I Know Its Not An Award, But...

My team at work has been working with IBM for a few months on a case study about the work we've done and it was published today.  I am very proud of the work I've done and the work my team has accomplished.  And for my non-technical friends and family, this case study also provides some insight into what I do 5 days out of the week.

Its nice to have a job that challenges me and that I enjoy and get paid to do.  Its even nicer to get recognition for our accomplishments by a company like IBM who is known all over the world.

I know its just a case study and not an award, but I can't pass the opportunity to say thanks to those that help me get to where I am today.

To my dad, who made me work for him and gave me a BASIC programming book one summer and told me to go figure it out.  I created many infinite loops that summer and a seed was planted that eventually turned into my career.

To Matt, who listens to me vent and talk about my projects.  He also makes sure there is always wine in the house.  He and Daulton also remind me to leave work at work and focus on family when I'm at home.

To my team, I know I am bossy, opinionated, and not friendly in the morning.  Thanks for putting up with me and remember to ask if I'm caffeinated before trying to talk to me in the morning.

To Sam Bridegroom, thanks for challenging me and not letting me slack off.  And if you aren't following Beyond The Defaults, you should be!

And to all the little girls out there who like math, science, and technology, its okay to like all those things and to be good at them.  You have so many skills and smarts to share with the world and the world needs more female brains like yours!  Stick with it, don't let anyone knock you down because you are smart, and remember to sit at the table (this video is worth your time).  Don't let the boys intimidate you or make you feel like you don't belong.  Anything they can do, you can do better.

Hendricks Regional Health builds apps to meet high standards - IBM Case Study

 

The End of a Great Weekend

We had a busy and fun filled weekend.  My cousins came over and we had a great time catching up and reminiscing.  They came over on Friday night and Saturday morning came a little early.  After burning the cinnamon rolls (sorry) we took the kids to Jump-N-Play in Avon.

If you've never been to Jump-N-Play, its an open space with 4 or 5 huge inflatables.  You pay your $5, take the kids shoes off, and then let them run free.  To say the kids had fun is an understatement.  I tried to take pictures, but the kids were moving too fast.  The pictures don't show it, but there was a third child with us but I have no pictures of him because he was too busy running from place to place to be bothered with slowing down so I could take his picture.

Today, Matt, Daulton and I went to the Pacers game.  We got tickets through the Indianapolis Chi Omega Alumnae group I am involved with and we got t-shirts and lunch out of the deal.  Even though the Pacers didn't win, we had a great time and it was a good game.

It was also Boomer's birthday (Boomer is the Pacers mascot) and a few other mascots came out to help him celebrate.  The mascots were hilarious and put on a great show.  The video below is of their halftime show and while you can't hear the music, you can see how funny they were.

It was a great weekend and one we hope to duplicate in the future!

What I've Learned About Being a Step-mom

As a list lover, I feel it is appropriate I share with you what I have learned so far about being a step-mom in list format.

1. You have officially become the keeper of "stuff".  You will carry and be responsible for stuff that doesn't belong to you.  You will not be surprised to find Batman, gum wrappers, and used tissues in your purse.  And you will stop cleaning out your purse because you don't want to know what else you will find in there. 
    
2. Your nice clean car is now a thing of the past.  Crumbs will mysteriously appear in your car, even though no food is present, and footprints will be everywhere.  Fingerprints are not just for windows anymore.  You are not surprised to find fingerprints on the ceiling of your car.  Invest in Magic Erasers and Awesome, trust me.
    
3. You care more about another person's bodily functions more than your own.  After a while, asking "did you poop today?" and "do you need a tissue?" 50 times a day does not feel weird or intrusive to the other person's privacy.  
    
4. Farts happen.  Especially in the car, just crack the windows for a second and hope your mouth was not open at the time of the fart.
    
5. Nudity does not bother you anymore.  Neither does peeing outside.  You just hope they go to the backyard instead of the front.  (We have neighbors you know!)     
    
6. Kids will call you out.  If you are being grouchy and mean, they will tell you.  Most likely, you are being grouchy and mean so apologize, admit they are right, and stop being Captain Grouchypants.
    
7. Kids are sponges and will repeat everything you say.  This includes swear words and phrases like "here's the deal".  "Here's the deal" is my personal favorite...until I am the recipient of the phrase, especially when I am not in a negotiating mood.  So don't say anything unless you are prepared to have it repeated back to you.
    
8. Your personal space perimeter gets adjusted.  Before you enjoyed a nice healthy distance between you and others.  But now, having someone in your face, constantly stepping on your feet, or stealing the covers doesn't bother you very much anymore.  However, you may never adjust to having someone outside the bathroom door while you are trying to do your business.
    
9. You start to use parental phrases you swore you would never say.  You now find yourself saying "because I said so" and threatening to "turn this car around right now".  You can give a lecture on any topic at the drop of a hat.
    
10. You realize you are going to make mistakes.  You are going to forget things, you are going to hit them in a head with a softball (it was an accident!), you won't always say the right thing, and sometimes you may get into disagreements about how many Silly Bandz are acceptable to wear to school.  Being a step-mom does not come with an instruction manual and you have to figure it out as you go.  Cut yourself some slack, learn from your mistakes, and pat yourself on the back for being an important person in their lives. 

It is incredibly amazing and fun to shape this little or big person and watch them grow.  Just because you don't share DNA doesn't mean you aren't a family and an integral person in their life.  And when you are lucky to have a kid like this, it makes it all the farts, lack of personal space, and mistakes worth it.

Chip Clip, Not Just For Chips Anymore

I was inspired by my friend Hanna's post about new uses for old things.  I admit I am not nearly as creative as Hanna but I do have a new use for a chip clip.  I have tried several different ways to secure the towel for Daulton, and nothing works as well as a chip clip. 

Thanks Hanna for inspiring me to think outside the box!!

Why Having a Toddler is Like Being at a Frat Party

I came across this blog posting by Brenda who I don't know but if we meet, I am buying her a beer.

At Hanover College, I spent my entire weekends at frat parties.  My friends and I knew which houses to go for the best parties, who had the cutest pledges, and which guys would give us the drinks we liked and let us control the music.  (What can I say, we are very persuasive and we traveled in a pack.  Its pretty difficult to say no to a group of girls like us.  Especially if half the group is distracting you and the other half is doing what they wanted to do anyway.)

But I digress.  I have included the top 10 from the original blog post below and I highly suggest checking out the comments.

Why Having a Toddler is Like Being at a Frat Party


10. There are half-full, brightly-colored plastic cups on the floor in every room. Three are in the bathtub.

9. There's always that one girl, bawling her eyes out in a corner.

8. It's best not to assume that the person closest to you has any control over their digestive function.

7. You sneak off to the bathroom knowing that as soon as you sit down, someone's going to start banging on the door.

6. Probably 80% of the stains on the furniture contain DNA.

5. You've got someone in your face at 3 a.m. looking for a drink.

4. There's definitely going to be a fight.

3. You're not sure whether anything you're doing is right, you just hope it won't get you arrested.

2. There are crumpled-up underpants everywhere.

1. You wake up wondering exactly how and when the person in bed with you got there.

Its funny, because it's true.

Source:  Why Having a Toddler is Like Being at a Frat Party, From http://www.suburbansnapshots.com/