Messy House, Pure of Heart?

June Cleaver, I ain't (anymore, I used to be so good).

You know, I really do try to keep my house clean - when my house and workspace are clean, I feel better organized and even a little more motivated. However, ever since I had Patrick in January, things just seem to have fallen apart a bit in the housekeeping department - it's just so hard to get to all of it! And shoot, it's gotten worse ever since I went back to work.

Yes, I do work at home so ostensibly I could get some housework done during the day, but I really do try to spend my time during the day WORKING. Well, OK... at my computer, at least, so that if anyone emails me something important, I can respond to it quickly. :) As many of you know, much of this time is spent Facebooking, uploading pictures of my dog/baby/husband/house/vacations/etc. to my blog, and emailing with friends. But AGAIN, I am at least "available" for work, if something comes up. haha And then at 4:45 when I wrap up for the day to pick up the baby, it's time to feed/play/bathe/put him down for the night, start dinner, eat dinner, clean up from dinner, and by the time all that is over (around 8:00 p.m.) I'm usually just ready for a glass of wine and some quality time with the hubby and our DVR, followed by an early bedtime. (Rinse, lather, and repeat the next day, ad infinitum.)

So anyway, the aforementioned corporate gig has really put a dent in my housekeeping abilities lately. Right now, my bedroom looks like my dresser threw up all over the room. It's horrible! I don't even know how my husband can deal with it (he told me last night he's "getting used to it", eek). Please keep in mind that the bathtub where my baby bathes has been freshly scrubbed with non-toxic, all-natural cleaner and the vanity in the bathroom has been scrubbed, the toilets are swished, carpets are vacuumed (toilets and vacuuming courtesy of hubby) and the kitchen stays wiped down and mostly sanitized, so we're not living in squalor, or anything, but there is just STUFF. EVERYWHERE.

Right now, I have 3 laundry baskets of clothes to fold, plus one more load that's waiting in the dryer (only because I'm out of baskets) and one more in the washer, waiting to go to the dryer (I need to find somewhere to deposit that fourth load, shoot), and honestly... I'm not sure when I'm going to get to folding it. I was going to do it last weekend, but I got sick... but it's always something. I literally have stuff to fold that went into the washer before we left for San Diego! This is getting OUT. OF. CONTROL. Maybe tonight I'll hunker down with a stiff cocktail and knock it out. (Yeah, right... maybe the cocktail, 86 the folding.)

Our landlords are about to put the house on the market, so I am going to have people walking through the house unexpectedly on any given day. You know what that means? That means that I need to get my butt in gear and get and keep this house in SHAPE, because I need to help the house present nicely, so it'll sell quickly and efficiently. I have watched a lot of those "Designed to Sell" shows on HGTV lately and a messy house really does prevent houses from selling, so I need to do my best to help keep things looking nice. I guess I'll start with folding all those mountains of laundry. Then maybe I'll unpack from San Diego... we did get back TEN days ago, so perhaps it's time. (Good lord!)

And obviously, I have the energy to blog about cleaning, but not the motivation to actually clean. This is a problem that I must address. Maybe tomorrow... or the next day... right after I start that diet.

Love, Mer

The Bachmeister

I promise I'll start writing actual CONTENT again soon, but here's just one more photo I have to share... Look at this dog - I mean, really, how cute is this face?

However, if Baci play bites Patrick a little too hard again, like he did yesterday, I'm going to be advertising for a FREE MALTIPOO! Patrick is a great sport with Baci's nuzzles, cuddles, licks, and play bites, but yesterday Baci got a *little* carried away and was grounded, i.e. in his crate, for the rest of the night. I hope he learned his lesson!!

But meanwhile, he sure is cute, posing with his new green ball. I should get him into doggie modeling so he can help pay for himself! ;)

Love, Mer

New House Pic

Things are coming along with the new house! It's looking like we're going to be moving in around mid-November. Whoa!! It's certainly gone faster than we were expecting... but we're excited. Last week the stone and brick started going up (as you can see in the picture) and all the drywall went in, so we could walk around the house and see how it feels with walls up. The verdict? We LOVE it!!!!

So I guess pretty soon we need to start packing, huh? Hopefully this is the LAST TIME moving for many years... In the last 10 years, I have moved 12 times! Is that ridiculous, or what? So suffice it to say, I'm more than thrilled to be moving into a home and setting down some roots. This is a major goal achieved for me. Wish us luck for smooth sailing from here on out - it's about to get exciting again with the closing, moving, and getting settled in.

Love, Mer

Beach Bunny

My most favorite beach in the world - Coronado State Beach, San Diego, CA - with my favorite boys in the world. Could life get better than this?

Love, Mer

Patrick's Baptism

Well, we went to San Diego last weekend with the purpose of enjoying some fun in the sun, seeing friends and family, and baptizing our little monster. Aside from a pretty nasty stomach flu (or maybe it was food poisoning, who knows?!) that kept us sidelined half the weekend, we did get to see friends, enjoy family, and indoctrinate the newest member of the Catholic church. Sheridan's Catholic and it was very important to him and his family to baptize lil P Catholic, so I got the love muffin all dressed up in his finest white duds and invited some special friends to join in the celebration. Patrick was a perfect angel throughout the ceremony and was a good mini host at his party afterward - I was so proud of him! Unfortunately, Patrick's godparents, Sarah and Brandon, weren't able to travel from Colorado, since Sarah's expecting a little bambino in just a few weeks (well, about 15 or so), but they were there in spirit and are going to be wonderful godparents throughout Patrick's life. Here are a few pics of the special day:

Welcome Griffin!

My dear friend Shannon had her second beautiful son yesterday and I'm just so happy and proud for her and her fantastic husband, Petri, and their son, Finley. Congratulations to the happy and healthy family - I can't wait to come to Houston and love on that sweet baby boy!!

Baby Griffin

Born September 6, 2009 at 6:15 a.m.
Houston, Texas
7 pounds, 11 ounces
20 inches long

Head full of black hair, just like his big brother Finley

I love you already, Baby G!

Love, Mer Mer

Wedding Anniversary

Sheridan and I are celebrating the first day of the rest of our lives today. Yesterday we celebrated the first anniversary of our beautiful wedding in The Bahamas - what a year it has been!!! In one year, we got married, I started a job and subsequently got laid off from it, we moved to Austin, had a baby, bought a house, I started another new job, and... well, I think that's it. You know, just a few little things... ;) I can't imagine what year TWO is going to bring!

We do know that we'll be moving in to the the new house and will start a new life there, we'll be welcoming a new little GIRL (yes, GIRL!!!!) into the Hall family - Sheridan's brother Brandon and his beautiful wife Sarah, along with their son Michael, will be adding a baby girl to their family in December/ January - Patrick will also be baptized and turning one year old soon. It's already shaping up to be a busy year two, but I'm sure there will be more, knowing us!

I've been spending a lot of time looking at our old pictures from the wedding the last few days, in memory of our special day, and here are a few of my favorites:




To my husband, who I adore more than anything in the world - thank you for being my partner in life, my best friend and confidant, my partner in crime, and a FANTASTIC husband and father. I love you so much and thanks for the best first year of marriage I could have ever imagined!

Mer xo

Cool Mommy iPhone App

So Patrick is still a little young for this, but I came across it today and thought I'd share it with my mommy friends who use iPhones. The Baby Center PhonyPhone application allows kids/ babies to dial numbers and "make calls" without actually making calls - it's a dummy interface! Kids can dial away on a colorful fake keyboard, enjoy musical note icons and giggle noises. and parents can enjoy knowing their kids aren’t racking up minutes on the phone plan. Supposedly it's good for developing hand-eye coordination and fostering imaginary play, which might be a stretch, but it might keep your kid busy (and your iPhone from crashing) for a few minutes while you try on new shoes! :)

iPhone users - check it out! It's only $.99 so if you don't love it, it wasn't too much of a loss...

Love, Mer

Calling All Guest Bloggers

Anyone interested in writing a piece for The Mer Show? I know you people have something to say - let's hear it!!

Is there something in the news that irks or inspires you?
Do you have pictures to share?
Got any exercise or diet tips?
PG-rated stories about your family, friends, or even Mer to share?

Let me know if you think you might be interested in participating in the guest blogger program on The Mer Show! :)

Love, Mer

Fun With the Sippy Cup

OK, what am I supposed to do with this thing?

Investigating...

I think I'll chew on it...

OK, I think I might get it!

OMG, there's juice in here!

Second attempt not as successful...

New House Pics

It's coming along!!!! We're so excited. :)

R.I.P. Blue Ball

If you've ever been to my house for a visit, you KNOW this blue ball. It's probably been stuffed in your face/hands/lap, you've probably found it on the pillow in our guest room waiting for you to throw it, or been totally annoyed by it at one point or another. This is one of the first toys I ever bought for Baci, and it has lasted the longest - this ball made it through Jasmine the Dobie (when we were roommates with Prasad), several major moves, and 2.5 years of puppyhood with a crazy, lunatic Maltipoo. It's dirty, stinky, sticky, and disgusting, but it has been the apple of my puppy dog's eye ever since it arrived, all blue and beautiful, straight from Petco off Sports Arena in San Diego, California.

But alas, it has died. This is how I found it yesterday in a corner of the living room.


Rest in peace, blue ball! Thanks for all the good times.

Love, Mer (and Baci)

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On a Much Lighter Note...

Pictures of Patrick with his sweet buddy, Finley! We had lunch with Shan at J Christopher's (mmmmmmm) yesterday in Kingwood and got some cute shots of the boys.

Deep Thoughts on the Healthcare Overhaul

Oh yes, I'm taking this on. And honestly, I'm still trying to determine what I think about this whole debacle and am trying to decipher what all the changes really MEAN. Especially when it's being politicized so much and the message on both sides is being twisted with partisan embellishments (and I mean both sides).

It makes me very upset that Fox News and other right-slanted bodies are using their usual scare tactics to stir up partisan opposition. Someone/some group (probably Fox News, which I would love to dismantle with a jackhammer, because it's such a prime source of these scare tactics) has scared the crap out of my senior citizen parents with all kinds of twisted messages about what to expect. I guess they're telling seniors that once they reach a certain age, if they get sick, they'll receive "end of life counseling" instead of treatment and that they'll just have to die. This is just the beginning of the madness that has my parents absolutely freaking out... I could go on and on.

You know, I guess if you're freaking out about what kind of care you're going to get (or not get), you can pay for private insurance. Sure, it'll be pricy, but if it's that important to you, make it happen! Done.

And getting back to the topic of seniors, I have a tough time with the 65+ set using Medicare and cashing Social Security checks with gusto, but opposing government assistance with healthcare because they don't want to "live in a socialized country" like "Nazi Germany" (other fun phrases I learned from Fox News). I mean, do I even need to explain the hypocrisy here?

And lastly (and I feel, most importantly)... This plan is designed to help provide health care to ALL AMERICANS - rich, poor, black, white, Asian, Latino, purple, green, etc. Yes, you might have healthcare already and be happy with your coverage. Good for you, really! However, do you realize that there are millions of people in America - kids, adults, seniors alike - that do not have healthcare because either they can't afford it or are not able to obtain it? Especially as millions of Americans are unemployed right now during this time of economic challenge... we need to consider helping others, not just whether or not we, ourselves, are happy with our coverage. Please consider how (un)happy people are that don't have or can't get health coverage!

Two years ago, I was dealing with a medical issue and was working as a contractor, so my job didn't offer benefits. Therefore, I was looking at thousands and thousands of dollars in medical bills to start treatment... I was beside myself, because I could hardly pay my spendy San Diego rent - how was I going to deal with this? I could have made room in the budget for coverage, but was denied by several insurance companies for "pre-existing conditions". So there I was, stuck with no medical coverage, up a stream without a paddle. Fortunately, the great state of California saved my ass with a special program for those that didn't have or couldn't obtain insurance. Thank God for the government providing assistance to me in my time of need!!!

So I guess, for me, this debate has a personal meaning to it. I hope that you'll consider that poor and needy people also get cancer, break bones, and need all kinds of treatment just like those that are perfectly happy with the way things are now. Maybe it doesn't mean socializing medicine for everyone or what the current bill has in mind - maybe there's another solution. But I really do believe that if we can figure out a solution to provide care to ALL Americans, we'd be a better country.

Just my $.02! Mer

Update

Well, I've been pretty quiet here lately, but that's the product of one busy mama!!! Since I went back to work, I've been trying to figure out how to be a working parent, manage the household, lose the baby weight, take care of my husband, be a good friend/sister/daughter, and OH YES, be the best mommy I know how to be. Whew, it's hard work!!

Things with the house are coming along nicely. As you can see from the photos, the foundation has been laid and the walls have gotten framed too. Yay! We went over to the house on Sunday to walk the property and it now looks like the floorplan we envisioned - the rooms are partitioned, the stairs built, and now I have an idea of the size of the place. It feels really cozy for a 3,000 square foot house! People keep saying that it's going to fly up for a couple of months and then it'll drag on and on after that... so we're prepared for the weeks to come. We CAN'T WAIT to move into our new home!!!

In baby news, Patrick has sprouted 2 new teeth (those little buggers) and is chowing on solid food like you wouldn't believe. He probably eats more than some adults! He loves carrots, sweet potatoes, applesauce, and green beans. Peas and pears seem to wreck his little stomach, so he doesn't get those anymore (Can you say diarrhea and diaper rash? Ugh!), and he's not so fond of blueberries and bananas. His little teeth kept us up quite a bit last week, but now that they've cut the skin and we don't have any new ones on the horizon, I think we'll get a bit more rest. Thank God!! :) Otherwise, he has learned to SIT UP! We've been working on it and this last week, he finally got it down. The little dude is pushing 20 pounds now and is a big, healthy boy. I'm so thankful and grateful for that.

Work is GREAT! I love being back at work, talking to adults about things other than teething, baby poop, and pureed food. I mean, being a mommy is the best thing ever, but I love having the combination of (corporate) work and family - it's a very full life for me, personally. This week and last week, Patrick's school was closed for vacation (it's a family-owned business), so my mother came into town to help out with Patrick while I worked. This week, I'm in Houston working from here while Mom and Dad help out with P. It's been nice sharing Patrick with the parental unit - they've enjoyed him SO much. My mother got my high chair down from the attic and restained it, along with making a special safari-themed cushion just for Patrick. Look how cute he is in his mommy's high chair...

Next week, things return to normal - Patrick goes back to school, I'll be home (in Austin with no in-laws in the house), and Sheridan and I can resume our normal routine of work, baby, couple time. I'm looking forward to that, FO SHO!

So that's it from command central. I hope all is well with my Mer Show bloggies.

Love, Mer