Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Good times at preschool

Two and I went to Big Girl's class at preschool today to read a couple of books to the kids, and had a fantastic time. The kids really seemed to enjoy the books I brought (Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! and Because a Little Bug Went Ka-Choo! (Beginner Books(R))), and Big Girl was thrilled to have me there. All the kids were wearing pajamas today (so cute!), and the moms-reading-books gig was a part of that. I was one of four moms to read during today's class. The school is having special events all week.

After Big Girl got out of school, she changed into her civvies and we went out for lunch with my mom. Good food, plus it was a mystery shop so I'll get reimbursed for it. Bonus! I think my mom really enjoys doing shops with me, because she likes to make suggestions about things I should include in my report (usually very good insights), and she likes the idea that someone, somewhere, is interested in what she has to say.

Wednesday afternoon and evening activities at work with the herd of young children have left me exhausted - and I'm still not quite finished with my teaching for the semester, either. This two jobs business is a bit overwhelming this week, mostly because there's so much grading for the big kids (my college students) and I have so many ideas and so much excitement about the new job with the younger kids.

I'm also really stoked about one of our upcoming projects for the kids at church. It's called Read to Feed, and it benefits one of my favorite charities, Heifer International. Kids get sponsors who commit to pay them a certain amount for each book they read, and then the kids read and record their books, and then collect the money to support Heifer. I would love to see some of the elementary schools participate in this program next school year. It's not tied to any particular religious group, it's secular and just benefits Heifer, and I think it would be a great way to motivate some of those kids to read more. But I digress. I'm going to do it this summer with my church kids, and I hope they will find it as much fun as I do.

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Food strike!

It's bad when Two acts like enough of a two year old to get my mom annoyed. She got very frustrated with a certain boy who kept throwing peas on the floor and refusing to eat his dinner because he wanted cookies instead. My mother, the saint, kept Two and Big Girl for much of the day today while I got lots of work done on various projects. I think she was exhausted by the time I arrived to take the kids home - and my dad, who wasn't even there for half of the day, was worn out too. Two apparently fussed for cookies and the tractor video repeatedly throughout the day, and his wishes were not always granted. This, understandably, was extremely frustrated, and he just didn't understand why his articulate requests were not granted - so he whined, screamed, turned red, and acted, in general, like a boy who wasn't getting his way. I saw enough of that this morning before I dropped him off, and I was secretly glad I had already arranged for my mother to watch him. She told me that Big Girl was a delight, and helped her tremendously, and that is fortunate indeed. I don't want to dissuade her from future assistance, as she is so good about watching them to let me work on my dissertation and other non-kid-friendly tasks.

I don't think the food strike is really hurting Two. He still has a nice little belly, despite his refusal to eat so many of the foods offered to him. Said belly is extremely funny when I blow raspberries on it - fantastic giggles guaranteed to interrupt even the most outraged fusser and break him out of his funk.

Friday, April 25, 2008

Ugh - so glad I'm not a student!

I just finished writing the exam that my Saturday class will take in the morning, and I am very glad I don't have to take it. It's easy, yes, but long. I would do well on it, since, well, I wrote the questions (duh) and I picked all of the literature we read in this class, but I think they may be annoyed by the length of time required to finish the thing. Two hours, minimum, for those who know what they're talking about. Less time for the dummies who didn't do the reading regularly and don't care, more time for the dummies who will try to cover up the fact that they didn't do the reading. It's open book, open note. I like to give them lots of rope to hang themselves. ;)

And while they take the exam, I will grade papers and thus have nothing left to do besides grade final exams!

A boy obsessed

Two received the All About John Deere For Kids DVD 1 from his uncle as a birthday gift and now insists on watching his "tracktas" regularly. Fortunately it's not an annoying film, and he gets excited and talks about the tractors while watching it, instead of sitting like a zombie and staring blankly at the television. I'm thinking we'll have to break down and get him some of the other volumes in the series. I don't like the idea of him watching television that much, but it's so incredibly nice to have him slow down for a while to watch it, so I can have a break. Plus he loves to watch it and talk about farming with his grandfather, and seeing the two of them conversing is adorable.

I get my Saturdays back!

After I give a final to my class tomorrow morning, I'll be finished with Saturday classes. And honestly, it was such a pain to be there every Saturday morning for four hours, so I don't think I'll sign up to teach one again. Unless they paid me a lot more, in which case I would *consider* it. The fact that over half of these students never did the reading and never spoke up in class made it even worse for me, so I'm not eager to try teaching on the weekend again.

Having my Saturdays back means the kids and I can do fun things, visit family, spend time outside, go swimming now that it's hot weather again. And I don't have to get up at 6 am - the earliest morning of the week for me, actually, since I sleep until 6:30 or 7 on days that Big Girl does to school.

I'll also be able to do fun weekend things, like take the kids to those project making activities they have at the home improvement stores, or go to yard sales should the whim strike me. I'm not a big yard sale shopper by any means, but if I pass one, with time and a bit of money to spare, I'll stop. Which is how Two ended up with two cute sweater vests and a button down shirt for next winter - I passed some signs as we were driving home this afternoon, so I stopped to browse briefly. I probably could have found some useful books and music for work, but it started raining and the people having the sale covered everything up to push it into the garage, so I decided we had done enough damage. The clothes I got for Two look brand new and are really nice brands, so I'm quite pleased with the finds. No girly things, however - Big Girl was disappointed, but I'm sure she'll be the lucky one some other day.

Thursday, April 24, 2008

You might be a redneck if...

you're seriously considering a John Deere-inspired decorating plan for your son's bedroom. After all, he loves tractors, and I found a cute bedspread with John Deere tractors on it. And some cute farming artwork for the walls. It won't be that bad, honestly! Yeah, I'll keep telling myself that.

Question to self: Is this my fault for moving here?

Cheese, Bread, and Juice

What do you do with a boy who doesn't want to eat any of his usual foods other than cheese, bread, and juice? And the occasional potato product like fries. Two is asserting his control over dietary choices in a rather annoying fashion. For nearly three weeks now, he has refused to eat old favorites like yogurt, bananas, applesauce, carrots, and craisins. If you serve anything other than juice in his cup, he tosses it aside in disgust. He's pulling the same crap with my mom when he's at her house, so I know it's his issue and nothing to do with my cooking or the freshness of food in our home. Mixing unwanted foods in with the preferred items does no good, since he just picks out the choice bits. I'll be so glad when he moves past this.

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

And another thing: the flower party

I'm getting really excited about the flower party idea. I'm trying to decide what kind of plants to get for the favors. I think I want something that blooms, preferably throughout the summer, and something that can take a big of abuse. Since the little girls may forget to water it. Ah, decisions, decisions. I have so many good ideas for activities and food - and I can use this fabulous cake pan that I already have from Big Girl's first birthday. I actually have two kinds of pans - one is a Bundt style pan that makes a big rose, and the other makes tiny rose cupcakes. I could make both, and ice the big rose and then let them ice and decorate the small ones themselves. I'd do that before I let them play in the dirt, I think. I think I'll have to keep the guest list modest, so I can do lots of fun projects with the girls and not go bankrupt. ;)

Children are exhausting

There were somewhere between 50 and 60 kids at the church this evening for choir and other assorted activities, and, well, some of them are unbelievably hyper. And I don't always mean that in a good way. After all of the afternoon's drama and woe, I'm so grateful to have such lovely, affectionate, polite, sweet children. And I'm so glad that they generally play well with others, at least when they're not being possessive about their own toys.

We spent nearly an hour outside in the bright late afternoon sun while the aforementioned child horde rampaged the playground and expended energy. No one was seriously hurt, and there was a snake spotting in the tree beyond the fence on the far side of the playground. I didn't go near there. I am afraid of snakes, although I did not admit this weakness to any of the boys who might have used that knowledge for evil. Fortunately I was not the sole adult supervising these kids, so I let the other moms handle the snake watching. I was busy enough keeping tiny girls from climbing to terrifying heights on the playground structure.

I learned several valuable lessons from today's experience, and not only about skills, words, and interests that I don't want my own children to possess. I learned that you can never have enough volunteers - parents, actually - supervising this group. I also learned that fifth graders can be surprisingly kind and accepting toward preschoolers, but not always. In addition, I learned that it's virtually impossible to capture the interest and attention of boys who are only there at church because their moms make them come, particularly when those moms drop them off and leave to get a few hours of peace away from said boys. Hmph. I think many of these issues are going to need some serious thought and planning, so that hopefully the wonderful volunteers we do have don't get burned out so quickly next year. I've done my share of volunteering in the past, but I've never been in the managerial role previously, and my appreciation for those women (and a lone man today) has multiplied tenfold.

In other news, Two is still sticking to his starch, cheese, and sweets diet plan. He also has started another delightful habit: throwing his cup across the room if he discovers that it contains water, instead of his beloved juice. And Big Girl? She'll be singing in church this weekend with her choir group. Can't wait to see her. I need to pull out the ironing board and make sure her new pretty white dress looks pressed and perfect for the occasion. And I need to remember to scrub her ears - because when she plays in dirt, that girl gets it everywhere.

We have tomato plants!

We planted three nice healthy tomato plants in Big Girl's garden yesterday. It's a little raised planting area next to the house in our front yard. Last year we grew some herbs in it but didn't use any because of the nasty neighborhood cat that kept using the box as a toilet. So this year, we will be taking a lot of measures to keep his gross feline self out of there. Blech. I don't want him anywhere near those lovely little tomato plants. Big Girl is stoked - she loves cherry tomatoes, so we have two of those plus one beefsteak tomato plant. If all goes well, I'll get a few that I can use for cooking and she'll have the tiny ones for snacks. Yeah, my kid's a bit odd with the tiny tomato snacks, but I love her!

Monday, April 21, 2008

Weight Loss Plan

I have embarked upon a weight loss plan. I won't call it a diet, because that doesn't quite fit it. I'm going to eat healthier foods, with less processed stuff, less starches, and less sugar. I'm going to make a concerted effort to exercise regularly. I'm going to try to keep junk out of the house, although given Hubs' tastes, that will be hard. Wish me luck!

Saturday, April 19, 2008

I need to come up with a fun idea for the party...

Big girl's birthday is about six weeks away, and I need to come up with a fun idea. At present, I'm leaning toward a Teddy Bear Picnic, in which her friends from preschool bring their favorite stuffed animals to the party. But I have also tossed around ideas about a farm-themed party, a puppy dog party, a princess party, and a flower party. The flower party is actually her idea, and I like it, but I'm not sure how far I can actually take that idea beyond the decor and invitations. I also have to determine if I will get my house in order and have said party here, or if I will have it elsewhere. I'm so indecisive about this. Ideas? Anyone? Bueller?

Friday, April 18, 2008

Take your daughter to work day

Not officially, but Big Girl went to work with me this morning, since she's out of preschool this week for spring break. Two spent the morning with his grandfather and had a fabulous time. Big Girl spread out papers, books, markers, and other assorted toys in the floor of my new office and had fun, too. She chatted with my boss and some of the other people who came in and out of my office, and she colored jewelry on herself (!), and she was generally pleased and proud to be "helping me" with my work. I love that this is the kind of job where I can bring her along in a pinch, and not only do they not mind, but they also go out of their ways to welcome her and interact with her. Bonus!

Two's farming excursion with his grandfather apparently wiped him out. From what I can gather, he saw tractors, called cows, visited with relatives, and spent a good bit of time outside this morning - and it's a beautiful day, so I think as soon as the kids wake up from their naps, we'll go back out again. Maybe have a tyke-sized car wash and clean all of the pollen off of their vehicles.

Big Girl has a nice red tricycle with a bell, and Two has a pedal-driven John Deere tractor, in case you're curious. The tractor even has a detachable trailer. It's really fabulous. He gets tired of trying to pedal it quickly and usually lets his sister try it for a while, and she lets him try the trike, which is just beautiful in comparison to the jealously and possessiveness seen over markers in this house.

Hubs isn't here to complain about being ignored, and since it's so quiet and peaceful, I think I'll go read a book. For fun, even. I feel terribly indulgent.

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Fight!

I'm letting them work it out. It's a fight over possession of markers - the Color Wonder kind that only write on special paper - and at this point they're pretty equally matched from a physical standpoint. Kid fight! Actually, Two may have a slight advantage due to his lower center of gravity. Big Girl is tall and slim and tips over more easily. If they really came to fisticuffs, I would step in. But I'm tired of them both coming to tell me that the other one touched his or her stuff, so I'm going to let them duke it out a bit.

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Yet another mid-life crisis

So I'm having yet another crisis of life direction. Another "What do I want to be when I grow up" bout. I have been having these regularly for several years - and I never seem to really figure it out. I just put it off.

I really like my new job so far (all two days that I've been there). I really enjoying teaching college students as well, although it doesn't exactly pay well or command much respect when you're an adjunct. I have a project, a dissertation which I could finish. I have been asking myself for some time if I will actually do that. I feel like I should. I've invested so much time, energy, and work into the thing, not to mention all of the money paid in tuition. Even if I don't become a faculty member somewhere, I should finish the dissertation and get the degree. Or should I? If I don't plan to go in that direction, would it be better to know that now and start something else, instead of dragging out the dissertation even longer?

All of this is bugging me because I need to send in a form to request an extension of time to finish my degree, if indeed I want to do that. And I need to go ahead and send it in asap, really, before the semester is over. Ugh. And, well, maybe it would be a good idea to contact my advisor and apologize once more for being such a slacktard.

I'm not a total slacktard, however. I finished our taxes and filed them today. Yay!

Monday, April 14, 2008

Has Doggie been replaced?

Two is still sleeping with his beloved Doggie, but he's also got another toy that *must* be in his bed, and *must* accompany him everywhere lest he puddle down to the floor in a big ball of tantrum. My grandmother got him a John Deere tractor for his birthday and Two is in love. He drives it all over the place, sleeps with it, talks about his beloved "twackta." He got a couple of cool Tonka toys, a dump truck and a front-end loader, which he likes fairly well, but they pale in comparison to the twackta. He'll share the Tonka toys with Big Girl (who wants to play with them largely because they are his, and thereby attractive), but she better not lay a hand on his twackta. He'll scream her name and wail "Nooooooooo!" if she tries. And honestly, that just makes her want to get that twackta even more.

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Very interesting...

How odd! This quiz didn't peg me with the Southern accent - and while I know it's mild compared to some, it's still there!

What American accent do you have?
Your Result: The Midland
 

"You have a Midland accent" is just another way of saying "you don't have an accent." You probably are from the Midland (Pennsylvania, southern Ohio, southern Indiana, southern Illinois, and Missouri) but then for all we know you could be from Florida or Charleston or one of those big southern cities like Atlanta or Dallas. You have a good voice for TV and radio.

The South
 
Philadelphia
 
The Northeast
 
The Inland North
 
The West
 
Boston
 
North Central
 
What American accent do you have?
Quiz Created on GoToQuiz


I spotted this one over at the Little Professor and thought it looked fun.

Saturday, April 12, 2008

Caramel Icing

from a cookbook published by the women's group at a local church:

2 3/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup evaporated milk
1 stick butter
1 tsp vanilla

Melt and brown 3/4 cup sugar in small iron skillet over medium-high heat. Simultaneously bring 2 cups sugar and evaporated milk to a boil. Pour melted sugar into milk and sugar mixture. Cook to soft ball stage (use a candy thermometer). Remove from heat. Add butter and vanilla. Beat to spreading consistency. Ices 8- or 9-inch cake or 48 small cake squares.

Notes from my latest venture: This recipe works best (as do most caramel icing recipes) if you make it when the weather is good - high pressure systems yield better results. If you're forced to make this when there are thunderstorms beating down on your roof, as I was, be prepared to add some powdered sugar while beating the mixture in order to thicken it up. Also, don't try to heat things up too quickly by turning the stove up to high. Take your time, so it won't splatter your hand and burn it. Results are sinfully delicious.

Sinfully delicious

Tonight I made the cake for Two's belated birthday party, to be held tomorrow. The men in my family often request caramel cakes (yellow cake, caramel icing) for their birthdays, and although Two did not articulate such a preference, that's what he's getting too. I'm rather pleased with the results. I'll post the icing recipe tomorrow. The cake's nothing fabulous - made it from a mix - but the caramel icing is from scratch. I seriously slaved over a hot stovetop making it. And tomorrow, if I'm lucky, Two will smear it all over his face with delight and glee.

Friday, April 11, 2008

A little consistency, please!

Ruby is young enough to play with baby dolls, but old enough to take Max shopping for new overalls without any apparent parental supervision? Old enough to give Max baths, but young enough to play dress up? Hmph. Those rabbits must be feral - I'm not the first mother to ask it, but where are their parents? They should be around to keep Ruby from dressing her brother in baby clothes and acting so dismissive and bossy toward him.

Moments with my little man

Shortly after I finished my last post, I heard Two waking up from his nap and whining a little. I walked back to his room and found him curled up in a grumpy little ball, so I brought him out to the den and held him while I was leaning back in the recliner. He fell back asleep, and we stayed there together for some time, until my arm fell asleep and my neck became so stiff that I had to move. He was breathing softly on my neck, with the occasional pitiful little coughing fit due to all of the pollen outside, and curled up so snugly and pressed against me. So often now, he's independent and resists getting hugs and cuddles, and so I just closed my eyes to enjoy the closeness to my sweet boy as long as it lasted.

After I shifted him off my numb arm, he rubbed his eyes open and looked up at me for a long moment, and then looked over to the sofa. He spotted his lovey and perked up: "Doggie?" He began to wiggle, so I helped him down and he retrieved his doggie and gave it to me. He situated the doggie in my lap and ventured out to get a favorite book, The Little Red Caboose (Little Golden Book), one of his favorites since choo-choos rate very highly with him. He came back to my chair and backed up to me and waited expectatly to be lifted into my lap, and we enjoyed several readings of the story, complete with full commentary about all of the images he recognized in the illustrations (doggies, barns, cows, tractors, cars, trucks, and the like). It's been a while since he has slowed down to spend this much time one-on-one with me. And it was wonderful while it lasted.

Why am I being so vague?

I'm not sure why I'm being vague about the details of my new job here. I'm doing children's ministry work at my church. It's a big change for me - I've always taught really big kids (and some adults, but not all college students are adults ;) . Now I'm going to be working with wee folk at the new job. I'm really excited about this, because I love spending time with my kids and helping out with their activities at church, and now I think I'll just feel more invested - plus how many jobs really let you take your kids to work this way? I'll be doing a lot of coordinating, really - lining up volunteers to do a lot of the teaching and supervision stuff, plus doing some of that myself.

Today was good, although I can't say I accomplished anything momentous on my first day on the job. I spent the morning learning how the copier works, trying to organize my office (I get an office, a real office, and it's fabulous) and get all of the items that were stored in there out of the way. The office is still in need of a lot of attention, and all of the files and books that were left behind by the previous occupants were in disarray. The job I have has been held by many people for brief tenures over the years. I hope I'll be the one to break that trend - a lot of people have apparently taken the job until something better came along, something full-time or with better perks I guess.

Although for me, having an office with all of the books and office supplies and a computer is a big perk, and being able to hang out with kids is a pretty sweet job. I guess all people don't share my strange passion for office supplies. But when I teach, to any group of whatever age, it's a great high for me to feel like I'm making connections and I'm learning and they're learning. I hope and dream that working at the church will have plenty of those rewarding moments to feed and sustain me, and that I'll actually be a positive force in these kids' lives. When I start thinking about the possibilities and the ideas my mind just starts racing, and it's hard to keep focused because there's so much going on in my head.

I don't know what this job, and its possibilities, mean for me on a longterm basis. I can't figure out if I will finish my dissertation. It's an odd beast. I love being a student, and I love teaching, but I have to force myself to write about literature. I could talk all day, and I love reading groups, but it's hard to force myself and I have no willpower on a broader scale when it comes to doing things I don't enjoy. I know that I would enjoy being finished with the stupid thing, but I can come up with a million different tasks to do instead of it. After all, I've been procrastinating for years about it. My daughter will be four soon, and I (should have) started on it before she was born.

I don't know what to do with my life. How old am I, and I still can't figure out what to be, even though I've been grown up for years? Anyway, I guess I need to figure out if I'm going to finish with the dissertation and get the PhD, just to have it, because I hate to think that I've wasted so many years working on it not to finish it (but then part of me thinks - if I have learned and grown through the work, isn't that a reward too?). I know I would disappoint my parents, and probably Hubs, and other people if I dropped the PhD. The question I can't answer yet is, would I disappoint myself?

Big Day

I've been slightly less maniacal about posting this week, but I have a good excuse. I've been cleaning the house a bit, and then today I'm starting my new job. It's a part-time gig, so I'll still have plenty of time to blather on about nothing on this blog. I'm excited to try something new, and I'll be working in the same office as a lot of people I know and like, so hopefully this will be a very good situation for me. I'll still be teaching tomorrow's "leaders" at the local mecca of higher learning in spring and fall as well - that's only part-time too, so the two jobs will fit nicely together and still leave me plenty of time with the Big Girl and Two.

Speaking of Two, he's very persistent. He's trying to close my laptop for me, so I'll watch him drive his truck across the carpet. Big Girl and her baby dolls (dressed up in some of her clothes that she naughtily pilfered from her drawers) are dancing to this morning's kid-friendly selection, an old Phil Collins cd. Good times. I think I'll start making music, instead of Noggin, a part of our morning routine. They're not so zombie-fied and they don't throw tantrums when I interrupt music listening to get them dressed and wash the breakfast crumbs from their faces.

The sun is rising outside. It's getting hot in Georgia, y'all. Thank goodness for a/c and box fans.

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Quick Learner

Big Girl is certainly learning a lot at preschool. She now knows how to wipe her nose and/or mouth on her sleeve and how to blow bubbles in her drink using a straw. What fantastic skills will next year bring?

Monday, April 7, 2008

Status report

Big Girl and Two are up to no good. It's entirely too quiet. There should be more chaotic clamor coming from Big Girl's room. I'm happily perusing the interwebz, while the grass outside grows tall enough to hide the house. Someone needs to mow that jungle.

Sunday, April 6, 2008

Flattery

[The Scene: I am brushing my hair in the bathroom. Big Girl enters with her DoodlePro.]
BG: Mama, I doin my homewuk.
Me: Your homework? What is your homework?
BG: I draw pikchur. I gonna draw pikchur of you, Mama!
Me: Oh, wow! How nice, BG!
BG: Look, Mama. I draw you head. Heuh you hair, Mama. You short hair, not long hair like me.
Me: I see! Yes, that's my hair.
BG: I draw you eyez. You have two eyez.
Me: That's right!
BG: I draw you mouf. You have big mouf, Mama. I have lil mouf. You have big mouf, Mama.
[Cue laughter from Hubs in adjacent room.]

Saturday, April 5, 2008

Highly Adaptive


Two is highly adaptive sometimes. We have this toy dog, which my grandmother originally bought for Big Girl when she was not so big, and it's now a favorite of her younger brother. She doesn't play with it anymore, unless she spots Two playing with it and is tempted - because a toy never looks like more fun than when your brother is thoroughly enjoying it. So, Two was walking around the house tugging Digger behind him, and he dropped the cord just long enough for Big Girl to take possession. He didn't have a tantrum, much to my surprise. He got his lovey, a stuffed Disney dalmation pup, and his dad's brown leather belt (which Hubs left lying around on a chair in the den) and adapted them. He's been happily strutting to and fro, dragging the belt, holding Pup, and when his sister then lost interest in Digger, he recollected the other dog and began strolling with all of the items.

Pollen blues

I didn't make it out to teach my class this morning. I woke up without a voice and with plenty of congestion. The kids were quite disappointed, since they didn't go to stay with their grandmother while I worked, but Two has the same complaints and ended up sleeping for most of the morning and a good portion of the afternoon. Big Girl has been happily alternating between playing in her room and watching the highly-addictive Noggin. It's crack for three year olds. She cracks me up as she parrots the announcement between shows that names the show coming next - as if we couldn't possibly want to do anything else but watch the next show: "Mama, Lillul Bayuh's comin' up nest!"

Friday, April 4, 2008

Sleepy, rainy day

I could easily sleep all afternoon. Both Big Girl and Two are taking naps, and it sounds so delightful right now. I'm trying to be good and do prep work for tomorrow's class.

I would love some homemade bread and a big bowl of hot soup right now, but I lack the motivation to make either of those things.

We had a small celebration last night for Two, but the real party will wait until we can get more extended family together next week. I'll make a cake and we'll celebrate then. Last night my mom and Big Girl made brownies with icing for him and he eagerly dipped his fingers in for several swipes of icing before we even started cutting pieces. He was so excited about being the center of attention, and he beamed while we sang for him. Such as sweet boy! My parents are getting a joint gift for him and Big Girl, whose birthday is next month - a big play structure with slide, swings, etc. for the back yard. They will go crazy over it. Hopefully we'll get it set up in the next few days. Right now it's cool and raining, with the threat of severe storms, so we're staying inside.

Thursday, April 3, 2008

Two things

1. I have found a new slightly-less-sinful food pleasure: cheese quesadillas made with ye ole George Foreman Grill. Yummy. Now with less grease.

2. I have found a new personal hero: Jeff Deck of TEAL. If I were young and wild, I would join them on their cross-country mission.

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

If only this were the soundtrack to my life...

I've been listening to Watershed, the new k.d. lang release, and I am in love. This cd is so sensual, so rich, and I just keep playing it again and again. Confession: I know the words to almost every song on Ingénue and I sing along every time I listen to it. Not loud enough to keep me from hearing k.d. lang, but I can't help myself. If she sang the soundtrack to my life, I can only imagine how fabulous my life would be. I feel like I would be a silver screen siren dressed in fabulous gowns, with an amazing hourglass figure and perfectly coifed hair. Her music really stirs something within me, and when I started listening to Watershed this morning, I had one of those perfect moments. It's gloomy and gray and raining this morning, and "i dream of spring" came on and just cinched that moment for me. I can't really explain it. I'm probably sounding ridiculous, but I feel like sitting back and closing my eyes and just listening, because the music is touching something, lifting up something inside of me. This is the feeling I long for, when I listen to music, and sometimes I find it.

Big Mistake

I just read Ashley's post about rebound dogs, and for some stupid reason I went to a couple of Brittany rescue websites and looked at the dogs who need homes. I really want another Brittany. Our dog Rusty, who was our first child and who died last summer, was a fabulous Brit, and if the punk dog hadn't appeared on the scene when he did, I probably would have persuaded Hubs to adopt another Brit. I love the punk, but he has a complete different personality. We got Rusty a few months after we got married, and he was with us for seven years. He was a wild man with so much energy, and then after a long time he started to get stiff and slower and he was an absolute sweetheart who just wanted a little peace and quiet and love in his later years. He was great with the kids - so tolerant, in the same way that he was gentle and tolerant, but not exactly thrilled, with the seizure dog when s.d. was a hyper puppy. I could go on singing Rusty's praises forever. I miss him so much.

So I looked at all of these cute Brits, and it's probably a good thing that most of the ones I saw were too far away, really young, not recommended for homes with young children. Because that made it a little easier not to fall in love with any of them. Rationally, I know we don't need a third dog now. We had three dogs at one point, and it was too much. Two of the dogs were high maintenance (seizure dog being one), and it just wasn't working with trying to get two dogs trained to behave nicely. For now I need to focus on teaching punk dog to be a good canine citizen. He's getting better, but he still needs a lot of work.