There's something to be said for delayed gratification....

I have always been bad with delayed gratification. If I get a birthday card in the mail before my birthday - I totally open it..... I'd eat my dessert before my dinner if I could.... I just figure - life is short and you never know when you might get hit by a bus (or tractor in my case). My husband is the total opposite. Back when we both worked I used to send him little sweet cards at work. He would send me some as well and as soon as I saw them in my box I'd rip it open and read it over and over. However he would let it sit on his desk and read it perhaps....after lunch. If someone were to give us each 3 pieces of candy I'd eat all mine right away and he's still have one of his a few days later.

Good for him right? I mean, delayed gratification is hard to come by in a "I want it NOW" culture.

I got to thinking about this recently when we got Direct TV installed. I now have the ability to record the shows I like to watch on TV if they aren't on at a time that's conducive for me - then I can watch them later while I nurse/fold laundry/cleanup the kitchen. COOL right?

Madeline's been into Curious George lately so I thought I'd record it for her so that she could watch it even if, perchance, she DIDN'T get up at 6:30 am one day. (We have not been so lucky as yet) However the last few days she's been obsessed with another show so I have been recording them both.

However I can't help but wonder if it's just a smiiiiidge egocentric. I know I know - it's a TV show whatever.....but it used to be that if she asked to watch Curious George after her nap well, she just had to wait. But now - if she wants Curious George, she gets it. I think there's a lot to be said for waiting for something. I mean I"m not going to hold on her or anything...I just think it's one more thing in this "now now now" society. She woulda been hurtin' for certain' if she grew up way back when I did and all I had to play with was a sick....

the livin' is easy

THIS is what summer in the country is all about!

Too bad I didn't have my camera handy to capture my husband on it!!!

Half n Half

"I miss the hospital!"

I have said it about a million times in the past 5 weeks. I cried both times with both babies. You go from having 'round the clock nurses and doctors at your beck and call, and 24 hours room service (Nothing like scrambled eggs and toast with a strawberry shake at 3 in the morning!!) to being back in your house with a pile of laundry and dirty dishes staring at you.

Now, I happen to have THE BEST NEIGHBORS in the world who cleaned my ENTIRE HOUSE while I was in the hospital having Jackson. (We're talking even toilets people.....they even turned down my bed for me!!!) So that was about the best thing in the world to come home to a CLEAN house.....

I will always say that the scariest day of my life was the day we brought Madeline home. I was beyond nervous and still in lots of pain from my C-Section. Plus I was like "I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TO DO WITH A NEWBORN!" The first nights with both babies were terrible - they only slept 10-15 minutes at a time.....

In the hospital you have people seeming to trip over themselves to help you. With both children we had a special nurse who went out of their way to really look out for us. I was breastfeeding like crazy so I was ordering food every two hours - movies on demand - people visiting - a nursery to send the baby to so we could get a 3 hours stretch of sleep.....then - HOME! no help, no nursery, and you can have food any time of day but you have to cook it yourself and worse - clean up the dishes.

I decided there should be a "halfway house" for new parents. After you leave the hospital (and really, should they boot you out after 2 days???? come ON - you just GAVE BIRTH!!) you go to this like....apartment complex. There's a nurse or two on staff that you can meet with, there's food made for you and your family - but you have more space and you can come and go - like your own little condo. You could still send your baby to a nursery for a few hour break if you need it, but yet you'd have your "own" space to live in. It wouldn't be as scary as being back home with NO medical professionals around and all of your chores piling up around you... Who WOULDN"T take advantage of that??

The tough part would be selling the idea to insurance..... sigh....