Usually Laurie is the one to post on the site, but tonight I felt it was my turn.

These past few months have been extremely busy for me personally.  Between Hexagon Metrology and Black Tie Solutions, I have put in more hours every day/week/month that I really care to admit.  So many hours of work acutally, that I havent spent more than a few days outside this entire summer.  If I was single, that wouldnt be much of an issue, but having a beautiful wife and two beautiful children, this is a little harder to balance.  Fortunately they understand and know that it will not always be like this.  Regardless, I've literally been stuck behind a computer monitor every night after I get done with long hours for Hexagon so I can get to work for Black Tie Solutions developing my client sites.  Most nights I've been getting to bed between 1 and 3 am.  That doesnt make it very easy to wake up early in the morning to go to the office for Hexagon.  Even still, I love my career, working both for Hexagon and for myself.  I take pride in what I do, I work hard and fast, and try to provide the highest quality service.  I do my best to make sure my employer and my clients get what they pay for.  In the end, I'm still left feeling a little tired and wore out, and even a little grumpy at times.

I'm writing my blog, Kimmy-style! :) I stuck a couple more updates below.

A New Pet

Jordan and Aubrey have a new pet -- a baby bunny!  We decided to call her (it's a she according to Jebby) Butterscotch, because of her color.  She is a pretty and cute little bunny.  You will see in the pictures (when I put it in later).  Jordan pretty much does good with her... though he is learning things that he should NOT be doing with her.  He's managed to drop her, put her in containers, under the blanket with him, let her ride their bounce-and-spin Zebra toy. ride Aubrey's bike, stuff in a boot. etc.  At one time, he told me that Butterscotch needs to be "warmed up".  And then, he proceeds to stick her in the microwave -- the kid's play kitchen's microwave.  I was debating whether I should allow him to proceed with his plan or not... Anyway, he stuck her in the play microwave and closed the door.  He pretended to push some buttons and then made the sound.  After a few seconds, he took her out and exclaimed -- "She's all warm now"!  My microwave is high enough that he can't and won't be able to reach it -- I hope!  I did give him a little talk as to why he really should not be doing that to a bunny or to any animal for that matter.  Jordan's a funny and imaginative little boy.

Feast Preparations

So far, so good.  The countdown is 12 days til the day we leave.  Jordan and Aubrey's paper chain looks soo tiny and short now compared to when we first made it.  There's just a couple more things that I need to get and do... and then the big task of packing it all up is planned for late next week.  I still need to call up our bank/CC company to let them know we will be overseas so they won't think the charges we are making on our card are fraud and block our card.  Also, we need to unlock our cellphone (or get it in roaming -- whichever), so we can still use our cellphones while in the Philippines, and lastly... I need to put a hold on our mail at our local post office for the days we are away.

I got the stroller that I ordered today -- it's the Joovy Caboose Ultralight Stand-on Tandem stroller.  It looks pretty cool.  Right now, I just took it out of the box but haven't assembled it yet.  I'm waiting until Jeb comes home so he can put it together for me -- I don't want to deal with the complications of assembling it together.  I'm sure I can figure it out, but it'll be so much easier if I just waited :)  So, I haven't test-run it yet.  I was going to attempt to put it together so I can test-run it and take the kids to the park this afternoon, but I decided against it. =P  Maybe later on this afternoon when Jeb comea home from work, we can try it out.  Jordan and Aubrey already knew where their places were.  I had it up and standing (without the wheels) and Aubrey automatically sat in the front and Jordan went to go sit in the back.  It's pretty cool.  I think the kids will like this stroller.

Also, I got my box of goodies for the kids at the Feast.  I ordered a bunch of little different things (coloring/activity books, crayons, stickers, glow sticks [they love this!], bean bag animals, little toys, canvas totes, etc) from OrientalTrading.com so I (with the help of Jordan, Aubrey and Tephi and Aunties :) ) can assemble a bag of stuff and hand them out to the kiddos at the Feast.  I'm pretty excited!  We'll have quite a bit of baggage to bring over =P  I asked my brother Charlie and confirmed it with my dad how many kids are expected at this years' Feast and they said about 170.  Whoa!!!  That's a third of the population of Feast-goers.  I asked them to have the age cut-off at 11 or 12 years.  It went down to about 50-70.  That's a little bit more manageable, but still quite a bit.  I guess we'll just have to "prioritize" in case I don't have enough for everybody.  I don't think infants need a goody bag yet.  But we'll see.  This is something that Jeb and I have been wanting to do for the kids at the Feast (especially when we go visit the Philippines) -- to make their Feast a bit enjoyable.  When people (and kids) are happy... we are happy -- and that's what makes a Feast a best Feast ever for us.

[Note: Meryl or Mom, if you are reading this... we want this to be a little surprise for the kids, so let's just keep it hush for now, thanks. :)]

I've been tossing and turning for the last 4 hours trying to sleep.  I would fall in and out of sleep but I feel like I am just closing my eyes but not sleeping.  I feel restless and getting sick with the sniffles.  I think I am suffering from temporary and mild insomnia.  I think my restless nights' sleep started a few days ago.  I didn't sleep well last night either.  (Aubrey just woke up and walked in my office.  Yes, she climbed out of her crib [again!] and managed to open the not-so-closed door... for the hundredth time today.  She kept climbing down her crib after I put her to bed when I was putting her to bed earlier.)

I remember getting like this (mild insomnia) when I was pregnant yet with Aubrey and prior to the Feast 2 years ago (we were going to Colorado because we couldn't make it to the Philippines).  I too was suffering from exactly the same thing I am suffering right now.  I don't like it!!!  I think I have been staying up way too late lately, with trying to get some work done or staying up / putting kids to bed all night when they constantly wake up.  And yes, stress.  And now, I just can't seem to fall asleep. I need some remedies!!!!

Yes, I did try the counting sheep technique.  I could go on and on with it... no kidding!  Two years ago was just bad... I tried different sorts of stuff, from counting sheep, to warm bubble baths, warm milk, reading, drinking sleep tea, anything!... just to get me to sleep a decent night's sleep.  Nothing has helped and I did suffer being sick and it went through the Feast.  Hence, me being sick at the Feast and prior to the Feast.  I don't want to end up the same like that.  I know my parents / family from the Philippines reading this won't be too happy.

Anyway, Aubrey's on my lap playing with her bottle (I tried giving her a wam bottle of milk to help her go back to sleep).  She drank most of it and now, she's playing with putting the cap on and off the bottle.  I need to go and put her back to sleep and *try* to get some sleep... with whatever hours I have left before the kids are up again for the morning.