Monday Five Countdown

It must be Spring because my eyes feel itchy and annoying. So, hey, welcome Spring! Happy to see you and wear shoes without socks.

Five Things I'm Grateful For

1. The weather. It's going to rain the next two days and it's not *really* warm today but it's warm enough that I'm wearing shoes without socks. Is it just me or are your spring/summer shoes WAY more interesting than your fall/winter shoes? I think I need to work on that for next fall/winter because I really got terribly sick and tired of wearing my low-heeled ankle boots and mary janes this winter.

2. Yesterday while the hubby took Nate to a birthday party, I stayed home to do schoolwork. As per usual when I stay home to do work instead of going to a cafe or something, I ended up doing more cleaning than schoolwork. BUT I did take down the dog gate to do so and allowed the dogs free reign of the house - and they were good! They mostly just slept, either in the kitchen (where they usually are anyway) or in a sunbeam in the dining room. Buster did try to abscond with some of Nate's toys later in the day, but he didn't destroy anything. It's progress. Eventually I would like to not have to have that gate up ever (because I hate it). I feel like we've come really, really far with Buster and I'm very happy about that.

3. We went out to dinner Saturday night and I had the most delicious steak that I have had in as long as I can remember. It was so soft and cushy and springy - I said it was like a mattress of beef. Seriously. I'm going to think about that steak for a long time.

4. The weather Saturday night was terrible (think monsoon-like) and a lot of our town lost power, but we didn't.

5. On my lunch break today I'm going to Trader Joe's to buy some fruit. I love working right next to a Trader Joe's.

Four Things I Can't Stop Thinking About

1. We're planning a long weekend trip to Baltimore for Memorial Day weekend. It'll be Nate's first trip out of state but, more importantly, his first trip to Maryland/Baltimore - one of his mommy's favorite places on the whole planet. I can't wait to bring him there, to see friends I miss so dearly, and to have a mini-vacation with the hubby.

2. Nate's birthday party. It's coming up soon! Less than four weeks!

3. Home organization. MUST hang pictures. Must clear out things we're committed to getting rid of or storing.

4. Nate's sleeping. We're definitely going to work on the plan from the books I'm reading, but we have to prep ourselves for it a bit.

Three Things I Want To Accomplish This Week

1. Get some pictures hung up.

2. Finish my work for my group project at school (I am woefully behind and do not want to let my group members down).

3. Make significant progress on my research project for my other class (even more woefully behind there).

Two Things I Am Working To Be Positive About

1. Hubby's job prospects. This job market is beyond depressing and annoying. It is just ridiculous terrible.

2. Nate's separation anxiety. When we came home from dinner Saturday night, I walked in the kitchen and he was in the arms of the babysitter, screaming hysterically. Literally in hysterics - like, full on gasping for breath, like he was hyperventilating. He had been asleep but woke up crying, like he always does, so our friend went in to get him and my best guess is that he forgot she was there and who she was and simply flipped out. Thankfully it was only five minutes before we got home, but it took me ten minutes to calm him down. Just holding him and shushing didn't work because I think he was so upset he barely realized it was me. It wasn't until I started talking, saying, "It's okay, Mommy's here.  Mommy and Daddy are home. It's okay, Peanut, it's okay" that he started to calm down.

I mean, yikes. Even more reason for us to work on him sleeping through the night and being able to soothe himself back to sleep if he stirs. And I know separation anxiety doesn't last forever, but eep. It was so upsetting to see him that upset.

One Random Thing

1. Am I the only one who thinks about what they're going to do when they get home as soon as they leave the house in the morning? It's like waking up and immediately thinking about going to bed that night.

Do you do the Monday Five Countdown?  Link up below!  I want to read them :-)