Grey hairs, part 2

SO, I left you when I was standing at the gas pump with the sick realization that I was no longer in possession of my wallet. (A very sick realization, indeed). Babyman was crying, traffic was bad and my gas tank was on empty. I finally caved in to the fact that my wallet was NOT in the van, and started thinking back. Had I left it somewhere in the mall? Did it fall in the parking lot somehow? It's always hectic loading everyone into the van when I am by myself with them, and Sweetcheeks had nearly run out into the parking lot that day- perhaps in the chaos my wallet somehow fell on the ground. I hopped back into the van and joined the traffic crush (doing my best to soothe Babyman) to head back to my previous parking space.

The ride back sucked, of course- I felt a sense of urgency, because if the wallet was in the parking lot, I wanted to find it before anyone else. But traffic was very slow, and meanwhile Babyman's cries grew in decibels and intensity. Littleman slept peacefully on, but Sweetcheeks threw in one more element by asking me innocently "Where is the wallet, Mommy?" over and over and OVER again. (WHY do they do that?) Argh. And all the while, I try to conserve gas where I can because that needle is frighteningly low. THAT would just be the icing on the cake, I'm thinking- to run out of gas and be stranded with the kids without any money or ID. Yeah. Oh, and one more thing: I had to pee. Bad.

Good news, I made it to my parking space. Bad news, no wallet anywhere. My next hope is that either it was picked up by a good soul who turned it in to a lost and found, or that I'd left it at Teavana (where I'd last used it). Babyman is super upset by now, so I sit in the van to nurse, trying not to fret too much. I try using 411 on my cell to call Teavana, but the number turns out to be a fax line. I'm going to have to drag everyone back into the mall.

I put Babyman in the stroller and unbuckle Sweetcheeks, and try to wake Littleman. He is SO asleep. Littleman does not do well with rude awakenings. At ALL. Finally, finally I get him out of the van and we are all moving. The nice lady at the Nordstrom has not seen the wallet. She calls Nordstom's lost and found to see if anyone had turned it in- nope. Next I shuttle everyone to the bathroom, as I'm about to burst. We all crowd into the big stall and I turn to find Littleman's already sitting on the pot. I hop around slightly, trying to be patient with him. . . until I realize he is pooping. Geez! I dash for the next stall while Littleman whines that his door is open and what if someone comes in? At least I'm feeling MUCH better. I help Littleman and Sweetcheeks finish up, and shuttle everyone toward the sinks.

That's when I hear someone say my name in surprise. Looking up, I spot a neighbor whom I know from the Homeowner's Association. She's very friendly, and I pause so she can ooh and ah over Babyman. She senses that I'm uncomfortable though, and finally asks how I'm doing. "Fine", I reply, "though I'm actually having a minor crisis right now." I explain and she springs into action, offering to help. She holds Sweetcheeks' hand as we all troop out to Teavana, and offers to loan me money for gas in case we don't find the wallet. What started out as an irritation (because I was in a hurry) turns out to be a wonderful help.

As we walk into Teavana I catch the clerk's eye and ask if anyone had found a black wallet. "Yes!" she says, "Here it is!" And it's my wallet. I could melt with relief. We all cheer, and I thank my neighbor. Whew. Thank goodness.

We do make it to the gas station, and I fill the tank and we go home. Whew. Whew. What relief.

It's funny how very much more stressful these sorts of situations become when I am by myself with the kids. Once upon a time, this would have been little more than an annoying footnote to my day. Now, it's a situation that probably took a year off of my life. And really? What for? I'm glad I went straight back and retrieved my wallet, but was it really worth that sort of stress? Probably not. It's hard to remember this when you are in the situation, let alone manage to apply it to your state of mind.

Anyway, it all ended fine, and I relaxed at home. And now, Babyman's crying again. Off I go!

Grey hairs

Sheesh. I gained a few grey hairs today! I am now recovering by checking out Pioneer Woman's new site, and sipping some of my Mom's homemade limoncello. Aaah. But earlier, I was not so calm.

See, the day started out pretty well. Hectic, but well. I didn't get enough sleep, but that's no news. I dragged my butt out of bed at 7 am ok, 7:30 so I could get Sweetcheeks off to Montessori. While he and I (and Babyman) are getting ready, there's a knock at the door- it's the plumber! I haven't been regaling you with my quest for a plumber's assistance, so suffice it to say I was very pleased to see him. Perhaps I will catch you up in another blog post. I am very glad it was a school day, so that I was up and dressed. Anyway, he took a good look at the dishwasher situation and started right to work. Despite that distraction, I manged to get Sweetcheeks to school (barely) on time.

So, the plumber completed all tasks admirably and was done by noon! I am the proud new owner of a functioning, energy-efficient, stainless steel dishwasher that's all fancy and stuff and runs as quiet as a mouse. It's quite a departure from the previous model (circa 80s) that was small, beige, so NOT energy efficient, and sounded just like a jet airplane taking off. (No joke. You had to hear it to believe it). I immediately made my huge sink-full of dirty dishes disappear. Hooray!

Anyway, to abbreviate (ha!) a bit: we picked Sweetcheeks up on time, I had time to prepare a healthy lunch AND take care of Babyman, we were early (beyond amazing) for Littleman's gym class, he had a good class, I got to do a little knitting, the weather was gorgeous. We went to the mall to get a birthday present (a boy's shirt), my first-choice store (Gymboree) had adorable stuff in stock which was on sale, and I got to get Littleman and Sweetcheeks each something they needed, too. Score! The boys had a blast at the indoor playground, actually playing tag in a semi-organized fashion. It was hilarious, and fun to watch. We all got tea at Teavana (LOVE that store!) and the boys received balloons from the nice lady in Nordstrom on our way out.

Drove all the way home, and realized that I was VERY low on gas. Littleman was asleep and the other two boys were chill, so I turned right back around to go to the gas station. Good thing too (and here's where it got interesting)- I reached for my wallet and it wasn't there. I looked and looked in the van, but no luck. (Right about now, Babyman starts to fuss). I started really digging for it, under stuff, in bags, in the back, under the seats. No luck. I start freaking out a bit. I start wondering if I might have to cancel credit cards, debit card, get a new license, replace insurance cards, how much cash did I have in there? Probably not much, but I can't remember. . . What other important cards are in there? I'm not even sure. . . Shit. Plus, it's traffic time, my gas tank is on empty and I have no money anywhere. No ATM card. No credit card. Oh, and a crying baby.

* * *

As if on cue, as I was writing this blog post it was right about here that Babyman started crying. I went to tend to him, and fell asleep, and now it is 2:30 in the morning and the rest of this story will just have to wait. To be continued. . .

Wordless Wednesday

a trip to Gramy's

Sorry for my recent absence! I have just been in a flurry of activity. I went to visit my Grandmother, which is something I don't do often enough. She is dear, and she misses us all. She is not that far away either- it's no small feat with the kids, but it's doable. And she is 83- she won't be here forever. Auntie G is on my way, so we arranged for me to pick her up and she went along. It was a very nice little trip.

Going to see Gramy always leaves me feeling guilty for not going more often. I need to do that!

Anyway, while there we took the boys down to the nearby playground and I actually remembered to take pictures!

Sweetcheeks. The weather was gorgeous. He loves being outside.


His slide technique is a wee bit sloppy! ;) He sort of hikes like that, as well- in a shambling, relaxed sort of manner that actually works very well. It's his own unique style.


Littleman on the other hand, likes to tackle his challenges precisely. That doesn't mean he is tidy- just check out the hair and his sandy fanny- but he knows what he wants to do and how he wants to do it. He preferred to scale the side of the play equipment rather than go around to the stairs.


Littleman, the victorious.

* * *

Oh, and in case you were wondering why Sweetcheeks ended up with that silly moniker, let's just say that his cheeks used to look just like Babyman's do now:

Reminds me of a bulldog's jowls. I just kiss and kiss them! Sweet cheeks!

* * *

Today's thumbs-up is for these pics of funny signs. I chuckled, smiled, snorted, giggled and snickered.

take 2: circular breathing

Monday, March 17, 2008

take 2: circular breathing
Current mood: sleepy

CRAP CRAP CRAP.
I had this great blog post almost complete, and my laptop (at more than 30% battery power) shut off unexpectedly. It's been having serious battery issues lately. And *!@^*!! myspace does not save your work until you finish and post. So the whole damn thing is gone. I have got to do something about this battery, and I really must start composing my blogs over at blogspot instead, or in a word processor. Dammit.

Sigh. Lesson learned? Old habits die hard.
Oh, wait. Here I am again. Composing in myspace. Nosir. Nosirree. Off to blogspot I go!

* * *


Anyway, what I was saying is that there's one in every family, I think. The vortex. The conversational black hole. The one who practices circular breathing. Once they corner you and start talking, there is no escape.

In our family, it's Billy's "Aunt" M. She is visiting Billy's folks right now, and today I brought the boys up to see everyone. Babyman was unusually good, which meant I could sit outside and knit for some time. Now, there are good and bad things about knitting in Aunt M's presence. On the one hand, I become a sitting duck just waiting for Aunt M to come sit beside me and crochet (and TALK!). On the other hand, I can concentrate on my knitting and just nod my head and murmur once in awhile to show that I am not ignoring her. Aunt M's conversational black holes are, shall we say, imaginative. It's too bad she won't write some of these stories down- unfortunately, she prefers voluble oral storytelling. I can't remember everything she told me of today, but here are just a few examples:
- By about 1 1/2 years old, her son knew his full name, his address, and he could dial his home number on the telephone. He knew all about strangers and knew he shouldn't tell this information to anyone. He was also speaking in full, coherent sentences, and could hold an adult level conversation. (Her son tragically died at about 2 years old or so- this I know to be true- so I can understand why she would wish to fantasize about what could have been).
- In the same vein, there was a lengthy story about how her son could play any piece of music by ear on his toy piano, everything from TV show themes to complicated classical pieces. He requested a baby grand piano. He was really quite a prodigy.
- I learned that Jerry Lee Lewis was an SOB who cussed out little kids. It was Aunt M who put him in his place, of course. She threatened to "go public" with his disgraceful behavior if he didn't shape up.
- However Frank Sinatra was a lovely man who knew Aunt M on a first name basis. He had a beautiful Chinese Junk (green) that Aunt M got to tour.
- There were a number of anecdotes from her disgraceful marriage, all of which ended with Aunt M standing up for herself and putting her husband in his place. There was also the tale of when she had a miscarriage 3 months into her pregnancy, when she'd not been aware that she was pregnant. It was twins, and the miscarriage was her husband's fault. She never told him. Some of these stories made me a little uncomfortable, because I don't know if they are true or not. I didn't know how to react appropriately. I'll have to ask my mother-in-law about it. Luckily Aunt M never stays with one subject for too terribly long, because to pause for breath would be to lose her captive audience.
- She told me about the wild lizard who fiercely "protected" her while she was napping- another in a long tradition of tales about her special affinity with animals.
- Oh yes, and there was the goose who could communicate with her.

I wish I could remember more of them- they really are quite interesting. They do start to blur together after awhile, though. I was starting to get a little desperate when (thankfully) one of the older boys needed something from me, and then Babyman woke, and finally Aunt M was called away to do something. Whew.

* * *

Oh, guess what I was finally able to order yesterday? A wii! We've been wanting one for the studio for quite some time, but have been unable to find one available. I'm excited! It looks like a lot of fun. I am sticking to my plan not to have video games here in the house, but Littleman will be able to enjoy it when he hangs out at work with Daddy. Plus it will be fun for our clients. Anyway, I mention it here just in case one of you are looking for one- as of yesterday, there were still quite a few in stock at. . . oh, wow. Damn. Well, I just went to get the link to post here, and they are all gone. Wow. I'm sorry! But it was here at www.toysrus.com that I'd found it. Maybe check your local Toys R Us store? Probably better to call ahead.

* * *

Today's thumbs-up is for these awesome photographs by Michael Eastman. Enjoy!

Hair, will- and yes, rosemary!

Saturday, March 15, 2008

Hair, will- and yes, rosemary!
Current mood: catalyzed


I think I am going to cut my hair.

No no, hear me out!

I would really like to be able to wear my hair down more, without it getting ridiculously tangled up in everything I am doing. I'd like my hair to frame my face, instead of being pulled back in my ever-present ponytail, doing nothing for my appearance. I'd like to do something to improve my daily appearance, because these days I feel like I always look like hell. (Lack of sleep, ill-fitting clothes, infrequent showers and a frazzled demeanor can do that to a gal). And, (dare I say it?) I think I'd just like a little change. What good is all this romantic, luxuriantly long hair if all I can do with it is keep it out of the way?

I went and asked a really good hairdresser's advice today, and she gave me some good ideas. I think I'm going to make arrangements for an appointment soon- something that will take some planning, as I'll have to find a sitter for the two older boys and an adult to tag along and hold Babyman. (Or some other suitable arrangement). And, don't worry! It will still be long by most standards.

And it will always grow back. :)

* * *

Today Billy and I finally got around to working on our will. This is something we've been meaning to do for awhile- anyone with kids really should have one. Most people can do it themselves with online forms and websites like www.legalzoom.com. We ultimately decided to consult a lawyer, and I think that was the right decision for us. I am looking forward to having it all squared away- it is one more checkbox in my mental list of financial planning goals. Baby steps. Besides, it's no fun to have to think about what would happen if both Billy and I were to bite it too soon. My precious children. . . Even though we have wonderful family who would be ready to help, it's chilling to imagine our plans having to be enacted. As one family member added after agreeing to be an executor, "Drive safe!"

If you haven't made your own will, go ahead and do it. It can make sure your wishes are carried out, it can go a long way toward protecting your assets (and we're not just talking rich folk here; we all have some assets), it makes things much easier on your surviving family as they tie up your affairs, and it ensures that any children you have will be entrusted to the guardian of your choice, rather than someone of the state's choosing. Pretty important stuff.

OK, off my soapbox.

* * *

Today's thumbs-up is for gelato! Specifically, Paolo's Gelato in Atlanta. Still more specifically, for Paolo's rosemary gelato. Yes, rosemary. Ooooooh, Oh. So. Good. ~drool~

Wordless Wednesday

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Wordless Wednesday
Current mood: sympathetic

I have seen other blogs do a regular feature they call "Wordless Wednesday", in which they simply post a picture on Wednesday, in lieu of a normal wordy blog post. A picture tells a thousand words, right? So, since today is technically Wednesday, and I am tired. . . (though I've already blown the "wordless" part, but who's counting?). . .