Good and Bad

Shall I start with the bad?

I have this very annoyed feeling deep inside. I got my review on Tuesday at work, and it wasn't great. But I did everything asked of me in 2010 - the issue was that my boss didn't ask much of me. So, compared to other VP's in the organization, I was kind of low in the ranking. Not awful, but I'm used to being close to the top. And I asked over and over again to do more stuff. I drove home, ready to vent about it with Aaron - and when I got home, the dogs had pooped all over the rugs, and he was berating me for leaving a mess that morning.

Now, granted, the rational Cece says that it's true! I didn't do much work in 2010, and that was a blessing. Helped me get things under control, and get things slowly back in order. I certainly didn't PUSH to get busier at work - I was enjoying having a more relaxed work life. And yes, Aaron and I had agreed to hold each other to task when the house was messy - but damn it. I was in a fragile state! And I wanted a hug, not bullshit. Having him take care of the kids on his own last week I think was a really good thing - gave him appreciation for everything it takes to keep things running... but now he thinks he knows the best way to do things. Maybe his way is better, but I admit that it's a bit hard to have someone telling you how to do things, when I was the boss of it all for over two years.

Deep breath.

The good? We are both trying hard and helping each other get things done. What worked for us for a long time was separation of duties - Aaron did the outside stuff (plus dog puke and poop if it occurred inside), I did the inside (but somehow I'm in charge of outside cleanup of dog poop. That is kind of funny, now that I think about it). Worked great, except as the number of people INSIDE the house has increased, so has the load of the inside work, and I was getting overwhelmed and frustrated. So we've set up a few things that have made huge differences, and Aaron is really making a big difference in my stress level... once I except his new ways.

And the other good? Cameron is loves to play games! I also love to play games of all types, so this is huge developmental excitement for me! We've been playing Don't Break the Ice for a few weeks (Cam loves taking turns. MY turn! Mama's turn!), and yesterday, when stuck home in the snow, I showed him how to play a memory game that he LOVES. And was disturbingly good at. This weekend, I'm meeting up with someone from the twins list to paw through her old toddler board games, and hopefully we'll find some good ones. Any recommendations on favorites? I'm already thinking we need Candyland, Snail's Pace Race, Cootie and Ants in the Pants.