Day 1115: Small Victories

This week has been one of small victories, mainly in that I made it to 90 of 133 kids on my kid tracker! Yes, I have a kid tracker. It sounds kind of creepy, but actually it's functional. I'm supposed to have one-on-one face-time with each and every one of my kids every 90 days (note: I have more than 90 kids) and since I work for the government, the database I have that helps me keep track of my kids does not help me keep track of anything but court dates. (Which, to be fair, makes some sense, because I am a lawyer and court hearings are my first priority, since no one but another lawyer can cover them for me). The database does not help me track meetings, does not help me track visits...and doesn't even really help me track siblings at a glance (because it's pretty common for my kids to all have different dads and different last names, and they're typically listed alphabetically).

So I am making a kid tracker of my own (which is going to be a pain to update, especially with new kids popping onto my list and yet other kids graduating). And it's taken me several weeks to make it about two thirds of the way through. But I made it to 90, and I am pretty proud of that. Now I just have to figure out how to keep it updated (get one of the secretaries to do it, maybe?). And I need to get all my kids on it, too. And arrange some way for it to prioritize which kids most urgently need me to visit them. (Even if they're siblings, they're not always all placed together, which can make things kinda hairy.)

Also, I have had a good cooking week, an in I experimented with two new recipes (coconut milk baked chicken, stuffed zucchini) and they turned out freaking delicious. Go team! I am pretty darn happy with how they turned out, and they were surprisingly simple to make. They looked so fancy, but at most took 20 minutes' prep time, which was super nice. I only ever try to make fancy dishes on the weekend when I actually have the time and energy, but I could totally make these during the week, and they're tasty and healthy.

I got my skip stitch to work. Yay! At first I screwed up, and now one of my projects has waaaaaay more holes in it than it needs, but it turns out the thing works like a charm and was a very worthwhile investment, and now I can put crocheted edgings onto pretty much anything I want. You want something with a lacy crocheted edge? I am your girl! I also have a new book of pretty edgings, and I am pretty eager to try them all out.

I got work done on my novel. I was hanging around the office on my lunch break (this week was one of those rare weeks where I was actually in the office) and I hit upon some decent inspiration for the novel I was pretty sure was going off the rails, and as it turns out I might be able to keep the train on its tracks. Yay!

I have a clean house. Since it's usually me versus an absent-minded scientist and two warring canines, that's actually kind of a feat. Cody helped me give the house a good scrubbing on Saturday, and we have established several dog-free zones (i.e. any room with its own door) to help cut down on the destruction the dogs wreak (also instant punishment for eating food off the counter or stealing paper and shredding it). I am pleased with how clean my home is and hope it stays this clean.

Awesome dance practice on Wednesday. We have our recital/hafla this Wednesday, and I am super excited. I had to buy some make-up with Angela's help (because I am lame at colors and make-up processes in general) and I am going to paint my nails to match my costume. I am super excited. This will be the first time I've danced under stage lights since college, which means I am going to have to go for super-heavy dramatic stage make-up (dancing in open air is so much easier) and in college the other dancers took pity on poor tomboyish me and helped me do my hair and make-up. Luckily this dance will not require a fancy hairstyle, just some heavy make-up. And I have my costume all sorted out, so that makes me happy. And I found some decent dancing soles, so that section on the balls of my feet won't hurt so bad.

I hung out with Angela (and Cody) on Saturday. Angela came over, we had tasty coconut chicken, and then we went to Wal-Mart, where Cody got to explore the cosmetics aisles for the first time. He was surprised at how complicated the make-up business is (and agreed that eyelash curlers look like torture devices). I told him there was a reason most girls take a long time to "get ready". It's complicated. (He never had sisters, and his mother isn't much for make-up, so much traditional girliness is a mystery to him). Angela and I watched an entire disk of SGA and made plans to watch the first Hobbit Movie this weekend. We invited some other nerdy ladies, and we're going to have a pizza party.

Also, my Sunday school lesson went well. I am pretty darn pleased with how well it went. I studied all week and then did the final prep admittedly about an hour before church, but for the first time in a long time I felt good about how it turned out. Being a lawyer means I can improv my way through public speaking and it comes across okay to others, but I am rarely satisfied with how I did, and this week I was.

And to all my friends...Happy Easter. No matter your religious inclination. Eat some chocolate for me.