A Grumpy Repair

Yesterday was a bbbaaadd day. There are many things that can make a day a bad. At the top of list of seriously bad days, it could be ending up in the hospital, a car getting wrecked, or losing a job. All of which I've experienced, by the way.

But, there are also lower grade reasons why a day could be bad. For starters, our refrigerator is in need of repair. The fan is hecka loud and it turns on more times a day than it's off. I mean, a refrigerator is meant to just be in the kitchen, you know? It's not meant to give off noise loud enough to give you a migraine sitting there on the kitchen counter. It reminds me of being on the floor of a data center. And if you haven't been on one, I liken the noise level to a microwave hooked up on steroids.

To make matters worse, the refrigerator repairman arrives mid-afternoon, when TJ is most tired and grumpy. Fine, a grumpy toddler is a part of a mom's life, right? But, a grumpy, gruff repairman? Aaarrggh! It's like rubbing salt on an open wound.

For starters, he tells me I need to empty the freezer. The last guy emptied it and put the stuff on the counter. Here I am, almost 8 months pregnant, trying to hold up a cooler to unpack the fridge. There he is standing there!

But, the worse part is when he's done checking out the fridge. He announces that nothing is broken and nothing is wrong. The refrigerator temperature checks out.

"Yes, but the problem is that the fan is always on and it's very loud. Can't you hear it?"

"Well, that's what happens when you have an old refrigerator. It has to work harder to keep the fridge a certain temperature. If you find the noise annoying, I can't help you. You can get a new fridge."

Great. Thanks a lot buddy. I wasn't gonna give up so easily.

"Okay, I know that I can get a new fridge. Eventhough a part may not be physically broken, can't it be possible it needs to be replaced, due to wear and tear? It's obviously degraded. You can't tell me it's normal to have a fridge buzzing in your ear nearly 24 hours a day."

There. I felt I had a winning argument.

"Well, I can't help. Unless a part is actually broken, or your fridge is broken down and food is melting, I can't order any parts."

Okay, then I go for my next strategy. I'm just gonna wear him down and just keep repeating myself a gazillion different ways. I insist something has to be done. Politely, I stand my ground.

"I just can't believe that nothing can be done. There must be something that can be done..."

Well, it ends up my grumpy repairman finally caved in. He orders a new motor. He leaves. I close the door and I'm just exhausted. Grumpy people are just draining, you know?

So, if you are having a grumpy day, my condolences are with you. But before infecting others with grumpiness, please stay home, call up a friend, eat some chocolate or go get yourself a nice, warm hug.

Taking The Bus Is Too Much Fun

Our car had to go into the auto shop for a few days and that left me without under home arrest. Yes, I could've gotten a loaner car from the dealer while they were working on the car. Just one small problem, among all the hustle and bustle of the New Year, I forgot to renew my driver's license. So, unless I was willing to risk having my car impounded or getting ticketed, I was stuck on the homestead for who-knows-how-long.

But, I know I wouldn't be able to keep my sanity very long if I didn't get out with TJ. It's just inhumane to expect a 3 year old boy to be stuck at home all day. And much more inhumane for the mother.

It just happens to be 50 degree weather right now where I live in Northern California. And for us weak bodied Californians, it might as well be 5 below freezing. So, I knew we couldn't last at the park for more than a while.

Hey! I know! Why don't we take the bus to a friend's house for a playdate! I could spend the whole afternoon at a friend's house, with TJ having a great time with his buddy, and me chatting it up with my mom friend!

Genius idea! I patted myself on the back. It'll be fun! TJ will love going on the bus. Hey, I know how to take the bus. After all, I took public transportation for four years to get to high school. Not to mention, I took the bus to work for all my summer jobs as a teen. I could identify all the bus routes needed to make a trip in 30 sec flat, even if it meant 3-4 transfers to get anywhere in or out of town! This is a pro you're talkin' to!

Trouble was, I didn't take into account:

1. I am traveling with a 3 year old, who doesn't like to wait at a bus stop for more than a few minutes.

2. A 3 year old doesn't understand that a bus runs on a schedule, and we do not have time to smell the roses or pick up sticks along the way to the bus stop.

3. Even though it might only be 20 minutes in between changing buses, it could really rain during that time.

4. 3 year olds find it intolerable that it could get cold and windy, and there is nothing to do except sit at the bus stop and count cars that go by.

5. It is very hard to hold an umbrella, while hugging your toddler close to you to avoid the rain, while your belly is 7 months pregnant (toddlers are squirmy, too!)

The good ending to this story is that Hubby was nice enough to pick me up from our playdate on his way home from work, and we didn't have to be the "human interest" story on the six o'clock news.. I could just see it now...

"Now, let's turn to Jennifer who's out on the street. Let's hear how the rain's affecting those taking public transportation...

(Jennifer) "Thanks, Rick. I'm here with Bonnie Gray, who is 7 months pregnant, who's been bracing herself and her toddler from the rain here, as she's waiting for her bus ride.."

As Hubby rang the doorbell to pick us up, I thanked my stars I didn't have to stand outside to wait for the bus. But not TJ. Poor TJ was teary eyed and disappointed that we didn't get to take the bus home.

On the ride home, all he could talk to Daddy about was how fun it was to ride the bus and how it started raining. "Then, Mommy and I got wet! AND, I got to hold the umbrella!" TJ squealed. It was high drama and all delight in the life of a three year old. (Sigh) Sure is nice to be three!

Moving to the Big Boy Bed

TJ turned three years old recently and it marked a milestone to transition him to a big boy bed. Most of his friends have already moved out of their crib by now. Having heard our fair share of Jack-in-the-box night wakings that come with the territory, Hubby and I were definitely not in any rush to transition him over.

With the arrival of Baby #2 at our heels, we decided to move him into his big boy bed, to free up the crib for the newborn.

Before I moved TJ over, I wanted to make sure he was sleeping through the night, without any night wakings. You see, TJ had been sleeping through the night since he was 9 months old, without waking up for anything. That is, until he found out that a baby was on the way.

According to the sleep bible we've been successfully using since TJ was 4 months old, "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Baby" written by Dr. Weissbluth, it says that the introduction of major changes like a sibling will often trigger night wakings.

It took about a month to cure him of night wakings. We started our transition by installing a night light with a timer, which turned on the light at 7am. We told him that he needs to sleep until the light turned on. And to not call for us once he gets in bed.

To motivate him to actually follow through, we offered him rewards, like toys and snacks. Although this works for some kids, this did not work for TJ. The sleep doctor said we have to find something he values to motivate him. TJ would "claim" to want a drink of water or go potty. Undeterred, we pressed onward to find the magic reward.

I'm sure some folks would raise an eyebrow or two at us for appearing to disregard TJ's claims. But, we were convinced TJ knew how to sleep through the night because he had done so for the past 2 years. Finally, our faith was rewarded. EUREKA! We hit pay dirt.

We told him that he could have a big boy bed, just like so-and-so, if he would sleep until the light turns on. TJ is super obsessed with Lightning McQueen, so I ordered some Lightning McQueen bedsheets. Then, we ordered the bed. When the bed arrived, along with bedsheets with his favorite car, TJ was literally begging us everyday to let him sleep in his big boy bed.

We knew we got him right where we wanted. And guess what? He slept through the night everyday for a week after that! No problem at all!

Now, what do you think happened the first night after he slept in his big boy bed? ... Talk about a cliff hanger... Another post for another day...

My New Year's Resolution .. Like Britney's?!

I was skimming over the different headlines in the Entertainment News in Yahoo!, and one caught my eye, "Stars 2009 New Year's Resolutions". I know, who cares, right? But, alas, I guess inside this girl's chain of DNA lies a small speck of get-the-latest-dish gene -- and I clicked to check it out.

Of course, I wasn't surprised to find the typical goals you'd find on anybody's New Year's Resolution list. I'd categorized them into big buckets like:

1. Health - Eating and/or fitness
2. Happiness
3. Breaking old habits
4. Starting new habits

What are my top 3? .. Well, last night, on New Year's Eve, Hubby and I took turns guessing what each other's resolutions were. It's a fun game we play. It kinda reveals how well we know each other, and even offers up some subliminal "suggestions" on what the other person may want to consider putting on their list.

The bulk of my resolutions fall into "Break an old habit":

1. Worry less. (Break an old habit)
2. Blog more. (Start a new habit)
3. Stop piling. (Break an old habit)

Hubby did pretty good. He got 2 out of 3. Hubby guessed my #2 and #3 resolutions to blog more and eliminate piling. It felt good to know he's in sync with where my personal goals are.

For my #3 resolution to stop piling, I wrote an article, called "Next Year, I Am Really Gonna Stop Piling" on Silicon Valley Moms Blog. It apparently hit such a common cord, it got picked up for national syndication by Mcclatchy-Tribune. Hopefully, I can get some suggestions from readers on how to tackle this problem.

My number #1 goal for 2009, though, surprisingly matched Britney Spear's new year resolution: to worry less. Geez, I never thought I'd have anything in common with Britney other than being of the female gender.

This is a good reminder: fame and fortune can't bring anyone a worry-free life. The key to a worry free life isn't found in having enough money or even personal success. Finding that key and applying it to my life is going to be my journey this coming year.

I can't wait to discover it. I know I will. And I'm not worried about it one bit. Whatever your new year's resolutions are, Happy New Year!