Catching Up

So I survived another week at work. It was another roller coaster, starting off really tough and ending just fine. By the time Friday rolled around, I could barely remember what we'd done at the beginning of the week. Once the days start rolling, I have to jump on the train and just keep going until Friday afternoon brings it all to a glorious, screeching halt and I get to put my feet on solid ground for a few hours.

Besides the daily slog, here are some tidbits from around these parts.

I picked up (well, downloaded) and breezed through my first just-for-fun-not-related-to-work book in a long time, Shutter Island. It was excellent. The movie previews made it look uber-scary, not exactly my cup of tea, but the book was actually more suspenseful than give-me-nightmares (a good thing too, since the only chance I get to read these days is in bed before I pass out). It felt really nice to get a mental break and dive into another world, far from the stress of behavior plans and curriculum. I've missed my me time! So yay for that. This book is for next month's book club, so I will eventually be watching the movie version, and here's hoping it isn't too scary (knowing the plot in advance will hopefully help). But if you're into the twist ending, I definitely suggest this book.

I'm seriously contemplating painting a small strip of wall in the kitchen with chalkboard paint. I already tweeted/facebooked about it, and the reviews from pals has been mixed. Some people love the idea (so fun!) and some people hate it (so messy!) But I think I'm leaning towards going for it. It's not so much for Violet as it is for me - just a place to write notes or reminders. Of course, she can draw on it too. To help me decide, I rigged up some black paper to see how it looks. Care to weigh in? I'm mostly worried that the shock of black in our mostly-white kitchen will be too jarring. And if I hate it, repainting will be a beyotch. So I want to be 100 percent before I go for it.

Commit?

Let's see, what else? We finally ordered a new bed frame - our first real bed! I really want to make our master bedroom look nice. We painted it, now we're starting on furniture, hopefully soon it will be a calm, relaxing retreat instead of a hodgepodge of giveaway furniture and random textiles. It's about time to start living like a grown up and not a college student. Pictures to come, once the bed gets delivered.

Lately Violet has been waking us up before the alarm. And my alarm goes off early. For the record, we do not approve, but Matt has been making the best of it, hauling our Noodlehead out of bed for some a.m. Elmo and songs while I finish getting ready. Here's hoping this is one habit that gets broken before it forms.

Matt got a round of applause after his morning rendition of the ABC Song.