And so goes my fretful mind

What makes me wince (and sometimes cry) when I allow myself to think about it, is being a working mom during the summers when AJ reaches school age. Right now it's fine I guess; he's in daycare every day of his life and he doesn't know, yet, that summers are Free Time. But once he gets into school, where will we be then? When the kids countdown that last week of class 'til the final bell rings, and they all run out the door flinging papers and books and singing, "No More Teachers...?" The next Monday, AJ will be headed to the daycare for what they so craftily call "camp." With Teachers. And probably books.

And no matter how hard I try to salve it in my heart, I just don't want that for him.

I want him to have lazy days without so many rules and schedules. Time to just wander the backyard. TO GET BORED. Days-in-succession at the pool. Books galore. Corn dogs and popsicles.

I suppose he CAN have all that for a time... I can send him to Florida to my parents' for a week or three, then we'll have our usual end-of-June vacation week, then he can go to Savannah to his other grandparents' for a while... maybe a week of Vacation Bible School because that never felt like "real" school to me...? And to round out the 3 months, the "camp" program at our daycare actually IS field-trip filled; I mean, I know they do fun things like go to the water park and the pool. But it's just not the same in my mind.

Puzzled

Oh, Melissa & Doug. I really want to be friends with you guys. You seem like people I would like.

But I think I might have to stop talking to you. What were you thinking with the United States puzzle?

Seriously, Melissa, why would you do this to me? Each state carefully jigged around its border, and they all fit FLAT on the flat flat board of the puzzle base (read: no 1/4 inch-deep "cradle" for the piece. You have to slide it up to its neighbor pieces. Hhhhate.) And Doug, what about New Jersey? I hate this New Jersey, all bunched up with DC and I think Rhode Island, but not making any sense as a shape. I almost always try to put it in (on?) upside-down. Did you guys chug a big beer before you cut Michigan? Come on, you can tell me, we're friends. Because I would love to love Michigan -- if it looked like everyone's favorite mitten. But nooooo, Melissa & Doug felt the need to include the same-named Lake, all in one piece -- so when all the little buggers are turned over like this:
I can't FIND Michigan! And that wastes precious seconds of my time. There is no way to do this puzzle quickly. I have a half-hour geography lesson every day after AJ dumps the thing, fruit-basket-turnover style. And yeah, you'll suggest I should be spending the time doing the puzzle WITH him, but lemme tell ya a little secret: after he's dumped it, he moves on to something else! And I am stuck with the Disheveled Union of itty bitty pieces of States.

I should note, AJ can recognize Texas, and "Camifohneeya," and "Loozee-nana," and probably a few others. So maybe I can thank you, my two friends, for when he skips first grade in a few years. (So Smart!) And I can thank you for not including the Virgin Islands. But still. With this and the dying-battery Animal Pet Sounds audio puzzle, which now bleats a few sad "Reeechebts, Reechebts!" when I turn off the light in the room (such sensitive sensors)... I just .... it's just over between us, guys. I'm sorry. I loved you.

Friday Thanks

My sister has taken up this project in my forgetfulness, and reminded me to do it. It's so good to be grateful.

• For music. This week I have rediscovered my iPod and listened to something other than Cookie Monster: Bruce Hornsby, Keane, Coldplay, Angie Aparo... the world is too full of depressing, complicated news and listening to that all day, every day (well, all-commute anyway) is NOT necessarily good for the soul. Rocking out, on the other hand, IS. :)
• For birthday cashola. I now have the means and the motivation to go out and buy some new, fun clothes that I've been wanting since forever. All for me.
• For an IDEA for Father's Day! Part of husband's surprise has already been put in place, and the other part will be executed shortly. Wheeee! (I never seem to have good gift ideas so I'm extra excited about this. Can't tell you now, though: Hubby reads the blog!)
• For long waiting times. Sometimes it's very good to have to wait, and I feel like I've been in a 'holding pattern' for change in my daily round, for a very long time. I rarely talk about it in explicit terms here, but I hint at it obsessively. I am working on a post that gets it all out on paper. There's no absolute conclusion in sight, but it's coming into focus I think, and to quote something I read yesterday, "I see a refining that God is working in me and until He is finished I am not going to see the end result." I really like that thought.
• For weekends. Sometimes DH and I lament that at age 2.5, AJ is already conscious of the fact that Friday is cooler than Monday. He counts down the days 'til the weekend, just like we do. I guess it's something that's always been part of our family, though: when DH and I were dating, we definitely counted down 'til Fridays-at-5, when we could be together again to relax and play and just feel the rotation of the Earth around its axis.

My brother-in-law and his girlfriend are coming to visit for the weekend, so I'm trying to think of interesting places to take them. I've proposed Pizza on the square downtown, and some time at the kiddie park there, too, if it isn't too hot. What're you doing this weekend?

Surprise

Can't blog... Playing with fonts and colors! I eventually want to add a pretty picture at the top, because Blogger lets you do that now. :)

In the spirit of clean-up, go look at Playgroup Dropout and see what Small Change we're all challenged to do this month.

Writing prompt for today

I just read a book about high school, and they played this game called "Assassin," much like my senior class played "Senior Tag" with water guns, back in the day. (I wonder if they still do that?) Kind-of fun remembering it -- I know I went out at least one Friday night with a group of friends, and drove to some kids' houses that I'd never have gone to, otherwise. Everyone had a "target," and once you "killed" that person, you got THEIR target, and it went on and on until there's only one person left - the winner.

Similarly, I've been tagged by Julie, with this! And it will go on and on until no one's left who hasn't done it. The rules are:

* Each player starts with eight random facts/habits.
* People who are tagged need to write posts on their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
* At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.

1. Well, this is somewhat random (i.e., different) but not fun: Just as I was getting all comfortable and pleased about parenting, something comes up. The last 2 days AJ has given us nothing but trouble about going to daycare. We get full mornings of "I don't wanna go to schoooooool" whining, which is miserable. I thought it was because his schedule'd gotten jostled, with my parents visiting and all. But then last night in the middle of playing with puzzles, he told me, "Max bites me all the time." And I asked him "Where?" and he showed me his arm. It had two tiny little puncture scabs -- they didn't necessarily look like teeth marks, but maybe. And then I started thinking that he tells me he and Max play a lot -- he seems to love Max! -- but one of the games they play is "Ouchie, Max! Ouchie!" He says it that same way every time, "Ouchie, Max, ouchie." So now I'm all concerned and have to call up there in five minutes when the daytime teacher arrives, and say to her, What The Hell.

2. For my birthday yesterday, I received yet ANOTHER something sparkly from my husband! I think he is finally trained. ;)

3. There is some leftover "tater tot casserole" in my freezer that I doubt we will ever eat.

4. I spent my childhood summers wearing SPF 6 because people used to tell me my skin had "that olive complexion." I have since learned that I am anything but olive, and now I wear SPF 30 or more.

5. I had forgotten this, but since Dad brought me a sackful-a grapefruits this weekend, I remembered that a half grapefruit is one of my very favorite breakfast items. Too bad they are such a pain in the neck -- cutting around each slice, you know.

6. Our waitress last night botched my birthday surprise -- she never brought the sopapillas-with-candle that Husband ordered while I was with AJ in the restroom -- so he docked two dollars from her tip. I am very relieved that I didn't gorge myself with sopapillas, too, on top of cheese dip and chips and fajitas... but was feeling kinda sad last night that I didn't get to blow out a candle. Isn't that stupid?

7. I just called the school and feel better... in reality, if my kid is getting hurt, he's going to cry about it to the teachers. He is definitely A Crier. So I'm going to go on about my day satisfied that I've alerted them and hopeful that it's nothing. What's a little friendly biting between friends?

8. My Mom bought me some new red Crocs flip-flops on Saturday. I am excited because it's been four years since I've had new flip-flops. I've always avoided the ones with a thong between the toes, because I HATED that feeling! But not this year. I think I have finally grown up and can tolerate it. And a whole new world has opened up to me!


Tagsies: not 8 people, but MB, Beansy, Nicole, Melessa...? Do something fun today. :) On the house.

Weekend with the family

My parents visited this weekend, and I think the best part for me was having ample opportunities to be SO PROUD of AJ. Where did we get this well-behaved, actually-listens-to-his-parents, 2.5 year-old?

I have to say, when we asked him to sit still in Church, I truly didn't expect him to. But he DID. And earned -- really deserved -- the ice cream he had coming.

When he fell asleep on the couch right before dinner, thus creating somewhat of a meltdown when it finally was time to eat, all that we needed was for him to be taken out of the room, talked to a bit, and he actually COMPOSED himself and came back to the table, feeling all better. Even ATE dinner.

Maybe it was the addition of two extra adults -- ones he loves and wants to please -- that made it all go so well. I will certainly Take It. :) Sometimes, it's a pleasure to be a parent.

Just what I needed

Late last Wednesday, I got the dreaded phone call:

"Hi, el-e-e...? It's Darby at (AJ's school)." Darby's the front desk woman. I like her. But, "Damn," is always the first thing I think. The plan -- the working/office/daycare thing -- has failed me today. I cannot perform both as employee and as Mom. But then, "Ooh, I get to leave RIGHT NOW" takes over, and I usually find myself smiling just a little bit.

AJ had a reddened, irritated eye that day, and the daycare does not mess around when it comes to possible pinkeye. They wanted him out of there. I was not convinced it was something contagious, but the next morning he woke up pretty puffy, so I went ahead and called the doc.

To make a long story short, it was NOT pinkeye, and AJ felt perfectly fine all day... but I chose to keep him home. Meaning, we had a day off! An absolutely fine-as-a-fiddle "Sick Day." Those are the best kind, after all -- ask Ferris Bueller. I had been thinking, just the week before, that I needed to take a personal day already and just SPEND SOME TIME with the kid. For both of our sakes. It was nice that the opportunity presented itself, since I am so bound by guilt and loyalty and probably WOULDN'T take a free-day of my own volition. I told my office he was sick and they were none the wiser. AJ and I went to lunch at McDonald's (he DID have to endure a doctor visit, after all, and what better 'treat' than chicken nuggets and a stint at the PlayPlace?), had a "book picnic" in the front yard in the afternoon, complete with watermelon snacks, and played one heck of a lot of Hide-n-Seek.

Remind me to do this again in 6 months or so.

This is obnoxious, but I have to

You know what CRACKS AJ RIGHT UP, every time?

Going, "WHOA." in Joey Lawrence fashion.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=ZHOCyhdPmyU

The way AJ laughs when he hears me say WHOA, you'd think it was the only joke ever to be told on this earth. And it's not even a joke. It's barely a word.

On waking

Honey: I am certain you'll twist the blame to me for this, and I'm likely part of the cause, but I have to say, after spending the whole night with my one little square of comforter: What is the DEAL, man? Covers-hogging has never been your thing. ;)

* * * * * * * * *

For Memorial Day weekend, we visited DH's grandmother in Virginia, and it was the first time since bringing a child into this world that we traveled without the Pack-n-Play. OHMYSWEETHEAVENS, what blessed relief (for Husband) not to have to lug that monster up from the basement, over two state lines, into the guest bedroom, out of its vinyl case, etc. etc. I decided on a whim that AJ is plenty old enough to sleep on a palette on the floor. Husband claimed to never have heard of this "palette" method. He thought I meant a wooden skid. HA! But then again, he didn't have lots of siblings or cousins that he had to share his grandparents with -- we were always eager to spend the night at Granny's with our cousins, because of her floor palettes. (Also her pillows, which were fresh like air and roses and extra-squishy with down.) Even though she had plenty of beds, it seems like we always gathered on the floor of her den, on multiple blankets a la a sleeping bag, without the bag. Anyway, AJ was enamored of the idea and slept quite well the first night.

The second night, he woke up at what I thought was about 5:00 am, so I sleepily pulled him under the covers with DH and me. Turns out either I was wrong and it was more like 2:00 am, or THAT WAS THE LONGEST HOUR & A HALF of my sleeping life. Legs in my ribs. Feet in my back. Arms over my throat. Hello, edge of the mattress? Meet ME in my ENTIRETY. This was a full-size bed, y'all. I love that kid, but I'll tell you honest: I don't want to sleep with him!

* * * * * * * * *

A few weeks ago I said to Mrs. Flinger (avec newborn! so sweet!) that I was ready to tweak our work-daycare arrangement just slightly. This morning, when AJ woke up, he confirmed that we should try that out: he said, "Mama, is it a breakfast day? I wanna go downtairs and eat breakfast." See, typically we've had to leave the house at 7:00 am or before, to get DH to work on time for an 8:00 meeting. AJ has always eaten breakfast at school. But now, DH doesn't have to leave so early. He works 6 miles from home, HALLELUJAH. And especially on days when I work from home, I'm thinking it'd be really nice to have breakfast together, like a regular pre-big-traffic era family. Wouldn't that be nice? :) Tomorrow, I'm thinking Rice Krispies and juice, right in my own kitchen. I mean, the goal is for him to yearn to have his feet "back under Mama's table" after he moves away, right? So we should practice that.

A tribute to my seester!

Remember how we used to play "camping..." in the linen closet?

Remember how we played gymnastics lessons by "spotting" our dolls while they did backhandsprings?

Remember how your toy closet was always "the messy one?"

Remember how sometimes I would listen in on your phone conversations with Bri? (oops, I mean, haha, um. I did that.)

Remember how you were always advanced enough to play MY piano sheet music, even though I couldn't share like a reasonable person?

Remember your blue bike?

Remember fishing at the school carnival?

Remember when we got our trampoline?

...and our treehouse?

Remember James & the Giant Peach?

Remember playing Atari with our cousins?

Remember swimming under Mom's legs at the Country Club pool?

Ooh, remember their grilled cheese sandwich for lunch?

And SLUSH PUPPIES? :)

Remember listening to our records in my room - Sesame Street, Strawberry Shortcake and the PeculiarPurplePiemanofPorcupinePEAK??

Remember "cooking up a storm?"

Remember those awesome barrels on the playground?

Remember tennis lessons with cute Blair (Jill Pickle and Gol-Lee), and then cute (the other guy, with dark hair - whatshisname)?

Remember dancing the Indian dance ONE twothreefour ONE twothreefour at Camp Fire Camp?

and "stinging nettles?"

Remember how piano lessons with Mrs. H were never as fun as with Mrs. L?

Remember Psalty and the Kids' Praise musical?

Remember 10,000 frog jumps?

Remember posing for those fancy Christmas pictures, when our house was on the home tour (you, peering so adorably into that tall candle hurricane thing)?

Remember piggy-back rides from babysitters, and playing Mother May I?

Remember Sea-Wees?

The Snorks every Saturday morning?

Learning art history in the kitchen with Mom?

Making ice and lettuce concoctions in the freezer?

Making mud pies at Granny's?

Playing store with golf tees?

Getting ringworm?

The girl scouts sleepover in the Planetarium?

Irrigatin'?

Those one-piece summer outfits that tied over the shoulders?

JELLIES?

playing Ma and her Wild Horses?

doing a play in Betsy & Patrick's basement closet? (What was it with closets?)

Orphanage?

Work?

Library (in Dad's office)

School

House

(and my favorite) Friends?

Happy Birthday, Beansy! I love you!

Party Planner

Tonight's Book Club menu, chez moi:

Sangria Blanca*
Rotel cheese dip and chips
Taco Salad
Cool Blueberry Pie

and Prep, by Curtis Sittenfeld.

Should be fun! Only thing I still need are some flowers for the table. And to finish the book, but that may not happen. Oh well, hardly matters. Book Club isn't about the Book, dummy! It's about the:

*Sangria Blanca

1/2 c. lemon juice (RealLemon)
1/2 c. sugar
2 tbsp RealLime
1 bottle late harvest wine (this would be Riesling, yes? Wine smarties, please confirm for me!)
2-3 tbsp orange-flavored liqueur
soda water

sliced oranges, lemons, or fresh grapes and/or raspberries (garnish)

Mix the sugar and lemon/lime juices until sugar is dissolved. Add wine and chill. Garnish with fruit of your choice, and serve with a splash of soda.

Verbal avalanche, just because

Hey. It's been a long time since we just sat down to chat. Want to? Good. Me too.

First off, check out my pretty new shoes! I know. I got 'em at Marshall's for twenty bucks and I love 'em. They are replacing my favorite brown sandals ever (which have died a scuffy death), so it's good I found them. Marshall's has some good deals on shoes, dude.

I got a couple other items and I think Hubby and I are going to try to do some more shopping this weekend. He ususally finds much more during our co-ed shopping excursions than I do. But he's in need. New job = new clothes, right? He deserves some.

Oh, and how's his job going? Great so far, I think. He seems content with it, even though it's always hard to be the new guy. Thanks for asking. He's working with nice folks, and they tell him he's picking it up quickly (no surprise). I think it's a shock to his system to have so much less stress from commuting, and less from the actual work, too. His system is so glad of this change! (As is his wife.)

Yeah, there's not a whole lot going on at work for me today. Typical Friday, I guess. Tonight I have dress rehearsal for our concert tomorrow, and let me just say... I will be glad when it's over. I checked out of this one before it even started. Maybe it'll help to have the instruments there tonight -- one song we're doing is accompanied solely by harp, and that should lend a different feeling to it (with just the rehearsal piano, I loathe this piece). Harps are rather ethereal and I will need that to make it worth it, on a tired Friday night.

Then tomorrow, the concert... if I can JUST line up the babysitting thing. Garh. We have SUCH a hard time finding babysitters. It's ALWAYS last minute, I ALWAYS have to fall back on this one friend that I don't really like to bother... we thought Hubby's best friend would help us this time (Hubby has to go to a wedding without me, leaving AJ stranded), but the friend called last night to say he had a fever. Fabulous. Hopefully by Saturday night he'll feel better.... ? Am I crazy to still hope that? Shouldn't I just nix it to be on the safe side? Sigh. Hate. Finding. Babysitters. HATE. 'Specially this time of year with prom and graduation and all. (Mom, please just go ahead and move up here. Cool. Thanks.)

I need to work on my patience. Had a learning moment this morning when Hubby got exasperated with AJ, because AJ accidentally ground his little feet onto Daddy's clean dress shoes. After a bit of a reprimand, AJ said, "I din't mean to do dat," and it nearly broke my heart -- and I know, no one wants their shoes to get scuffed up, but what *I* thought was, they're SHOES. Who cares? He's two. It doesn't matter if you've told him before -- he can't even put ON his own shoes, much less strive to keep his and other people's scuff-free. BUT THEN! After I'd huffed to myself about it and curtly told Hubby goodbye like the little brat I am, my Jiminy Cricket said to me, "Is that a LOG in your EYE, missy???" Because, hello: PATIENCE. Hubby should be patient with AJ, but EL-E-E should be patient with HUBBY. So I mea culpa'd to God about that one the whole rest of my drive to work. (Also about impatience with the baby thing. Really. The one time I act like a good Catholic and actually allow God's timing to control that area, and I get impatient. Not good. Prayed silently for help with that, too.)

Have done pretty well with the diet this week. However, while at Marshall's getting my shoes, I blatantly IGNORED the "swim shop;" I'm not ready yet. I also don't know how fitday.com can log a crab cake as 93 calories; that can't be right. We had 2 apiece last night, but I logged it as four because I'm certain they cost more than 93. (Your recipe, MB! High score, as usual.)

Hey, you should come over and smell my plants. The tomato vines are HUGE - and precariously staked with dental floss, ha! Good thing no fruit yet because they'd fall over. My germinated basil seeds have finally started smelling like licorice, if I give 'em a little pinch! It's heaven. Hopefully we will be making lots of fresh salsa this summer, as well as basil-tomato pizza!

Okay, I'll let you go. Good chattin' with you. Have a good weekend.

The 6-wks-til-beach-week diet

I'm three days in (again) to a serious limitation of calories. That is, calories IN. I am trying extra-hard to increase calories OUT. Hoo boy. I'm hungry all the time. But trying not to give in. Trying to hit the healthy 1400-1500 cals per day intake, and burn about 1800-1900. (I am unable to calculate an exact 500-cal defecit in order to lose 1 pound per week. Absolutely unable. But I'll take any defecit and count that as a good day.)

Here's how I diet, typically:

7:32 am Coffee. A-number-one dietary staple. (very virtuous, with splenda and skim)

9:00 am Still reading blogs and unable to move from chair... no breakfast today. And that's cool, I can handle it.

9:15 am Kinda hungry.

10:59 am Maybe I'll have breakfast. Cottage cheese with peaches. 1 serving. Tastes great, really filling!

11:30 am Ooh, time for lunch. Let's see... leftovers? Salad? Salad. I'm home, I can make a (virtuous) salad.

11:32 am Bagged spinach, my favorite! So full of vitamins. Sign of the cross to ward off E coli. Hmmm. what else have I got?

Tomato. Except... this one's seeds are kind-of dark... Hm. Maybe just a few bite-size chunks. there, that oughtta do it.

aannnd... Protein! Very important for salad. Here's some chicken breast (virtue!).

And some cheese. (Protein! 2-3 servings of dairy! Perfecto.)

And who can enjoy a salad without THESE? Oh boy, do I love these. Protein! Good fat! Wheee!

2 TBPS, no more, balsamic vinagrette. (so tasty. and Vir.tu.ous.)

11:40 am Wow, that was the best salad. Too bad I'm still frickin' hungry.

11:41 am So I had veg, I had protein... carbs! Don't want to NOT eat carbs... Carbs are not the enemy. Scanning pantry... pretzels (snore)... Cheese-Its! Yes, Cheese-Its.

11:42 am
Wait, even better? Cheese-Its AND Pretzels. Just a half serving each. (Counting them out) 1... 2... 3... oh this is a pain. Handful. "Approximate" is okay.

Closing the box now (4 more "for the road"). Mouth full -- Oohmmff, guhd. Partially hydrogenated, and yet, so, so tasty.

12:30 pm
Ahem. Wow, that vinagrette stays with ya. Did you know chocolate, next to mint, is the best breath freshener? I read that somewhere.

.... aaaand so forth.

One of these days here soon, I'm going to have to shop for the year's new bathing suit. Every summer I pack a range of them -- a new one, a "last year's" and at least ONE "2 or 3 years ago" one. Wouldn't it be fun to have ALL NEW? Plus several new flip-flops and beach bags AND a cover-up? Utter Extravagance.

Anyway. Got any gum? I need about 14 pieces to tide me over 'til dinner.

Want to see my checkbook?

Target

Publix

Target

Target

[Name of Daycare]

Publix

Publix

Publix again (forgot something that time)


These are the places my money goes.

And don't get me wrong. I, personally, adore Target. And I'm not overly hateful toward Publix, either, because I sometimes like to grocery-shop. You know, Possiblity. Health. Cheeze-Its.

Where my MONEY wants to go -- that's entirely different. My money BEGS me to take it to Talbots. And the newly discovered Ann Taylor Loft. My money really enjoys being spent at Pier One and Barnes & Noble. (In fact, it jumps out of my wallet when we're in those places. Gleefully.) It sighs when I carry it through Macy's -- empty, beloved Macy's. Lately, seeing all the Lands' End catalogs in the mail, my money has asked to be spent there, online, in a swift, clicky motion. Pottery Barn Kids is also a place my money would really, really like to visit.

But I can't let my money get all picky and asky. I keep it quiet with the mind-numbing routine.

Target.

Publix.

[Daycare]

Publix.

The sweetest breakfast

Was your mother's day nice? Mine was. I think Hubby deserves mountains of credit for thinking of this one thing, especially:

Picture breakfast in bed, with (coffee, toast, sliced apples, and) 2 poached eggs -- my fave. They sat on either side of my plate, and in between? Two slices of bacon, arranged like an "X." Get it? O X O. Hug, Kiss, Hug.

Aren't you impressed?? I was!


(To top that off, he let me watch not one, but THREE episodes of "What Not to Wear..." during Prime Time! While playoff hockey was being played! I do love this man.)

Rocks in my... where?

Yesterday I got to AJ's school ready for my big Mamaaaa! hug, which I got, and savored.

They were all on the playground. He was sweaty and scrapey-kneed, with lunch stains on his shirt and red juice stains around his mouth... which I just love. Little boys! Adorable! Rough and tumble! Messy! It gets me right in the heart.

In the middle of this strange euphoria of mine, (!) AJ says, like it's the most normal thing in the world,

"Mama? Will you help me get this rock outta my ear?"

Me, me! I want something for nothing!

Everyday Mommy's offering her gorgeous art for free, for your blog, for Mother's Day. Wouldn't that be cool? :) Go ahead, you can sign up, too. Just don't cut in line in front of ME!

Our Good Fences should probably come down

DH and I joked this weekend that it's a good thing we like each other, because we are so picky about our local friends -- often getting annoyed with them, rarely asking them over, sometimes rolling our eyes when they call... we're awful, small-hearted people. So Saturday we installed our next-door neighbors' rolled-up carpet, 4 ceiling fans, 20 light fixtures, and (gorgeous) bathroom vanity in our free storage facility, otherwise known as the basement. They're investment real-estaters, and one of their properties is in foreclosure, so I guess we're helping out. (I'll admit, I had rude thoughts about it at first, since usually Mrs. Neighbor tells me all about the million-dollar deal she's about to close. Eyeroll.)

Later that day, they called and asked if we had a half-cup of red wine for a recipe they were making. We did, but the bottle wasn't open. Annoying. THEN they came over and rang the doorbell just when we'd sat down to dinner, which wouldn't be a big deal in many households, but in ours, the doorbell sets off the lab-chow (BARK! BARK! I'MGONNAKILLWHOEVERJUSTRANGTHATBELL-BARK), which sets off the child to both scared and thrilled. (Who could it be?? So exciting! MAMA!) They were bringing over a taste of the resulting recipe so we'd know our wine sacrifice was put to good use, and it was delicious. That made me feel guilty for saying, 5 minutes eariler when the phone rang, "If that's the neighbors, do NOT answer it."

I'm a terrible person.

BUT! The Neighbors -- I feel like they need an official title -- never give up on us. Yesterday they called to see if AJ and I wanted to go have dinner with them at T-Mac, the excellent pub/bar around the corner. (I WANT it to be a "pub," but it's really a bar. It does have an international beer list of thousands, so that gives it some character, at least.) Without so much as a Sigh, I smiled and took them up on the offer. We rarely, if ever, go out on a Monday night, and since DH had to go take his drug test for the new job after work, I just decided What the Heck. We met them and their 2 kids, shared some medium-hot, extra-crunchy buffalo wings (YUM), and had the nicest time. We "dined" al fresco. Daughter Neighbor, 6 months older than AJ, had to go to the potty TWICE during our meal, so guess who else decided he did? That's right! AJ pee-peed TWICE on a public potty! His first time doing that! Thank you, Kelsey. I even ordered DH his favorite po-boy to go, which he scarfed down the minute he got home.

It's like we have real friends now or something.

So many people we know really socialize with their neighbors. Almost to the point of what DH and I think is crazy, leaving the doors (gasp) unlocked and just entering willy-nilly without knocking on each other's doors. Like, ...family. The kids play together every day, they spend nights all piled up at one house or the other, they eat meals together more often than not. Even my Mom's parents probably considered their longtime neighbors best friends. So I know it's DONE... it just hasn't really been done by us, yet.

I kind-of like it. If I can keep my eyes from rolling, we'll be good to go.

Easy, Breezy Recipe Friday

Baked Garlic Chicken
(and a contest*)

Forgive me -- I don't have amounts. But you're smart people. Eyeball it.

boneless, skinless chicken breasts
softened butter or margarine (Squeeze P'kay is easiest)
garlic salt
shredded parmesan


Holy cakes, this is easy:

Put some foil on a cookie sheet.
Put the chicken on the foil.
Put the butter on the chicken. (Spread it as evenly as you can.)
Sprinkly garlic salt over the butter.
Sprinkly (good typo!) cheese --be generous-- over the g-salt.
(You can salt and pepper if you like)

Bake it at 375-400 for 15 to 20 minutes.

ENJOY. This always comes out juicy and wonderful for me. Usually when I bake chicken breasts I can only stand to eat about 3/4 of mine before I'm over it. But with this, I lick the platter clean.

*Now: bonus points if you can guess when/where I first had this recipe, which is near & dear to my heart!

A four-note chord

1. I finally finished my book, and enjoyed it down to the last morsel of footnotes, but I was ready for it to be over. I was starting to think of nothing BUT the subject matter, and that was grating on my nerves just a bit. Still fascinated... possibly a bit obsessed... and after the book and some additional Internet research, I am definitely more historically informed. But after reading that deep well of stuff about other people's faith, it sort-of makes me want to go pick up -- I mean, heave up, the thing is about 900 pages -- my Catechism book. You know, the comforts of home. I should possibly get a little more obsessed with my OWN faith. Heh. My last word on this subject: In many ways, we're all not that different from each other. And I think religion might be the number one most interesting topic for study, period. It is rich with the study of everything else -- history, politics, government, society, life and death. I can't get enough.

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2. My friend and frequent commenter, sdw, had her baby girl! I am so glad for them all. Say a quick prayer, though: they're stuck for a few more hospital days while Baby has a few more tests to ward off infection. And poor Mama was required by insurance (I thought we had GOOD insurance, sdw... WTF?!) to move OUT of her hospital room while Baby stays. Rrrr. I know that's hard on her. By the way: sdw? = sister-daughter-wife, and also my friend's initials. :) SO NOW, she's SDWM!! M!!!

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3. This is funny: The other night I discovered the meaning of this blog. :) My little scavenger. I was all worried, thinking, "Crap! We just BOUGHT that stinking dryer, why is it so loud?? Now I'm going to have to start reading yet another blog.

By the way, I have a question. There seems to be some unwritten rule that, even though we all blog, we don't really TALK about the blog in real life. Is that how you guys see it? I mean, so many of us blog in secret, not sharing our real names. I'm not one to hide my blog from friends or family -- in fact, my whole nuclear family and several buddies read me -- but I always get this quirky twitch when my Mom says on the phone, "I liked what you said on your blog the other day." It just doesn't seem like that's DONE. I love that she reads! And tells me she likes it! It's just odd that my eye goes all Quasimodo when I hear the words "your blog" out loud. It seems like we're only supposed to talk about blogging ON the blogs, or at BlogHer. :) Love ya, Mom! Don't you dare change a thing! I just wondered if anyone else gets this itsy discomfort. Maybe I'm just a weirdo.

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4. I might have accidentally let my Dingbat show yesterday. Last week the daycare handed out a letter that said "Teacher Appreciation Week" at the top. I didn't have time to read it word by word, but I know it also said, "Wednesday, bring a flower for each of your child's teachers." So yesterday, after AJ helped me carefully select the most beautiful grocery store carnations (cheap! cheap!) we could find, we pranced into his classroom and he elected to carry them around himself until his teachers arrived (we get there really early). I did notice the morning teacher was non-exclamatory about the flowers, and there also weren't any vases around, which the letter had promised. Hmm. THEN, I took my lunch break at Target to find some little gift-baggy items like lotions and chocolates, to be prepared for Friday's gift-giving (couldn't do that with AJ or he'd want all the chocolates for himself, right?) -- I shopped proudly, thinking, "I am so smart to do this today." It wasn't until I was driving to pick AJ up at 5:00 pm that I realized... the letter also said "May 7 - 11." I was a full week early. DURRR.

(For you music nerds, that last note was a minor 7th.)