Dear Mac - 3 Months

Dear Chicky,

I always start out my letters by saying "I can't believe how fast time goes . . ."  It's not clever or creative, but it's true.

Unlike your brother's pre-birth name, Lumpy, your name, Chicken (and it's many variations) has stuck.  This weekend, Mormor was with your brother and they had the following conversation:

Mormor:  Cash, what is your brother's name?

Cash:  Chicken

Mormor:  What's his real name?

Cash:  Mac Chicken

Oh well chicky-baby, at least it's better than your brother's predominate nickname, Turd. 

You are a sweet, chunky and smiley 3-month-old.  Did I mention chunky?  I don't really want this to become your defining characteristic, but seriously, you are a healthy, thriving baby.  I actually had to buy you a new foam baby seat because the Bumbo cuts off the circulation in your legs and your feet were turning bluish/purple (although, you really didn't seem to mind). 

You still sleep in our bed and although it's not always comfortable; I enjoy the closeness and I think we both sleep a lot better.

I'm in no hurry for you to grow up, but I'm looking forward to the development of your personality.  Your father and I like to speculate on how you will act when you are two or three years old.  Will you be brave like your brother?  Will you be sensitive like your mother?  Will you be funny like your father? Will you be forever chunky like the Pillsbury Dough Boy?  Only time will tell and time can take it's time.

I love you forever and ever.  Please be sweet to me, your dad and your brother and please don't grow up too quickly. 

Mom 

Little Hiatus

My blog is taking a little hiatus, kind of.

Right now, it's just too difficult to write a daily post (but I will still write from time to time).

Now, I have Facebook page dedicated to daily pictures and mini-posts.  You can visit me here.

Misfit Monday

It's Spring Break!

This means that quite a few of our misfits are out of the office.  That means the remaining misfits are very busy and so I won't make fun of them. 

One quick funny story.  The following is a phone conversation between me and one of our cleaning misfits.   A customer who he had done a clean for the day before was calling him.

Misfit:  I think that someone gave out my phone number to one of our customers, could you please not give out my phone number?

Me:  We did not give out your phone number.  Did you happen to call her when you were on the way to her house?

Misfit:  Well, yeah.

Me:  So, she probably has your phone number on her caller id.  

Misfit:  Oh yeah.  That's probably how she got it.

Silly misfit.

Here is a picture Mac trying to steal (or maybe just look at) Buttin's phone.

The Bug Collector

It was a little chilly this morning, but Cub wanted to go outside.  I dressed him in his Sunday finest (footie pjs, fuzzy crocs and a jacket).

Cub wanted to find and collect rolli pollies. He's quite the scientist. 

This afternoon, I found his baggie of rolli pollies and decided to set them free.  About five minutes later, he wanted his rolli pollies.

Here is Mac smiling at a cute baby (a mirror).

Snuggles

Filanthropy Friday

Two charities in one week!  I'm totally becoming Bill Gates. 

During my past few runs (small jogs), I've been listening to This American Life's two part story on Harper High School in Chicago.  

Stories about kids in difficult situations and the teachers who try to help them really get to me.  This broadcast follows the children (really, teenagers), their parents and teachers as they try to survive (literally) during a five month period last year in one Chicago's most violent neighborhoods.  All the stories are thoroughly engrossing.  

The principal of the school has a greeting that she says in the halls - "I appreciate you in advance!".  I love the sentiment because many of these kids are not appreciated or their appreciation is conditional.  I'm going to try to appreciate  more people in advance - even though the misfits sometimes make it difficult.

In one of the segments the producers discussed Harper as a "turnaround" school.  The past few years, Harper High School has received additional funding that has gradually decreased as the school has made progress.  However, next year they will not receive any turnaround money - essentially, their turnaround period is over and I guess they should be cured.   It's really amazing what $1 million can do at a school.  This week I donated $15 to Harper High School.

My New Obsession

My new obsession is Amazon - Subscribe and Save.

Amazon offers this nifty service where you can purchase stuff (like household things - paper towels, toilet paper, splenda, etc.) in bulk and get it shipped to your house (no shipping charges) on a schedule (like once every two months).  The best thing is that if you subscribe to five things and they are all delivered in the same month - you get an additional 15% off everything in your order.  I know, I know - I should be their spokesperson (or better yet, spokesmodel). 

Our misfits go through paper towels like they are constantly cleaning stuff or washing their hands (most of them are boys, so I know they're not), but seriously - I have no idea where all the paper towels go - so I've set up a subscription for paper towels - and now I never have to worry about buying them at the grocery store (they take up so much room in the cart).  

Also - who never has to lug around a 28lbs box of cat litter?  THIS GIRL!  I have no idea how it's profitable for Amazon to ship me 28lbs of cat litter - but I'm happy about it! 

I tried describing the joy of my new found obsession to Buttin (I mean, who knew I could get so excited about a huge box of paper towels on my door step?) and he just looked at me strangely.  He said hearing me describe "getting a good deal" was like listening to a junkie talk about their next fix. I'm not sure how he knows this, but I'll take his word for it. 

Here is Mac today - trying to suck his thumb. 

Wordless Wednesday

Filanthropy Tuesday?

Yesterday was a huge city-wide giving fest!

I Live Here, I Give Here's campaign, Amplify Austin, raised $2.8 Million in 24 hours for local charities. 

I gave $25 to BeHive Austin -  they provide after school learning programs to at-risk and low income children.

Now, a picture of Mac.

Misfit Monday

For the most part, we have patient, reasonable  customers.  This post is not about those customers.

We have some (thankfully very few) customers who take advantage of us.  

Say for example, a customer calls and orders X.  We do X.  Then they call back and say they ordered Y.  We have no way to prove they ordered X (although I'm about 95% sure they did) and OF COURSE,  Y is cheaper than X.  We have to eat the cost.   There's really no way to win this argument except we're now making certain customers email all orders.

Here is Cash today climbing on a pole.

You'll notice his black "leash".  He now loves to be taken for a walk while I hold onto his leash.  We get some strange looks.

Weekend Recap

Here are a few pictures from our weekend.

Cash on the train (he and I spent a little time together on Saturday afternoon - it was nice)

We brought the Bumbo out this weekend.

Cash still fits in it pretty easily.

Mac's chubby legs barely fit in the Bumbo.  When I try to take him out of the Bumbo - I have the push down on the chair at the same time. 

Here are Cash, Mac and Mouser (looking for "squirrels in the food machine" - we checked and we actually have about four "squirrels").  Cash asked if we were going to turn the squirrels into food.  Um.  No. 

Filanthropy Friday

My feelings on images with words purported to be fact posted to Facebook are documented. 

So, this week I saw a new one:

I was shocked.  I'm not the most savvy benefactor (actually, I'm a benefactress), but I LOVE some of these organizations - The Red Cross, The March of Dimes & UNICEF - and I've done my research.  

Was it possible that I was duped?  Does the March of Dimes really only spend $.10 of every dollar on services? 

Um - you guessed it - NO! WRONG-O! What a shocker!  Something posted on Facebook is WRONG.  

I went to a very trusted site, Charity Navigator, and they had a blog post about the whole incident. 

Charity Navigator is actually a nonprofit - so I donated $10 to them today as a thank you for being an excellent tool in my becoming the next Andrew Carnegie.