a few w.i.p.s

the difference between the two

My girl made me a picture:



Isn't she great? It has a rainbow and hearts and a butterfly. This totally represents who she is....all girly and loving. She's a total sweetheart.

My boy also made me a picture. He tore a picture of Big Bird and Teddy out of his coloring book:



Is that a heart on Big Bird? Oh no. No no no no no. Big Bird and Teddy's plane was in a horrible accident. Poor, poor Big Bird.

Also a total representation of who he is....all blood and guts
and B. O. Y.

endless...

...are the possibilities.


Even looking at these....the blank slates....the started...the finished....the ideas are just trying to puke out of my head. And I realize that there is a lovelier way of conveying that....but I'm operating on 1.5 hours of consecutive sleep...and there isn't anything lovely left after that.

it's raining it's pouring

Thundering. Lightning.

Does my soul good.

Sitting in the dark night...hearing the thunder rumbling in the distance. The rain slapping the ground outside my open window.

This is just what my garden needed. And now, I don't need to get out the hose tomorrow.


"Don't make me get the hose!"

(that one's for you.) :)

next.

I sewed some new pillows.

And bought myself some flowers. This baby's breath is very stinky. My baby's breath smells NOTHING like this baby's breath. But I like how it looks so much that I don't care. That's what candles are for.

randomramble

Just when I thought I couldn't feel any more tired...SURPRISE! I can!!

I'm hungry for baklava.

And I hate laundry.

roll call

My kids played school this weekend. The student list included several unique names, and I thought I'd share them...in case anyone is looking for some new and unusual names for future children.

If you're looking for a funky-biblical-ish sounding name, look no further! In attendance:

Jattee
Grata
Jabisty
Masthieppy
Bassaisaaky

healthy living

"None of these are 'whole wheat,'" I told my kids as we wandered the bread aisle of our supermarket. "We want to find the ones like these," I say as I point to a package of whole wheat hamburger buns, "but that say HOT DOG."

.

And then the absurdity of what I've just said smacks me in the face.

.

"I'd like a triple cheeseburger, fries....supersized...a chocolate shake....onion rings....and a diet coke."

.

We went with the wheat buns. Close enough. Um, the hot dogs are quality meat. No fillers.

.

Uh huh. 'Cause that's healthier.

I had a dream....

...that the empty house across the street would be purchased by a lovely Hispanic family.

In my dream, this lovely family would have had an equally lovely stay at home mom. And I would have welcomed her to the neighborhood with a fresh warm loaf of banana bread with chocolate chips and coconut flakes.

Then, the lovely stay at home mom would return the favor with a dish of we're-so-glad-to-have-such-friendly-neighbors-chile-rellenos. Every Tuesday morning, she would come over for coffee, while her children (the exact same age as mine!) would play in the back yard.

On Wednesday evenings, she would bring over hot tamales (because she knows I love them) and on Thursdays, I would bring them lasagna.

Alas, this dream will go unfulfilled. The house sold. And it doesn't look like any of the newbies know how to make a chile relleno.

in love and appreciation of Millstone Decaf Caramel Truffle Coffee

I brewed my daily pot of decaf coffee this afternoon. The smell, today, like everyday, is heavenly. HEAVENLY.

I breathed it in.

I exhaled.

And an overwhelming feeling of happiness overtook me.

And I'm not kidding.

So you know what I did? I picked up my phone and called Millstone to tell them. Yes I did.

The operator answered and asked what he could do for me today. I said, "Perhaps this is a silly reason to call, but I'm making my daily pot of Decaf Caramel Truffle coffee. This is the best part of my day. I love this coffee so much, and I just wanted you to know that."

(long pause)

I don't know that they get a lot of calls like this, because he seemed to be working without a script. He thanked me. And got all happy sounding...you know when you can hear when someone is smiling while they talk on the phone? He was smiling.

He is sending me some coupons.

And, they might use me in one of their next commercials.





Okay, so that last part is a lie. But! They might. He didn't say they wouldn't.

one of these things does not belong here.

The Reason for my hope

Happy Easter

tired.

So. tired.

the drop off sisterhood

Every {school day} morning I buckle everyone into the car and we drive my girl to school.

In the beginning of the year, this was an anonymous task. I could use a baby wipe to remove the previous day's mascara from under my eyes, and throw on a baseball cap to cover my bed head. My husband's old college sweatshirt was a good cover to throw over my jammies.

I wasn't the only one. There are at least a dozen regular dropper-offers that drop off their kids at the same time and the same spot as I do. And we've entered a strange relational stage. There's an unspoken camaraderie. We wave at each other. We smile to each other. When one of us has to get out of the vehicle and have a stern talk with our child, the others give a knowing and sympathetic glance. We know who parks where, and who will be running just a few moments behind (ponytail mom w/naughty boy). We know which child doesn't always want to separate from their mama (golden van). We know who is going to bust into the line with snotty gusto and take off in the same fashion (Lincoln SUV). (I don't like you, Lincoln SUV.)

Now that we "know" each other, the sweatpants have been replaced by yoga pants. Ponytails take the place of baseball caps. Some of us even get dressed in REGULAR CLOTHES. And sometimes, we put in our contacts instead of our 15 year old glasses. We don't look like a bunch of ragamuffins. We look casual and comfortable, with a hint of put-together-I-promise-I'm-not-a-slob-in-real-life-ness.

Next year, I'm going to start the year with yoga pants and a pony tail.