To Work, or Not To Work?

That seems to be the question, at least of some moms I know.  When Harper was around 10 months, I started having a freak out moment.  What am I doing with my life?  When I was younger, I was going to be a career woman, a designer, but now I'm just a mom/wife, what good is that?  I was up to my elbows in dirty diapers and laundry and a messy house.  So Ryan and I decided, maybe it was time I went back to work.  Of course about a day later we found out we were pregnant, so I got a contract job filling in for someone on maternity leave.

Don't get me wrong, I lucked out on jobs.  I have to hop over a little putting thing to get to my desk, most of the team I'm on spends a lot of time playing fuse ball in the ping pong room.  Last Friday we spent most of the day drinking beer (I was trying to avoid the smell) and playing minute to win it (I got best time on stacking 6 dice on a knife in my mouth, be impressed) and they are pretty lenient about when we get to and leave work.  It has also been nice being noticed for talents beyond that of my dish washing and baby wrangling, and talking shop (photoshop anywho) with someone on my same level.  But... I have discovered, that I hate it!

I see my kid perhaps two hours a day, and I miss her to the point that my heart is breaking, my weekends are filled with getting caught up on all my other work and chores, so I have 0 free time.  I have discovered that I am a mom... and that is all I want to be.  I want to bake the cookies and go on play dates and have dinner on the table at 6 pm.  That is my life, and it took me doing something else, to find out how much I cherish it.  I understand that some women have to work, and that they would not be happy without a career, and that in turn would make them bad moms.  I also understand that we will never have a ton of money... but Harper won't remember getting dropped off in a Mitsubishi rather than a Lexus.  She will remember having a parent who always has time for her no matter what.  And I wouldn't want it any other way.

Even though I am counting down the days until this contract is up, I am so glad I took it.  Otherwise, I wouldn't have discovered to appreciate what I have, and how lucky I am.  I will always have a few clients, Lota and Co and other projects to keep my designer side happy.  And perhaps when my kids are in school and gone most of the day... I will revisit the career idea.  But for now, I am a professional mom and wife... and I couldn't be happier.

Harry Potter and the Burgeoning Kings

Before I start... no, there is not a new Harry Potter movie, so if you can continue on through your great sadness and heartache, I would suggest doing so, as there is some King sized news in this blog (see what I did there? King Sized?).

It seems that some major relationship events have coordinated with Harry Potter events, starting with our first date, in which Ryan took me to a driving range and book store (best first date ever by the way, it could have been who I was with, he's pretty good too), any who, he was just plain shocked to learn I had never read Harry Potter.  So he bought me the first book, which we still have, though much used by now.

The rest of our courtship/engagement he got me caught up on the 4 movies that were out and the 6 books.  Then, about a week before our wedding, the 5th Harry Potter movie came out, and Ryan took me to my first midnight movie (and I fell asleep). Then the final Harry Potter book came out when we were in Cancun on our honeymoon, we spent many hours looking for English versions at the mall (even though we had already paid for 2 at our local bookstore), and found none, but we did go to the 5th movie again, luckily it was in English with Spanish subtitles. 

Then on our 2nd Anniversary, we spent it at the midnight showing of the 6th Harry Potter movie with the Pennebakers.  Our first date after Harper was born, was to the first part of the 7th movie... which brings us up to the final installment of Harry Potter... and our King Sized news...

Ryan could not wait any longer, so he found sitters for Harper (hello Mears) and dragged me to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows... Part 2. Now, I am not saying that I didn't want to see it, I did, but I was quite distracted, because deep down, I was pretty sure I was prego, and I wasn't sure I was ready for that.  Sooo.. I sat through the movie, and even though Ryan thought I was crazy, we stopped and picked up a test... which was positive, but only slightly, so we took another, and then I couldn't sleep so I went back and picked up two more... it took 4 tests and a Dr. to tell us yes, we are indeed going to have another baby.  So what I'm trying to say is the Kings are pregnant again!

Biiig Sister

To sum it all up...

Harry Potter... Magical
Harper... going to be a big sister
Due Date... March 24 (ish)
Lonnie... really happy to be in second trimester because she was overly sicko for the last couple of months
Ryan... excited about baby, not about Lonnie's random late night impossible to find cravings.

The musical stylings of Harper Willow King!

Being her father's daughter, Harper seems to have a picked up a love of music, she has a drum, not to mention another drum filled with shaky and jingling things, a guitar, and now... a kitty keyboard, complete with microphone. And just in case you are wondering... yes, it gets very loud here. She also loves to dance... and she has some pretty good moves, her favorite song is Adele's "Rolling in the Deep". I don't know why, she is very trendy with her musical choices.

So... here is my idea, we should start a baby band... kind of like a baby Black Eyed Peas. Here is the set list...

Quinn: Keyboard and or xylophone
Harper: Guitar
Beckett: Tambourine/shaky things
Lincoln: Drums

And of course, they would all take turns with vocals, cutest band ever, I'm just saying.

Anywho, please enjoy these videos of the musical and dance stylings of Miss Harper Willow King! (oh in the drum one, that scary beast-like noise in the background is Oscar growling at me because I won't throw his toy)

We're Baaaack!

After a long break (like a year and some...) We have decided to rejoin the world of blogging. No promises I'm going to be any better at it than I was last time, but what can ya do? You will notice the fall theme of the blog. Well I really want it to be fall, and I do not care if it is going to be 88 degrees today, it is fall in my head, silly weather. So... what will you find in this amazing blog? Really, mostly it will be about the honorable, the adorable, the fabulous Miss Harper Willow, but you will also find trials, tales, and tidbits about the goings on in the Land of the Kings.

Sooo.. Just a quick King life recap, so you are all up to date...

• Harper Willow just turned one last week (look for blog about this event as soon as I steal pics from one Miss Cortney)
• Ryan has is own store in Shoreline, yes he is the boss, and he likes it.
• Lonnie is currently working a contract webdesign in downtown Seattle through the fall, she has decided she does not like being a full time working mom, complaints I'm sure will follow
• Natasha (BFF to Lonnie) is currently acting nanny for HW, so she will be in many blog posts
• Along with working full time, and running her own small design business (LKD), and design duties at Journey Church, Lonnie also has another business venture with good friends Cortney and Natasha doing invitations and other party accoutrements (see lotaandco.com for more info)
• Don't forget Oscar and Grizzly who are currently hunting a squirrel in the backyard
• We live in a rented rambler in Kirkland, on the Eastside of Seattle

That is it, you will have to stay tuned in for any future Kings Chronicles...