10 years ago

I’ve been thinking about summer 1999 for some reason lately, so I looked for a 10 years ago meme somewhere on the web that I could do, more than anything to remind myself what I was doing then.  I found one, and here it is:

10 years ago…

1) How old were you?
THEN: turned 17 in August
NOW: turning 27 in August

2) Where did you work?
THEN: nowhere during the summer… in the fall I got my 1st job at Hot Topic
NOW: Elementar Americas!

3) Where did you live?
THEN: Monument, Colorado
NOW: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

4) How was your hair style?
THEN: short!
NOW: short!

5) Did you wear contacts
THEN: no
NOW: yes – in one eye

6) Did you wear glasses?
THEN: sometimes
NOW: when I don’t have my contact in

7) Who was your best friend?
THEN: Danny Jenson
NOW: Marianne White

What pets did you have?
THEN: I don’t remember having any gerbils anymore then…
NOW: No pets now either

9) Who was your boyfriend/girlfriend?
THEN: Danny Jenson
NOW: Danny Jacobs (heh!)

10) Who was your celebrity crush?
THEN: I don’t remember having a really specific crush.  I had the “wall of guys” in my closet though!
NOW: I like Zachary Quinto for looks but my favorite actor is David Thewlis

11) Who was your regular-person crush?
THEN: Uh, I really did like my boyfriend Danny.  I would say I had a crush on him.
NOW: Nope, don’t have a crush on anybody
12) How many piercings did you have?
THEN: none
NOW: both ears
13) How many tattoos did you have?
THEN: none
NOW: none

14) What was your favorite band/singer?
THEN: oh jeez.  Have I ever had an absolute favorite band?  I was listening to stuff like Goo Goo Dolls, Rammstein, Nirvana, and then Dave Matthews Band, the Cranberries, and I always secretly liked the Backstreet Boys.  I liked a lot of different music.
NOW: I still like a lot of different music.  Some of my favorites now are Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Iron and Wine, the White Stripes, Belle and Sebastian, and I love the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.  I also love the Ramones, the Clash, Phish, and oldies like the Monkees.  Mostly I’ve stopped listening to hard metal.

15) Had you ever smoked a cigarette?
THEN: yes
NOW: yes

16) Had you ever gotten drunk?
THEN: no
NOW: yes

17) What kind of car did you drive?
THEN: 1996 Suzuki Sidekick – my parents car
NOW:  2009 Honda Fit!  If I did this just over a month ago it would have been the same Suzuki!

18) What was your weight
THEN: around 130
NOW: 150

19) What was your favorite TV show?
THEN: The X Files! 
NOW: Doctor Who!

20) Were you using the internet?
THEN: a little bit
NOW: a whole lot

21) What is the one thing you told yourself 10 years ago you would never have done, but you ended up doing?
Then: Had a desk job.  I NEVER pictured myself doing anything like this.

It’s official: I don’t like it here

Sure, the grass is always greener.  There were things I didn’t like about Bozeman.  But there are LOTS of things I don’t like about the Philadelphia metropolitan area.  I want to go back to the WEST!

I’ve spent what I feel is a long time trying to find a family doctor.  The search isn’t even over yet.  In Bozeman, sure, we were just lucky.  But most of the doctors there were cool.  I had several friends who loved their doctors.  Here, I just took my poor kid to see a ~75 year old dude who cared diddly-squat about her.  Aargh!  I want Dr. Luke!  So, my mission is to find a good young family doctor that isn’t terrible.  I like going to the same doctor as my daughter.  But if I can’t find a family doc then I’ll do the pediatrician and OB/Gyn thing.  I just don’t want to.  Ug.

This is what’s on my mind right now.  But there are a myriad other things we DON’T like here that were at least passable back in Montana.  Sure, there are some cool things too.  Like we live about 5 minutes from the zoo that has all kinds of cool animals – many more than in Billings.  And the Please Touch Museum is way cool, and about 10 minutes from us.  The shore is about an hour away.  That’s about it for the list of cool things.

New School

Zoe’s going to a new preschool now. She started yesterday. And… she loves it! She was so excited yesterday when I picked her up. She had to tell me all about what she did during the day.

Today was a little more difficult to drop her off because we were a few minutes earlier than usual and she got nervous. But two little girls, Zoey and Rosie, befriended her already and wanted to take care of her when I left. I know she’ll be ok.

Visit to Zoe’s new school

On Friday morning I took Zoe in to her new preschool to meet her teacher and classmates before actually heading to school on the 26th. I was really proud of her for being very brave and actually warming up to the other kids before we left. Usually, with me she is really clingy. But she’s growing pretty fast and getting over that stage.

We met another little girl named Zoey who was very outgoing. She proceeded to take us on a tour of the classroom showing us all the cool toys. After a bit she said to me, “Maybe Zoe can come over to MY house and we can have a SLEEPOVER!” At which my Zoe, who has never heard of a sleepover before, turned to me with a worried look on her face and said, “Mommy, I don’t want to sleep!”

There was another little girl named Rose who Zoe played with a little and who will hopefully be her little buddy. Zoe liked the school and seems excited to go there. Neda says that Zoe is ready to be in a school environment, and I think she’s right. So, we’ll see!

Connections in the brain

We just bought a new car on Monday, replacing our old blue Suzuki. This morning we talked about what we’re planning this weekend – a trip to the Children’s Museum on Saturday. Then dad came in the room and I told him our plans. Zoe said, “Daddy, we’re going to get in our NEW car and go to the Children’s Museum!” We hadn’t been talking about the car at all.

Forgetting to blog

There have been a few funny incidents lately but every time I get to work I forget to sit down and blog them. OOPS! I have to get better at that.

In potty news: potty training is going ok. It was great until something scared Zoe on Friday and since then she hasn’t really wanted to sit on the potty, and she’s requested to wear diapers. We’ll let it slide for now.

We had an exciting trip to Omaha a couple weekends ago. Zoe pottied on the plane multiple times and she loved it! Also she was hilarious and great entertainment for the adults.

Pottying

Zoe has probably been ready to start potty training for a few weeks now, but I’ve been holding back. So on Tuesday I talked to her “nanny” about how we could work together on it. She was totally cool about working with Zoe, so we started on Wednesday!

Wednesday Zoe wanted to wear undies in the morning. But she was too nervous to actually pee on the potty. No big deal, she wore a diaper that afternoon. I asked her that evening if she wanted to go back to diapers, and she said, “NO mommy! I want to wear undies!” So Thursday she wore undies again, and Neda (her nanny) called me at about 9:30 saying, “Zoe went potty!!” Yay! She only managed to go once in the potty on Thursday, and then on Friday she went once with Neda and once when we got home!

Today we went to the zoo. Zoe went potty when we got up this morning, and then she went once in the public restroom when we got to the zoo! The second time we tried to go there it was a little too noisy and she got nervous, but she tried! I was amazed. So, potty training is going really well! What a big girl.

Zoe misses mommy

Zoe started her new daycare yesterday.  It’s at a home really close by where I work, with just “Aunt Neda” and her 4-year-old son Ryan.  It’s a really chill place and I know she likes it because she’s excited to go.

I talk with her on the phone a few times a day now because Neda likes to keep in touch (great!).  I was talking to Neda around noon and she said that a few times this morning Zoe cried for mommy but then she and Ryan could cheer her up really quick.  She suggested I ask Zoe about it this evening.  Zoe was standing right there while Neda was talking to me, and she wanted to talk to talk again, and she said, “Mommy, I miss you!  And I cried.  But Aunt Neda made me feel better.  She wiped my tears.”  How sweet.

Now that she’s so close and in such a chill environment I’m going to go eat lunch with her once or twice a week.  It’ll be so nice to see her a little more!  I do miss my baby.

Polite practice

Last night as I was putting Zoe in bed we were talking about going to Aunt Neda’s house today (her new home-daycare).  Last time we were there she got a blue Otter-pop.  Of course she loves popsicles, so last night she said:

Zoe: I want a BLUE popsicle.

Karen: Well you can probably have one tomorrow at Aunt Neda’s.

Zoe: I can say, Aunt Neda can I have a blue popsicle please?

Karen: YES!  How polite of you!  It’s good to say please.

You, me

We were at a deli this weekend eating some lunch, and Zoe had a bagel with cream cheese.  She ate all the cream cheese off one piece and when she was done she threw it behind her (we were sitting in the corner so no big deal).

Karen: Did you do that?

Zoe: No.

Karen: Well then who did?

Zoe: Me…