Still here 🙂
Today, during the day, was a low point for me. I felt nauseous all day long and was so exhausted and just broken down. The thing is, I have Eldest with me and it just broke my heart over and over again. I couldn't play with him nearly as much as he wanted to and when we were watching a movie, I fell asleep. Eventually, my mother in law came by to pick him up because he kept asking to go to her house. He is spending the night over there. We went to dinner with our friends to this awesome bar and grill. I made sure to munch on some of the stuffed jalapenos and some of the ridiculously spicy wings J ordered. When we came back home, my friends left and J and I went for a long walk together. It was really nice even though since we got back my feet and hands have been tingly. Also, the townhouse next door sold. The new family is moving in and from what we can tell it's a mom with four boys! Eldest is going to be in seventh heaven I just know it. And they look like really sweet boys too. The youngest looks around 6.
I've been trying to keep busy even though it wears me out. I've got the video camera charged finally and I put together a present for Eldset from Daughter. I read this idea on Martha Stewart's site for a Sibling Kit. I really loved the idea. Before we moved, I had bought a couple of Color Wonder kits at Wal-Mart in case I needed something to keep Eldest busy. I never opened them, so those went into the gift. Also, a while back I went nuts on Ebay buying up Beanie Baby lots. I put around six Beanie Babies in there too and a Timmie! I figure these are toys that he'll enjoy playing with and they're good for the hospital as they are portable.
As for Timmie, oh he's so cute. I actually first discovered Marilyn because she loves Cram Cream like I do. And when I saw her beautiful softies, I just knew I wanted one and I knew Eldest would love it especially Timmie because Eldest's favorite color is green these days and he loves creatures. So she put some up for sale not too long ago and I was able to get one. One day I hope to get one of her bunnies for Daughter. I just LOVE them. So Timmie arrived the other day and just like his Mama, he headed right for my Cram Cream inventory before I wrapped him up snugly in tissue paper as part of Eldest's gift.
I've also been making some updates at my store. A couple of people (no Theresa you're not alone) had asked me questions about details of some of the items in the shop which was good because I wasn't sure but I felt I had too little information up. So I took some scans and things. It was fun. A lot of this stuff is just so much cuter (yes, it's possible) when you open it and play with it. I also added some items I hadn't had a chance to add yet and I actually still have some erasers to add to the inventory but they're being a pain to photograph.
I have to try and head to the post office tomorrow. J is going to take Eldest to the movies to watch Cars. So I might take advantage of that to go to the post office that's by the old apartment and has a Michael's near it. There are a couple of things I'd like to get my Coloriffic partner at Michael's.
Have any of you played in that swap before? Man, I was so excited to play and like right when they did the sign ups and stuff this thread came up about disappointed swaps. Now, I'm not a swap virgin. I actually have done plenty of swaps and have been hosting one every other month for almost two years now. Actually, I am pretty sure it's been two years already. My experience has been that swaps held among smaller groups seem to work better possibly because the people just seem to know each other better. I've been on both sides of the swapping rainbow. I've had some really incredible and amazing swaps and I've had some that were disappointing but mostly they've been just right. The disappointing ones have never really bugged me for long. I usually give away what I don't need or like and just move on. If it's unusable, it hits the trash. Honestly my pet swapping peeve is no public acknowledgement from the person I swapped with. And really that's only because I'd like for other people to gain confidence in swapping with me and if people don't say anything on a forum or whatever, I have no way of establishing that confidence.
Every time I have swapped with someone I don't know, I have done everything in my power to find out as much as I can about them. I see if they're playing in other swaps and if they've played in other swaps what they've gotten that they went nuts over. I look at photos of things they've made. I read their blogs if they have one. I mean, really, I try to get to know them as best as I can. And although I don't necessarily believe in sending something you'd love receiving because people have VERY different tastes, I do like to look at something and wonder, does this show I put thought into this or that I was being hasty? That's my very favorite question to ask myself. It makes decision-making super easy for me. So, anyways that thread really bugs me but I can't help reading it. I'm a very firm believer in "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all" but at the same time, I always make an effort into finding the good thing in something bad. I just feel that people get into swaps without really "getting it". For me, it's all about getting fun mail. And the fact is that some packages are just funner to open than others; but that whole thing where you get really pissed about what you got? Sorry, that's just not me. I think to really crush me you'd have to really TRY to send crap. And again, if that's what you're doing, you shouldn't be swapping- duh. I think most people don't take the time to join a swap with the sole purpose of sending crap in mind. Maybe some crazy twisted person would do that for fun but most times, I think it's miscommunications and such things. I also find that if you take the time to include a letter in your swap that explains the reasoning behind your purchase, it's tons easier to "get" the package. Does that make sense? A simple note saying something like "I know this seems quirky but I read this about you here and when I saw this, I instantly thought of you." You accomplish two things right there. One, you establish that you did homework on the person and two, you thought of them. And that's a nice thing.
I have no freaking idea how this turned into a swap thing. None. Can you fill me in please? LOL. Anyways, I think I'm headed off to bed. We'll see what tomorrow brings!
Mutant Supermodel 