Randomia

We had our first Dream Dinners failure tonight. Ironically, I was just telling a coworker yesterday about how everything we'd eaten had been delicious. In this case, it wasn't that the food didn't taste good... it just cooked up wrong. It actually came out of the oven cold, but seemingly overcooked in some places and undercooked in others. Chris said it was not completely thawed, so we are guessing that was the problem. We're disappointed though, because we were looking forward to this dish (tilapia with baby shrimp). In fact, I made two bags of it, so we'll have another opportunity to try it and see if it comes out any better.

I have a meeting for a project at work tommorrow morning. I am beginning to hate this project. Every little detail involved seems to cause stress and heartache. Which is just stupid, really, considering the nature of the project. I work in a library for crissakes! How much heartache could be involved? Apparently, plenty. Bleh.

We practice something called "Facilitative Leadership" in our system. It's a good concept at its soul, but I can't seem to grasp it. It's all about listening and inquiring and testing assumptions... all good stuff... but I'm so used to doing things a different way that it seems to interfere with my productivity when I use it. I am told this is just because I need more practice. In the meantime, I have to run meetings using these skills, and I always walk out emotionally drained and feeling like a failure. Gotta love it.

Athena has been showing us her dance moves lately. We must post a video. It's too cute to describe. She does this shimmy thing... you would have to see it. It's awesome. We'll work on getting it on tape.

I've been kicking around more plans for our Disney trip. I know it's not until April, but it's the only trip I've got coming up, and I have to have something to look forward to. At the moment, we're staying at the Marriott Cypress Harbor. We are hoping to be able to switch to an onsite resort (most likely Old Key West, although we are hoping for The Wilderness Lodge for its proximity to the Magic Kingdom) but because of the nature of our friends' timeshare points, we probably won't know if space is available until early February. However, if we don't stay onsite, it will be fine. We'll spend some time at the resort pools, and we know we want to go to SeaWorld one day. Wherever we stay, it will be a good trip.

We're currently considering asking Grandma to watch Marcus for that week. (Hi, Grandma!) At first, I was gung-ho to take him, since we could get his first haircut there just as we did for Athena. But the reality of dragging the poor guy around the parks for a week behind his three-year-old sister, her five-year-old buddy, and with any luck, her good friend Aiden... well, Marcus would be miserable. And therefore so would we. He would be one year old. What would be the point, really?

Chris and I are starting to trade nights/kid responsibility. Tonight, I get Athena and he gets Marcus. However, lately, both kids have been sleeping well through the night. Athena has managed to stay on top of her bed and Marcus has gotten better at getting himself back to sleep... perhaps thanks to the magic teddy bear. So here's hoping there are no incidents.

It appears that Chris has given me his cold. I plan to kick him in his sleep many times tonight. Wish me luck.