A little down time. Maybe.

After weeks and weeks of craziness,

craziness that included only one day in 7 weeks where I didn't step foot into the restaurant at all,

things seem to be stabilizing.

We have some good solid people that can be in charge when I'm not there,

so I can start to really balance my time better.

On Tuesday after a brief stop at the restaurant, I had a date with my Peanut.

We met my mom and Peanut's cousin Daniel at Pretend City in Irvine.

(post coming up soon, maybe, I think, maybe)

Peanut had a great time running around in circles trying to play in and on everything.

I got lots of hugs and kisses and snuggles all day.

It was fantastic.

Did I say things were going to stabilize?

Well, they were going to stabilize.....

and then we had an offer on a house accepted!

So guess who is about to embark on a whole new level of chaos?!

That's right, we are!

I'll be here for the summer

 

We had a soft opening at the cafe in Corona Del Mar, exactly a week ago.

It's in a snack shack down at the beach.

I took these pictures before opening so you could get a feel for the space we're in.

This is our view from the window.

 

We'll be running the full Rooster Cafe menu soon and until then we're serving your usual beach fare.

You know, hot dogs (and a bacon-wrapped dog, of course), hamburgers, chicken fingers and what not.

But seriously.... this is where I've been spending my days.

Life could be worse, don't ya think?

A few nights ago as I was lotionin' the Peanut after his bath I just sort of got lost in my thoughts.

Don't ask me what I was thinking because I was standing there rubbing lotion on his legs when I glanced up and noticed his upper half looked like this!

Of course, it's triple cream which is super thick.

He was having a ball.

B walked in and looked at me like I had two heads so I said the same thing I always do when my stupidity results in a big mess,

"Go get the camera!"

Moisturizing is very important, you know.

Hand print art: take 1

Have you seen the bazillion different things you can make with hand and foot prints?

Well, it doesn't really matter how many times you see them, 

they are still pretty cool when your own Peanut makes them.

This was our first time playing with finger paints.

He's not really sure what in the world is going on.

After we did the fancy one I let him paint on his own.

I thought that he would dig right in and make a complete mess like he usually does.

Instead, he was very neat about it.

He used one finger.

Very gentle.

He was really more interested in daddy's garage.

He doesn't get to play in there often.

I can't imagine why.

I'll just stand right here and make sure my baby doesn't get swallowed by a mound of bikes.

Here you are grandma!

I made it just for you!

Coming home

Ta-da!

Life is really busy.  Work is really busy.

It seems that even if my day isn't completely full, my mind cannot stop running.

I've managed restaurants before, although not in quite the same capacity.

What I've not done before is balance work and life outside of work.

To be honest, I never had to.  

The last time I managed a restaurant, B and I were both in the same line of work.

We both worked crazy hours, had 3 am meals with friends and we never minded that work meshed with all the aspects of our lives.  I mean, we met at work and it was our common ground.

This time around life is much different.

This time around we have Peanut, we are a family.

It feels odd at times.  I have two completely different lives.

Sometimes it's hard to remember that the world is spinning on at it's normal pace when I'm stressing about  being short-staffed and picking up product and completing training and who to trust to close the restaurant so I don't have to move in and trying to project what we'll need to get the restaurant up and running.

Days like this I go home or to my parents to pick up Peanut and I see him playing

and I remember that in this little boy is my shelter from the outside world.

Hey, I'm not saying that it's a calm shelter or a place that lacks stress or occasional madness.

I'm saying that he reminds me that our family is it's own world.  

It's the center, the pull in which I may flit madly around but I always return to.

He doesn't care what else is going on, he cares that I sit down and read a story or we sing a song.

He cares that I watch and clap as he takes a turn down the slide (as exhausting as sliding may be).

It's because of him that work remains work, a part of life, but just a part because the biggest part of life is waiting when I get home.