Cha-Cha-Cha-Changes

As some one you know, life around here had been busy. No, no new kids on the way. But we're about the give birth to another new baby, if you will.

After two years of work and planning and on-again/off-again negotiations, and doing all of that again and again, Brian has signed a lease. We are now small business owners. He will be opening his own clinic in just 6 short weeks.

Yes, coming soon, to a Highland Park neighborhood near you (that is, if you live in St. Paul, Minn.) will be Highland Family Eye Care. Yes, we have taken the leap.

A friend asked me recently, knowing that the lease had been signed, what Brian was up to now. And the honest truth is... Not sleeping and working about 20 hours a day. Literally. In addition to working his current full-time job, his is spending his early mornings, commutes and all of his late night hours emailing, writing, applying, and calling. It is amazing the amount of people who have, as he jokes, suddenly become his best friends.

So yes, that means I am pretty much single parenting for awhile here. In addition to all that, he is also working an extra job at another clinic (as we seem to be writing checks every time we turn around) one night a week and on Saturdays. He joked with the kids as he left tonight, "Caleb and Noah, I will see you at your college graduations and Eli, I will do my best to be there for your first varsity game!"

All joking aside, we both agree that, while the short term will be, well, "a lot," the long term will be worth it. And we just hope the long term is before the aforementioned graduations and games ;)

For those of you near us, the new clinic will be in Highland Park, across the street from the Highland Theater. It is going in the old Details Salon space.

We are very excited. Scared. Daunted. Challenged, yes. But this is a good step.

Just understand if we're a little distracted lately. It's not you. It's just that all of those other 10,000 details are demanding our immediate attention.

You will be hearing from us. No worries. After all, everyone has eyes and we, well, let's be real, we need to eat. Ha! Stay tuned.

Time for a Haircut

Over the weekend, yes, that wonderful-weekend-that-was-ridding-my home-of-lice-weekend, Caleb looked up at me at one point and asked why I was still wearing my pajamas.

Now mind you, I had progressed a bit past pajamas. Or at least I had evolved my pajama look. I had hopped out of bed and added old hospital scrubs to my nightshirt look and even stuck a headband in my hair. Hey, when you have short, curly hair, your morning hair is kind of scary.

But as it went, that was my look for the day. And when Caleb asked me this, it was about 2:00 in the afternoon. But I had spent my morning making breakfast, cleaning breakfast, making lunch, cleaning up lunch, and, oh yeah, ridding my home of lice. So why get dressed. The bugs don't care and I was just going to practically boil whatever I was wearing when I was done anyways. Pajamas would do.

As Caleb asked me this, Noah was more concerned about my "crazy hair." I explained to him that having that aforementioned curly, short hair (and being a light sleeper) leads to wild big hair in the mornings. And that most days (weekdays) by the time they see me, I have showered and begun my four-hair-product routine. But in my battle with the bugs, I skipped showering on the front end.

Ok, so they got it.

I was driving the kids home from camp yesterday and Noah asked, in truly his most concerned, sensitive voice:

"Mom, did you not get a chance to shower yet today?"

[Mind you, I said I was driving them home from school and it was 5:00 and I had been very much in the office all day.]

Me: "No, Noah, I took a shower this morning. Why?"

Noah: "Oh, well you just have kind of your crazy hair, so I was worried you didn't get the time to shower."


Ok. And once again, reminded that there is nothing like kids to keep you humble. And that my hair stylist needs to get back form maternity leave so I can get a haircut.