Random Wednesday

1. It was only 22 degrees outside this morning when I left to drop the boys off at school. Brrrrrr!

2. Gas is down to $1.81 at some stations! We're paying about $75 less per week than we were just two short months ago.

3. I really like my new haircut. Cassie cut 5 inches off the length and layered me up. I love how a simple haircut makes me such a happier mommy!

4. It hit me last night that I could possibly only have six days of work left before I go on maternity leave. I think that deserves a little Amen.

5. The other night Ayden didn't want to eat his dinner. The excuse? "Mommy. If I eat anymore my tummy will get a headache." I gave him an 8 for creativity and then sent him to daddy for bathtime.

6. I love Thanksgiving. It's one of my favorite holidays! I think it's got something to do with the turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, flaky layer biscuits and dessert. Does anyone else hear angels singing right now or is it just me?

7. I get super freaked out when someone else has to do my job. As much as I'm looking forward to 8 weeks off with our new baby, I really don't care for the way my backup does my job while I'm gone. He hasn't had to help out since my maternity leave with Jameson so he's getting a refresher course this week. I'm about to kill him.

8. My pay increase for passing the CPP exam is "on hold". Apparently the Chamber is in the middle of a pay increase freeze due to the economy and even though this is something that was promised to me in 2007 and I worked my butt off for over a year on it....and passed, I'm getting screwed. And even though the president wrote a nice personal note stating that it has nothing to do with my job performance and he looks at me as a valuable asset/leader for our organization...blah, blah, blah...I still want to poke his eyes out.

9. Jameson is still sleeping in his own bed through the night. Along with the new haircut, this makes me an even happier mommy!

10. I'm not sure why I saved this one for last. Maybe it's because I find it difficult to explain my feelings about it...okay, here goes. I have had no contact with my grandmother (my mom's mom) in over 12 years besides the Christmas cards I continue to send every winter. The story as to why I have no contact with her is long and complicated (and mostly my mom's) but I will say that it's her choice, not ours. So imagine my surprise when she emails me out of the blue to tell me that she has sent me something in the mail. This woman is a very talented artist...even at 82 years old...so I knew it would be something she had painted. I was completely floored and emotionally overwhelmed last night when I opened the box to find a large, beautifully framed painting of a little girl with angel wings sitting in a garden holding a butterfly. It was titled "Ava Marie" and was indeed painted by my grandmother. There are about a million emotions running through me because of this painting. Jason and I were waiting for that perfect "something" to hang over our daughter's crib and this is exactly what we were waiting for.