Silent Inbox, Kindle reading and Bottles of Wine (well, one bottle)

Spent the first hour of my workday wondering why I had so few emails, and no one was checking in on Skype to say hello, and where were all my assignments... and then I realized it's a holiday in Germany and my other counterpart from the UK is traveling today. Yay! Not going to even pretend to complain -- just going to come here and take a little time for myself.

Not sure I reported this here, but I finished the 30-day yoga challenge (yay!! hooray! go me!), then took a week off from waking up at 5:00 a.m. for it. It was a nice week off -- a few of those days, I woke up at 5:30 instead, to do a quick 10-minute stretch, as required by the WLC. Today I backed the alarm up a little more, and did 20 minutes. It's a nice way to start a day and I've gotten used to it. The cats always come with me. Sometimes they scratch up my mat, naughty kitties, but usually we all just purr together in the lamp light, hee-hee, and stretch and be still. 

I needed that stillness today, with the first of two super-busy weeks ahead. The month of May is always super-busy, of course, but this one even more so with Alex graduating. I'm practicing "one thing at a time," though, hoping it will help me not panic. "This moment is perfect, just as it is meant to be..." on repeat. Today is Kate's Battle of the Books at 1:00 p.m. -- she finished her last book yesterday (!!!) at around 3. HA! Talk about procrastinating. She also forgot said book at her friend's house, when she spent the night out Friday. That created a storm of emotion on Saturday late afternoon, when she desperately wanted to read/finish it but I refused to go to B&N and buy her another copy. Instead, I downloaded it from the e-library on my Kindle. Mom Saves The Day! Superhero pose! Cost us nothing! Except... and here is one of those things I shouldn't even record, because it doesn't paint Kate in the best light, but... I'm going to anyway. An e-book was NOT what she wanted. Oh, she spent 20 minutes sobbing and telling me she DIDN'T LIKE books on the Kindle! And she couldn't POSSIBLY read it because it wasn't a book with PAGES and etc. etc. (Overtired from her sleepover, to be sure.) I managed to calm her -- told her that while Daddy and I were out on our anniversary date, we would go look for the book at B&N. And after her tears dried, she did read on the Kindle until we finally got her own book back (well, the school library's copy) from her friend on Sunday morning. And no, we did NOT look for the book for her at B&N -- I told her they didn't have it. (...I think I won this one and I feel pretty good about it.)

What fun, right?! 

Bless her heart. (really. not the Southern meaning.)

One night she and I were talking about emotions, mostly related to a friend of hers who's been extreme-hot or extreme-cold lately, and I told her this may be the beginnings of puberty for her and her friends, with emotions being taken over by biology. She completely took the opportunity to ask, "Well, what HAPPENS during puberty, anyway?" Little extrovert, never too shy for anything. Ha. So I told her the whole thing. Yep, all of it. (Well, we'll still have a little more to discuss about the finer details, pads vs. tampons etc., but there's time.) I am so relieved to have it over with. ;) And next up, this summer, I'm going to give her a copy of Are You There, God, It's Me, Margaret -- maybe on my KINDLE. 

-----

We had a fantastic anniversary dinner on Saturday night. Treated ourselves to the expensive stuff, at Aspens steak house. Filet mignon for everyone! We also finished a bottle of wine. Been a LONG time since we did that! Reminiscent of our very first date, actually. It was funny, not being able to walk straight when we left the restaurant. ;) And we SO needed to get out and laugh like that. The day to day stuff, 17 years in, sometimes doesn't leave room for enough (wine and) laughter. It's all good stuff, of course, it's a well-oiled machine, but wow, leaving the kids at home and going out is AWESOME. No babysitter, even. We decided 13 and 10 is plenty old enough to manage for 3 hours, with a pizza. And they were totally fine. I see more bottles of wine in Shawn's and my future (at least I hope so). Year 18 is looking pretty good already. 

-----

I also want to record the nice weather we finally had this weekend, and the good day we had Saturday. Actually, it started with a shopping trip for Alex and me, to bulk up his summer wardrobe a little. We spent exactly one hour inside Belk, which is as long as I predicted he'd be able to stand shopping. Got several polos, though, some dress pants, and nicer shorts he can wear to church when the weather warms up. I have to continue adding for him, so he'll have enough clothes to wear in high school next fall, with no uniform! Eek! 

Afterwards, and after lunch, I planted my annuals. Petunias and marigolds this year, fingers crossed they'll live. It's an act of hope, particularly when I'm involved, to plant. It was a beautiful day; even helped Shawn pick up detritus later as he trimmed trees. Now if we could just get the kids to commit to helping, too, we'd be golden. #Goals.

-----

This is so long! But Shan is still not here yet and I've received one assignment so far since starting this post, which will take me about 5 minutes and isn't due until Wednesday. Menus! It's been an OK season of the WLC so far. I'm trying my best not to repeat too many meals so the family won't resent me being on the challenge. This week, I'm planning:

Brinner. (last night). I made Pillsbury biscuits for them, with scrambled eggs and turkey sausage and Harvest Apples. In my scrambled eggs, I added stewed tomatoes and onions. The Best way to eat eggs.

M - Tacos. Ground beef, mine in corn tortillas and theirs in (luckies) Doritos taco shells,with black beans as a side dish. I have guac and good salsa and iceberg lettuce, and it will be delicioso, as Dora used to say. 

T - Chicken/Green Beans/Potatoes in a casserole dish with butter and Italian dressing mix. Easy-peasy! 

W - Scheduled leftovers or You're On Your Own (Yoyo). I always have Hot Pockets in the freezer and egg noodles in the pantry, so everyone can find something.

Th - Annual Art Show and then Laredo's for dinner! (Or somewhere else, but I'm not cookin'.) :)

Fr - Burgers, I hope, cooked on the grill and eaten outside on the back porch. If the weather cooperates. 

Boss is here! Better go! "This moment is perfect, just as it is meant to be."