The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Work is bad. Bad, bad, bad. Like, have been late to get Jelly more than once this week alone. Can't sleep because of stress. Headaches. Stomachaches. Crying jags. There's a new product release coming out soon, and prominently featured is this new hot item that everyone's going to want. Except we didn't really do a great job on it. And we haven't finalized a lot of important details. And there's still a lot of really important info to validate, except we're doing a really terrible job at that process as well. Oh, and there are actually not one but TWO hot items in this situation that are managed by me. I've got another coworker helping me and I can't stay on top of it all. It means more conference calls, calls at lunch and calls when I'm suppose to be picking up Jenny. It means more travel (my manager said to expect 3-4 different trips in the next month or so), which means less Jenny. It means work in the evenings and work on the weekends, and thinking about work when I should be thinking of other things. Like making the correct mortgage payment, in a timely fashion. Like getting my grass cut. Like preparing for our next trip. Like constantly rearranging doctors appointments and dentist appointments because everything is a moving target. So, yeah. The house is dirty and Jelly is receiving inadequate care and I've gained more weight and I'm unfocused and tired and freaking out, all at the same time. All day long. So if anyone else there feels overwhelmed - me, too.

On a happier note, our camping trip was awesome. Jelly was a ROCKSTAR - the kid who loses her shit if she gets a microscopic piece of absolutely nothing on her, screaming 'MESS!!! MESSSSSS!!!!' and kicking and flailing wildly - putting up a tent in the pouring rain was fun. She had a blast. Soaked and filthy with no TV, the Bean had a terrific time. Tweetsie Railroad, on the other hand, was not such a big hit. Loud, hot, and crowded, Jellybean did NOT appreciate any of it. She did that toddler thing where you're walking along, holding her hand, and she suddenly goes limp and drops to her knees and refuses to walk. It was lots of fun. Over and over. However, since I am such a seasoned mother now that I've got two full years under my belt, I totally knew how to react. I abandoned all preconceived notions I had of getting cute pics of her on little rides, let go of the atrocious expense of the whole event, and left. After a measly two hours. I picked up Chick-Fil-A, which we ate on the beach blanket back at the campsite, then I took her to the pool. She was a very, very happy little girl.

Did I mention the campsite had goats? And a playground? And that she ate FOUR hot dogs, cooked on a stick over an open fire? And that I thought I would barf because I have zero self-control when it comes to toasted marshmallows. Mmm, delicious charred goo.

After drying out and returning all the borrowed gear I have decided that camping is going to be our new thing. Why not? We both slept great (albeit, like princesses - airbeds for both of us, although mine did not have 'Dora' on it). It was cheap (excluding the #@$% '20 Seconds With Thomas' ticket). There is a whole world of possibility now open to me in the campfire cooking line of products. I was relaxed, we were together, and we live in a freaking beautiful state. I can't wait.

Our little borrowed home-away-from-home. I was too tall for this tent.

The elusive yet sooooooo relaxing 'tent nap' (I got one, too!!). How cozy is this?!

There better be either coffee or Red Bull in this sippy cup, lady
Sooooo pretty in the morning. Camping adds 40 lbs., I've heard. To each of us.