Tomorrow is your 22nd birthday. That is so hard for me to comprehend because the time has passed much too quickly. Sometimes I miss that little boy that used to love to cuddle with me and promised to buy me pretty sparkly diamonds.

I remember feeling so guilty when I was pregnant with you. I thought I'd never love another baby as much as I loved your brother and I didn't think it was fair to bring you into the world under those circumstances. But then you were placed in my arms and I knew that it was indeed possible. I loved you so much that I thought my heart would burst. I'm sorry that I didn't protect you from those mean nurses that insisted on naming you Yoda, but really, look at your baby pictures sometime. The resemblance is uncanny. I thought those eyes of yours would swallow your face.

I remember being awestruck at how you kept looking around at your surroundings only minutes after birth. It was as if you were starved for visuals and you were just taking it all in. I don't remember ever seeing a baby look around as much as you did.

The pediatrician had a good laugh with me about your first visit with him. The first baby they gave him was a girl, and he knew that wasn't right. Then they handed him this little peanut of a baby. He tried to give you back too, because he thought you'd be a Howard Huge like your brother.

You were always quite a little ladies man. Your next pediatrician was a woman and she used to laugh at how you'd flirt with her before you were even one year old. You'd give her this really coy little look and rub your toe on her leg. When you entered school, it was nirvana for you. You always had at least two girlfriends at a time. Your fifth birthday party consisted of four girls and one boy. I like those odds for you, kiddo.

I hardly ever put you down when you were a baby because you were such a cuddler. You just loved to lay in my arms and play with my hair and stare into my eyes. It was magical and I always wondered what you were thinking. You were probably plotting your next meal....

I remember always sitting with you for a while before you'd go to sleep when you were little. Sometimes it was to read a story, sometimes it was to just listen to you talk. Sometimes the things that came out of your mouth had me on the floor laughing. One time I looked at you and had my hand on your cheek and said, "I love you my sweet little boy". You put your hand on my cheek and said, "I love you my sweet BIG mommy". There was another time when you were about four and you looked like you were gazing into my eyes. I asked you what you were thinking and you said, "You have a zit on your nose". Yeah, a real charmer, you were.

You always seemed older than your years and I was constantly amazed at your lack of fear. I don't think you were even eight years old when you had purchased something with your allowance that was defective. You asked me to drive you right back to the store so you could return it. You didn't want or need my help, just a ride. I was in awe of you when you did that.

We've lived without a man in the house from the time you were six until you moved out. As you got older, you turned into quite a handyman and I appreciated it because we were living paycheck to paycheck. I don't know where you learned to do the things you did, but it made me feel safe having you around. When you were 15 and the gas water heater went out, I didn't have enough money to hire someone to install it. You said that you could do it, and I knew that you could. And you did. Now that I think about it, having my 15 year old son replace a gas water heater on Halloween gives a new definition to fright night.

I remember the years that I was not allowed to call you anything except your name. If I accidently called you honey, sweet boy, or anything except for your name in public I'd get the dirtiest scowl and a tongue lashing when we got to the car. Now you put up with it all and you even say "I love you" to me in front of people. You really are my sweet boy.

I am so proud of you, and I always have been. We had a few months of rocky roads in your early teens that lead you to living with your dad, but it became a great discovery for both of us at how much we loved each other. I hated not having your presence in our home. I was so happy when you wanted to come back.

After high school when you decided to leave the nest and spread your wings, it nearly broke my heart. I adored spending time with you every night after you'd come home from work. But I also realized and appreciated how important your independence is to you.

So, here I am the night before your birthday wishing just a little that you were that sweet baby again just for a little while. I miss smelling your sweet baby hair (when you finally grew some) and I miss watching you sleep. At the same time, I am so proud at what a wonderful man you've become. Everyone that knows you thinks the world of you. You are trustworthy, you have a kind heart and you are fiercely protective of those that you love. I can't possibly imagine being more proud of you than I am.

I'm so lucky that I was given the gift of you.

I love you, son.

Because I seem to be working with a snake. Snakes belong in zoo's right?

My beloved partner in crime left our department for a better job for himself (THE NERVE!) and was replaced with someone who at first seemed like a really fun guy. I thought we'd really have a good time working together because he has a lot of energy at work like me. It was all fun an games until he started messing in my turf. We've had one meeting about roles, just to make sure we were on the same page. It seemed that we were. My role, all around web Goddess (design, maintenance, technical support); his role, edit content, help with communications plans, help to traffic communications. I'm online chick, he's words guy. Easy enough, right?

Two weeks ago he took one of my designs and "completely overhauled it" with our client and sent an email to me, the client and their uncles with his "new" design. He didn't include my design in the email to use as a comparison.

A: His idea of a complete overhaul and mine are two different things
B: He had no business meeting alone with the client about my design. He should have had the client meet with me, and he could have come if he wanted to. His role has NOTHING to do with this.

After I calmed down, I hit 'reply all' and sent a brief email asking him if he'd point out what was different between the two designs, because all I could see was changes in a couple of the links (which I only had up as examples.)

He again replied to everyone and wrote (in capital letters) YOU'RE KIDDING, RIGHT? (yeah, he really did) then further went on to write that his design met corporate standards, making it sound like mine didn't. That made me feel that I looked like an incompetent fool.

I chose not to hit 'reply all' at this point because now it was sounding like a pissing match. I don't do that. I replied, explaining to him that we used to work with different teams, so his idea of "standard" and mine were two different things. Neither was wrong. I further explained that he had no business doing what he did, how it made me look, and reminded him of our roles. He backed down at that point and said that he knew it was wrong but he was talking to the client about something else and it just kind of "evolved".

I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt, until he did it again last week. Different client. I was CRAZY busy with that project I wrote about last week, and I got an email from him saying that "they" had five sites that I needed to build for them by 3/31, then proceeded to tell me what goes on the sites. He then said, "should we (he and the client) go directly to web services, to get this done?"

I replied that no, again, this is MY job and I'll work with the client. I added that what he's come up with is a little more complicated than he's making it out to be and 3/31 is a tight deadline but I'd try. In reality, I'll make SURE it gets done even if I get no sleep but he doesn't need to know that. There is no way I'll miss a deadline, even if it's one that he created. Again he sent me more email pushing my buttons.

I set up a meeting with him for this Thursday so we could set things straight. I refuse to let this guy get under my skin. He's clearly overstepping his boundaries and he's being a jackass about it. He's not going to see the "risible" side of this girl on Thursday.

I was starting to wonder if it was just me taking things personally. Was I being a primadonna? Was I feeling threatened? I certainly hoped not, but I was willing to look at that possibility until....

Yesterday I met with the web team about some new standards. The snake's name came up and two people on the team said to watch out for him because he has a habit of making promises to the clients that can't be kept by the web team and then getting the clients mad at the web folks. Not once, not twice, but constantly. This is his M.O. They spilled the beans before I even had a chance to say what he'd done to me. So, I left that meeting feeling a lot more empowered to be assertive about this on Thursday.

If he continues to do this, I will go to my manager and see about severing our relationship. He doesn't report up through the same division as I do. He's just dedicated to our division. I've built up a really good reputation with my clients and I refuse to have a snake in the grass ruin it. I'm fighting mad and he's going to see a side of me that not too many people have the 'opportunity' to see.

What a lucky snake....

:snark: OH yeah, I might also add in this meeting that 40 something men really shouldn't write "kewl!" in work email. It makes them look really stupid. :/snark:

I have NO idea who to give credit to for this and I don't normally post this sort of stuff to my site.

But I think it's incredibly funny......

NEW EVENING CLASSES FOR MEN!!!

ALL ARE WELCOME
OPEN TO MEN ONLY
Note: due to the complexity and level of difficulty, each course will accept a maximum of eight participants

The course covers two days, and topics covered in this course include:

DAY ONE

HOW TO FILL ICE CUBE TRAYS
Step by step guide with slide presentation

TOILET ROLLS- DO THEY GROW ON THE HOLDERS?
Roundtable discussion

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN LAUNDRY BASKET & FLOOR
Practicing with hamper (Pictures and graphics)

DISHES & SILVERWARE; DO THEY LEVITATE/FLY TO KITCHEN SINK OR DISHWASHER BY THEMSELVES?
Debate among a panel of experts.

LOSS OF VIRILITY
Losing the remote control to your significant other - Help line and support groups

LEARNING HOW TO FIND THINGS
Starting with looking in the right place instead of turning the house upside down while screaming - Open forum


DAY TWO

EMPTY MILK CARTONS; DO THEY BELONG IN THE FRIDGE OR THE BIN?
Group discussion and role play

HEALTH WATCH; BRINGING HER FLOWERS IS NOT HARMFUL TO YOUR HEALTH
PowerPoint presentation

REAL MEN ASK FOR DIRECTIONS WHEN LOST
Real life testimonial from the one man who did

IS IT GENETICALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO SIT QUIETLY AS SHE PARALLEL PARKS?
Driving simulation

LIVING WITH ADULTS; BASIC DIFFERENCES BETWEEN YOUR MOTHER AND YOUR PARTNER
Online class and role playing

HOW TO BE THE IDEAL SHOPPING COMPANION
Relaxation exercises, meditation and breathing techniques

REMEMBERING IMPORTANT DATES & CALLING WHEN YOU'RE GOING TO BE LATE
Bring your calendar or PDA to class

GETTING OVER IT; LEARNING HOW TO LIVE WITH BEING WRONG ALL THE TIME
Individual counselors available

My oldest son has a pair of tried and true girlfriend barometers; his eyebrows.

See exhibit A:


These are his eyebrows when he doesn't have a girlfriend.

Now view exhibit B:


These would be his eyebrows when he's paired up with someone. Anyone, really. I've yet to see a girlfriend of his keep their tweezers off his mono-brow.

Last night we had the boys over to celebrate son number 2's birthday. The moment my oldest walked in the door, there was no doubt that he was dating someone. The question was, who? Instead of grilling him, I decided to wait and see if he'd tell me as the evening progressed. True to form, he spilled the beans.

Remember this gal?

Yeah, that's right. Color me thrilled.

Follow That Star posted about how his mom used to dress him in clothes and shoes that were always two sizes too big.. It's pretty much how all of us lived back then. Apparently I was much easier on my clothes than he was and I have proof.

Here I am somewhere between 4 and 5 months old (the date on the picture is May, and I was born on the last day of January)


And here I am at about 2 and a half. SAME DRESS, two years later!


So unlike FTS, I could make my clothes last two years.

To be fair to my mom, she really didn't dress us in clothes that were way too big for us. The rule of thumb was there needed to be about a finger's width room to grow in the shoes. Since I mostly wore dresses as a kid, they just started out long and got shorter. One of the benefits of being a girl, I guess.

Thanks for the fun memory FTS!