To Do It All

When the muppets first started eating rice cereal, we discovered tiny bites were key. (And then we discovered the key to a successful mealtime was anything other than rice cereal.) A heaping spoonful was just to big for their little mouths to neatly handle.

Try not to bite off more than you can chew. This is a lesson I often teach myself. Take, for example, the Pizookie at BJ’s Restaurant. It is a small dish of fresh-out-of-the-oven giant chocolate chip cookie topped with a mountain of melting vanilla bean ice cream. (The no-dessert Lenten promise has me dreaming of sugar plum fairies and triple scoop brownie sundaes.) It is so delicious that you crave an entire serving unto yourself. And then you don’t feel so good…

A perfect metaphor for life, really.

For the past two months, I tried my hand at the Stay at Home Mom gig. I enjoyed every unemployed moment with my muppets. This morning I burnt my toast (again. It’s a tricky toaster). I took this as a divine sign that domestic talents are not my true calling and it was time to return to the world of working moms.

I’m still in the technology industry – but just removed enough from my last company that I need to learn a who new set of terminology. I spent my first day engrossed in meetings. I’m a PR Manager and Marketing Writer – so it’s pretty crucial I figure out what I’m talking about. At the end of the day, I wandered around the office for a bit looking for the exit and departed with 128 unread emails awaiting attention from my inbox. (I am not making this up.) I will not be bored…

Not that I’ve been kicking up my heels.

During my extended unexpected maternity leave, I agreed to join the Board for our local MoM club (Mothers of Multiples). I’ll be helping to manage social media and writing for the blog, Mad About Multiples. I’ve also been volunteering as a meeting panelist – serving as the NICU voice. (I know, you’re shocked.)

In my downtime here at home, I’m constantly coming up with witty new blog topics. As I’ve mentioned before, I have an editorial calendar spanning at least two weeks. (Stay tuned for anecdotes on doing time in the NICU, nicknames, ducks and hats.) On days you muppet enthusiasts don’t find a fabulous new Double Trouble post to start your day, don’t worry, my ever improving writing skills aren’t getting rusty. I’m still clicking away on my laptop as my fingers fly over the keys in search of the perfect words to write the million dollar miracle muppets’ memoir. (Do read my book when it comes out. And do encourage the publishing industry that you want to read said book, so it should come out in the first place.)

With all this writing you may think I’d suffer from the occasional writer’s block. Not to worry! A friend of mine is also diligently working on his own story; I agreed to share my thoughts and have been serving as editor and opinionator.

I love to read. Although these days our literary delights are more focused on Eric Carle as opposed to Alexandre Dumas. I think Search is going to take after me in this respect – he seems to take to the written word with all of his senses. Granted, we’re apparently still in the tasting phase.

So I’m working on a scrapbook for both muppets. (Their birthday is coming up in two months. Can you believe it’s already been just about 10 months? I’m in process of planning a muppet themed party. A theme which is disappointingly sparse in terms of supplies, but I digress.) I decided it would be a fabulous idea to scrapbook Year One. Several pages will be blank until the celebration, where people will be able to write a message to the muppets that they will be able to reread in posterity when they graduate high school. (Yes, this is how my brain works.) Now I just need to find the time to assemble said scraps. (I finally finished our wedding scrapbook. It only took three and a half years.)

For all of you who have come to know the muppets via virtual double trouble, please feel free to send your own words to me at tricia@streamdoubletrouble.com. I would be honored to include them in the boys’ keepsake album.

At some point I need to carve out a chunk of time to fold laundry. You may be thinking, “Why don’t you ask your husband to help out? He’s already so fabulous at running Daddy Day Care.” Well, he does the laundry. But I have to fold it due to some obsessive opinions on precisely how it is folded and put away. During my time on bedrest I attempted to direct Jon on the proper procedures. It did not go well.

Recently, friends proposed a half-marathon in 2012. This requires that I actually arise from my desk and run. We’ll see how that goes…

I will need to be very conscientious of my time management. Or, I could throw it all to the wind and snuggle with the muppets. Which is really the only way I can imagine concluding an exhausting workday.

(I promise to keep blogging after the muppets bedtime, but if it keeps raining like this I may have to take some time out to build an ark for me and my boys.)