; a television that doesn't broadcast any programs containing talking animals; and a refrigerator with a secret compartment behind the crisper where I can hide to talk on the phone.

On the practical side, I could use a talking doll that says," Yes, Mommy" to boost my parental confidence, along with two kids who don't fight and three pairs of jeans that will zip all the way up without the use of power tools.

I could also use a recording of Tibetan monks chanting "Don't eat in the living room" and "Take your hands off your brother," because my voice seems to be just out of my children's hearing range and can only be heard by the dog.

If it's too late to find any of these products, I'd settle for enough time to brush my teeth and comb my hair in the same morning, or the luxury of eating food warmer than room temperature without it being served in a Styrofoam container.

If you don't mind, I could also use a few Christmas miracles to brighten the holiday season. Would it be too much trouble to declare ketchup a vegetable? It will clear my conscience immensely.

It would be helpful if you could coerce my children to help around the house without demanding payment as if they were the bosses of an organized crime family.

Well, Santa, have a safe trip and remember to leave your wet boots by the door and come in and dry off so you don't catch cold. Help yourself to cookies on the table but don't eat too many or leave crumbs on the carpet.

Yours always,
mom.

(I did not write this, but it made me smile at 1:10am...)

Can I see some ID please?

Okay, for all those who are commenting on my posts... please leave a name or initials after your 2-cents so I know who you are!!! You know who I am, isn't it fair to ID yourself???

x-mas house

Here is what our new house looks like decorated for Christmas. Of course, this was taken two weeks ago when we actually had snow. There are lights on our front porch railing too....

Maybe by the time Christmas gets here we'll have some snow again.

she's baaack...

My little elf here was missing for about three years,
(lost in a box-within-a-box in my basement after the move before last.)
I was so sad when I couldn't find her (along with many other old ornaments that were my grandmother's).
They now all have a place back on my tree.

And needless to say, Christmas can now begin. ;-)

so. very. tired.

On this episode of Corie:
Corie avoids freelance work while attempting to fold gratuitous mountains of clothes. Dog is barking, child sleeping. This combination won't last long.

a sidebar:
I've got all the @!#?!*(%#% work I need. Which is a blessing and a very tiresome curse. I have a family, two kids, a dog, a 3-day-a week part-time job, and about 6 very needy freelance clients.

Agghh, I might as well have a full-time job for all the hours I put in freelancing. But, can I say "no"?

No. I can't.

This will be my new job, saying "no".

"Can I have that done tomorrow?" No.
"We'd like to see twenty more photo choices." Um, no.
"Can you Photoshop the man out of the picture, and make our product look better." Probably not.
"We take 60 days to pay our bills, that's just our procedure." Oh, then your layout won't be ready anytime soon... AND you can cram it with walnuts, mister.

I think the word "blog" is Pig Latin for "to complain" or "to vent".

grrr.

Kirby is wandering around the house, obviously bothered by something "out there". I wonder what he's really saying.
grrr... "there is an ax murderer at the door"
woof.. "I like to eat rabbit turds, let me out."
bark woof bark..."is Greg home? he can pet me."

it boggles the mind. he's a good dog.

the pilot

I've often viewed my life as a TV show.

Why? Maybe its because i grew up eating, breathing, practically sucking-in television. We were the first ones on our block to have cable (with that cool cable box with the flip-switches on top) HBO, Nickelodeon, WGN, MTV...I was the rerun/gameshow/cartoon queen. Now, I hum tv theme songs from the 80s (the facts of life are all about youuu...) and still get excited to watch The Breakfast Club for the 67th time.

My mom used to say I'd get "TV Eyes", she was right.

In an ironic twist, I don't have time to watch tv anymore. Just an episode of The Office, or Alias reruns... so now, I pretty much just watch my own show.

I guess its about taking a step back and look at what's going on around you... they are so many things you just couldn't make up. Funny, strange, sad, amazing things. Little things. So, besides starring in my own show, I guest star on other people's shows... sometimes I'm just an extra. I also produce, but directing is impossible (the actors in my household are beyond directing). There are times I'd like to turn down the sound, or just TiVo some parts. Not gonna happen.

I have to go back to the episode where "Corie designs a Vinyl Siding Brochure". Stay tuned.