Bruno the BlackBerry

Just like the avatar at the top of this blog for about 5 years now you can count on catching me going to work on my trusty sidekick-Bruno. I've upgraded Bruno a few times but never got distracted with any Droids or other fancies and since I wasn't on AT&T the iPhone wasn't even tempted, Bruno was my go to guy no questions asked! We checked in to Foursquare on all my adventures, we Tweeted my randoms throughout the day, we kept up with email from work, personal, and blog all on the go.

Chunks came along and he too fell in love with Bruno and some of the apps that we could download on him just for Chunks's learning and entertaining pleasure. This could cause some parents a little fear but nah, not me, Bruno was a tough guy and could deal with a toddler and he did for 2 years until last weekend...

Chunks was supposed to be racing cars in the hallway while I did some work in the room, when things got too quiet I peeked out and noticed the bathroom door was open, Oh no. I called his name and he answered very quickly and ran out in the hall, Oh No. I walked into the bathroom to look around at what he was getting into and everything was normal and/or locked away ::sigh of relief:: I turned to cut the light off and that's when I saw him, Bruno, floating at the bottom of the toilet OH NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

I scooped him up and yanked the battery out and tried to try him off as quickly as I could but it was too late, Bruno was gone :-( and after telling my tragic story to the good folks at Verizon they reminded me I had insurance and it would only cost $100 bucks to replace him (::side note::why pay insurance and STILL have to pay $100 bucks for a replacement? but that's another day). I've been trying for a month now to be cheap and not get another phone since I'm due for a new, free phone in April. You would die if I showed you the antique I've been using  (hint: it flips, don't laugh too hard). I am a texter, you want me text me but NOW texting is a chore, remember when T9 was the best thing to come along??? Yea that's where I'm at. I miss tweeting on the go and getting all my info right now, don't think I can take much more and listening to all my messages just to get to the one I really want to hear is beyond the WORST! Spoiled modern tech-geek that I am, so it looks like I'll be caving in and getting a new Blackberry to hold me over until April when the iPhone will take center stage.

Unofficial Resolutions

I've never been one to make resolutions (think I said this last year lol) because I'm a planner by nature and I've learned not to plan too far ahead because you never know what God has up His sleeves.

Personally
I'm still working on this budgeting business and cleaning up my credit so that when we get ready to start house hunting we have no surprises. The fact that my student loans are so high and I'm not even done yet bums me out sometimes but then I realize it has to get done somehow so I'm just working through it.

I also want to try to change this wardrobe up a bit. I'm a classics and jeans kinda girl but very New York in that most things in my closet are black or grey and I think we're going to play with more colors and prints now, we'll see how that goes.  I'm playing more and more in make up so that might help with all that ::you care::.

More and more friends are encouraging me to start dating and honestly after being with the same person for 7 years, I'm just not ready to jump back out there just yet. With all the news of men hurting babies lately I'm good on meeting new people right now, I'm just not there but who knows what the New Year will bring with it. If GOOD potential (more on this in a future post) shows up I'm not saying I'll duck it but I'm not out there hunting yet.

Mommyhood
Raising Chunks solo has me kinda beat but I'm really loving it. It might sound selfish but being able to up and do things we like without running it past someone in a mood or teaching him new things in my own way without comments from a peanut gallery has been fun. Chunks really is a great kid and seeing how much he's taking in and his own little personality come out is great. We used to do Mommy & Me days and that kinda died down a little but we're changing that and heading back out to explore the town.

I would hope that in 2012 all the major drama with the Wasband will die down some I really don't want to be fighting and feeling like an idiot all year when I think "THIS IS WHAT I CHOSE???" It really is heartbreaking. If we can come to an at least friendly place that would be golden but a part of me wishes he would just disappear (juvenile I know) but positive thoughts and vibes and MUCH prayer. Wishing for the best here.

With the job, studying, and being Mommy and Daughter I've started to feel a little burnt out and If Mommy ain't happy... SO I've decided to just take a me day, I'll drop Chunks off to school and spend the day in a plush hotel suite SOLO! and just pamper myself a bit. Sleep is #1 but then a massage, a nice lunch/dinner (maybe with the girls), and then soak in a deep tub and RECHARGE! Just writing this is making me excited it's so necessary and it might become routine.

Mommy's A Business
Deep inside, past the science geek that I am on an everyday I really have CEO dreams. I've started the motions on one of the projects but because I needed a crash course in reality it took a pause but hopefully in the next few months it will be off the ground. Fingers Crossed.

I used to be really into Community Service and I'm seriously considering rejoining certain groups and even starting some of my own to help raise awareness of some of things that matter to me, especially Brooklyn based and doing what I can to help when I can. Chunks has to learn somehow, right.

Well that's all I've put together for now. Even with the divorce situation going on I have to say 2011 wasn't so bad and I'm really looking forward to 2012 and the new and better coming our way! To all of you who have stuck with me and my wayward blogging this year and all it's ups and downs I'm wishing you nothing but the best, happy, forward moving New Year with Dream Come True moments all year long. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR LOVES!

Co-Parenting

Things got really real around here last week, sorry for my lack of posts. I try not blogging too much about what's happening with the Wasband because it really was something I tried to just block out of my daily thoughts, really. When something is stressful or negative in my life I tend to block it out and throw myself into my work and well now Chunks and work, and this is how I was dealing with all that.

I've got the travel bug again and started planning some getaways, with Chunks, some friends, and possibly a solo trip somewhere. My passport needs to be renewed and I was so excited to finally get Chunks one of his very own (why has it taken me so long I don't know) and then  I sat to fill out the application and my heart dropped. You now need the approval of BOTH parents to get a child a passport!!!

I was immediately annoyed, even though I could see why, with some trifling parents trying to steal kids away from the other to some foreign country but OMG WHY do I have to go through all this. The Wasband has been MIA since his disappearance back in June with a sporadic phone call here and there from unknown and varied numbers and I have to get HIS approval for MY son to travel?!?!?! Ugh! What else will I face this little nasty block with?

So I decided it was time to just settle everything once and for all and file for sole custody (since it's more immediate and less costly/complicated than divorce for me right now). The judge was not very understanding that I had no clue where to find Chunks's father and ordered me to have him served ASAP. I reached out to his sister and she, as always, was very supportive and said I could send the papers to her to have him served, and so I did. Then I get a random phone call saying he would not be signing anything because Chunks is still his son, yadda yadda yadda, bs bs bs. And so, my Co-Parenting/Divorce madness begins...

I've sent him a pretty diplomatic e-mail explaining that custody has nothing to do with paternal rights, even though in a way he gave that up too, and that it would only make legal what I'm already doing which is raising Chunks and giving him all the opportunities he needs. Why the fight now? It's in the Lord's hands and I guess soon the judge's but it's hard not to question how someone who took her time, followed all the steps to not have to go through this drama is STILL going through this drama.

Any tips on handling Co-Parenting while going through

a separation? Prayers please!

Santa Baby

Dear Santa,
Let's talk about the year I've had...

1. In my quest for a new scent I spritzed my wrist with the new Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb fragrance and spent the day loving it!

2. Since I already got the new t.v. on Black Friday this Samsung Blu Ray Player would make my system complete!

3. My obsession with rose gold calls for the new Rebecca Minkoff's Baby G watch, thanks TamStyles for the post.

4. I never did get my grown up bag I promised myself so if you could just drop this little hottie off under the tree for me...

Now Smell This

I was never one of those who believed that your scent should change with the seasons, mainly because I'm pretty picky about what I smell like all day and also because I hate smelling like everyone else, it's hang up but hey ::Shrug::

Sephora

Since undergrad I've been loyal to what I call "my signature scent" but when I moved in with one of my good friends and found out it was her fave also I decided to switch things up so that we're not living together AND smelling alike (something about it was just weird lol) and tried a few different scents until I found Valentino's Rock n' Rose. 

It's the perfect combo of sugar and spice, not too soft but no where close that old lady smell of Chanel No. 5 (NOT a fan). It's not as easy to find anymore and I'm running low, now that I think about it. When I'm in a frilly mood I'll spritz on Coach's fragrance but nothing has wow'ed me like the first I used "MY signature scent" so I'm on the hunt.


Burberry's new fragrance BODY is getting great reviews on all the beauty blogs and it looks so feminine and chic so I'll try it out when I hit the sales at Bloomies this week. Wish me luck!

Ok spill it! What is your go-to fragrance? 

Am I the only one with a smells-good hang up?

I Got a Confession...

I was given the greatest compliment today and it made me kinda sad. The director of our practice is a bit eccentric and  high maintenance (to put it lightly) and demands perfection at ALL times from everyone even if it requires 14 hour days. She does it, so why shouldn't her staff?? Well anyway, we've had our bumps in the road and are now on a good path and today she actually said "I can't believe how young you are and how well balanced you have everything." She went on a little more but this really struck me.

It shocked everyone in the office, including me because for 1-she actually gave someone who was not an MD a compliment, and 2-she said it in front of other people. If you knew her you would totally understand (think a younger Meryl Streep in Devil Wears Prada). I was humbled and tried to get passed this conversation, I really don't like to be center of attention like that, but then I went to my office feeling like a liar.

There are days I am REALLY jacked all the way up: Chunks whines about something and I CAN'T DEAL! I mean really, did you really have to scream because you dropped a Hot Wheel??? Some nights I don't have the energy to act out the scenes of Caps for Sale so it may or may not be hidden under my pillow because I know he's gonna ask for it...

I am NOT a morning person so waking up is a daily activity in itself and if everyone is expected to be at their desks working at their assigned time, how can the LEAD walk in 10 minutes late (without snacks for the group).

Organic Chemistry is the devil's work and for some reason I cannot wrap my mind around it and if you know me, when school is off for me I'm OFF.

Somedays I get up and can't even begin to care about what I really look like so most days you can catch me in some scrubs and a bun ::shrug:: Gotta do better before NYC Kindergarten tours start.

I don't have it together, some days I just wanna stay in the bed and miss a day to hide. Motherhood is a constant job-you worry when you're gone, you fuss and dote when you're together, and you're planning their future all along the way. My job is stressful even though I'm learning a lot I know this isn't the last stop for me and that makes me sad too (but that's another post) but it's important and has to be done. I'm NOT Supermom, I'm not Super-Boss, and some days I just can't deal but if someone thinks I'm at least one of these my fake it til I make act must be pretty darn good! #RantOver

Wordless Wednesday-THE Tree

Tonight's the lighting of THE Christmas Tree here at Rockefeller Center, we won't be there tonight since the President will and:

 That Crowd + Extra Police Force + Stroller = MADNESS!!

It should be beautiful!



CBS