Experiencing a teensy little bit of stress. (Well, OK, a little bit more than teensy.) Figured I could use a reminder not to let the pessimism overtake my thoughts.

We visited my mom this weekend. Devin and I. I persuaded the two of them to join me for a coffee outing at the very excellent Water Street Coffee Joint. This mocha was truly as dreamy as it looks.

I’ve been whining about fall. Or the lack thereof. Sunday delivered one of those perfect days I’d been waiting for. And we got our butts moving with some major yard work. All three of us. Dev was pretty darn helpful, actually. Later in the day he rode his bike past his friend Noah’s house, saw them raking and joined right in.

This weekend is supposed to be nice again. And a trip to Grandma’s house is in the offing. So we’ll be frolicking in her leaves instead!

I’m trying to get back into taking photos. I’m mad at my camera so I’ve been giving it the cold shoulder. Instead, I really should give it some TLC and try to milk some more time out of it. I was “this close” to buying a new one several weeks ago, but the economic crap is hitting us hard. So, yeah. Patience, which I have none of, is the thing I need to concentrate on.

So because I still don’t understand my flash very well I decided to play around a little bit with the closest willing model. I actually took my 50mm off for a bit too. I grabbed my Tamron and played with the 17mm “almost fisheye” aspect. Bounced the flash off the wall behind me. Maggie is so tolerant. Lucy, on the other hand, came in, walked around the chair* a few times and exited.

*My $3 bargain chair that I scooped up at the employee store the other day.

My goal is to take a photo this week. I used to snap at least one every day. I haven’t given my camera any love or affection in a while. Part of the reason may be because it’s starting to fail on me and I’m terrified of that eventuality. But maybe if I clean the sensor and lenses, then give it a big hug, it will hang in there for at least a couple of more months. TLC can’t hurt, right?

I have had days when my husband is away and I’ve gotten everything done fairly flawlessly, including getting the kiddo fed, played with and in bed without many antics.

Today was not one of those days.

95% of it went well. The 5% that didn’t, though, makes me feel like the worst mom in the world.

You know, there’s a huge responsibility in parenting. There is nature, yes, but there is most definitely nurture. When I have days like today, that scares me a bit. To be a part of shaping his future self can be exciting at times, but I honestly shrink from it too. What if I screw him up? What if he goes through therapy some day and the fingers all point back at me? What if he turns away from me at some point, never to turn back?

I absolutely hate it when I let myself feel this way. Yet sometimes I do.

The weekend turned out to be scrumptious. A little chill in the morning air, but plenty of sunshine and opportunities to be outside. And boy were we!

The kiddo and I spent two hours at the Portage Creek Bicentennial Park with friends on Saturday. (He was so exhausted he almost fell asleep at dinner). We saw two deer and three snakes. Then I took the dog for a walk near my mom’s house and had the chance to see two more deer. We played lots of catch and soccer in the backyard yesterday, then I took the canine for one more walk, where we saw deer tracks but nothing of the real things.

Superbly pleasant weekend, except for the fact that Scott wasn’t there with us.

I very much dislike hot, muggy summer evenings. But it’s funny how quickly the temps took a turn this weekend. Now we’re waking up to mornings where you would gladly reach for a sweatshirt. There’s a cool breeze gliding through my office window right now. I can feel fall heading our way. And any day now I’ll see the sedum blooms and have further proof.

OK, audience. All three of you. Why didn’t one of you call me out on the obvious typo in my previous entry? In synch??? Where did that “h” come from and why didn’t anyone chastise me? I’m a writer who should know better, yes. But you’re my readers who are supposed to make sure I don’t make an absolute fool of myself. And you were incredibly derelict in your duties.

Those gifts I was planning to get you for being such wonderful commenters? I don’t think so!

When it comes to scheduling my life, including appointments, meetings, birthdays and events, I’ve been struggling ever since I ditched my Franklin planner and went with a PDA. I used my Handspring loyally for about a year with some success. I felt more on top of things, but I also felt that I was spending a lot of time inputting and checking.

Writing on paper was so much easier.

Then I started freelancing and I couldn’t sync my PDA with Lotus Notes at my client and I’ve been at a loss ever since. It’s especially troublesome when another client inquires about my availability on Thursday and I can’t remember my availability because my calendar is on a computer in Ada and I’m in my office at home.

Bah.

Really, the PDA poriton isn’t as vital to me as the ability to view something from whatever computer I’m accessing. Yes, having something portable would make things a bit more convenient, but I’m not THAT busy. I’m not calling clients from the road or scheduling appointments on the fly. I do that mainly when I’m at home.

So I’ve been experimenting off and on with some online calendars, none of which has thrilled me to death.

Today, I came across something new. 30 Boxes. It’s a calendar with some Ajax action thrown in. It’s also promoted as shareable, but I’m not into that aspect very much.

This, my friends, has potential. This is Day 1, of course. And Day 1 is never a true measure. What I need is to make it to Day 7, or Day 12. Something more substantial. Yet this option feels more exciting than any of the others I’ve tried. A step in the right direction indeed.

The last week is a bit of a blur. It included preparations and hosting of Devin’s three-year birthday party. So, yeah, plenty to do. Yet I wasn’t sooo busy that I couldn’t post to my site (or his) now and again. The bigger problem was. Well. Him.

I so hate to blame things on a three-year-old.

But, honestly, we’re having a few issues in our household these days. And they all boil down to our new bedtime routine. A routine that includes plenty of screaming, protests, plotting, and drama. The big-boy bed, which was appreciated by the “big boy” for a few weeks, is no longer the draw it once was. The concept of freedom has taken its place and our precious little boy has become a bit of a pill. (Not a horse pill, mind you. Certainly only the smaller variety.)

Back to the posting issue. My office is kitty-corner from his room. And he won’t stay in his room. Thus, I’m restricted from my regular nightly routine of checking email, visiting sites, processing photos, and posting my thoughts. Instead, Scott and I cower down in the living room, listening to the screams and the demands:

“I want out, Daddy!”
“Where’s my LION????”
“I need go potty!”
“Come back in my room, Mommy!”
“Mommy, rub my back. I need more rubbing!!”
“I need some water, Daddy!”
“I ‘cared of monsters in my room!”
“No leave me up here, please! PLEASE!”
“I want hold my Wiggles underwear!”
“I no like my room, Mommy!”
“I NOT TIRED!!!”

Get the picture?

At least us parents are spending a lot more quality time together!