Happy Day
I wrote this last night, but it didn’t post.
Today was a good day.
I went to this really very heavenly used book store in Clayton that I found a couple of weeks ago. It is small but stuffed with great books, new and used. So after the kids went to school I sorted out some books I was pretty sure I wouldn’t need to read again, Midwives but not The Time Traveler’s Wife, The Thirteenth Tale, but not Bel Canto, and I got $36 in store credit which I promptly spent, plus $15 more because…oh, who needs a reason.
I am excited to read Labyrinth, by Kate Mosse. I have a very good feeling about it.
Then I went to Little Caesars for their $5 hot and ready pepperoni pizza, since it was right next door. It’s not like I usually need a whole pizza for lunch. When AdreAnn and I were roommates our freshman year at BYU, we used to scramble together $5 and order Little Caesars (we would beg for extra cheese), then we would wait outside for the delivery guy and attempt to sneak the pizza back into our room without any of our lurvly U-hall dorm sisters detecting it. Once we were safely locked in our room we would roll up a towel and stuff it against the door/floor crack to block the smell from wafting out into the hall, and we’d turn off the lights and eat in the dark so it would look like no one was home.
That’s how much we didn’t want to share. I make no apologies.
After lunch I picked kids up from school and had them help me right some of the mess in the yard from rain, weeds, leaves, and falling palm fronds. Jonathan learned how to work the blower.
And finally, we went to my parents house for yet more pizza and watched last nights American Idol. I didn’t really like anyone tonight. Maybe the blond country singer.
And now, I’ll drift off to sleep with my new book in my hands, my sweetheart by my side, and my faithful dog at my feet. Nothing could be finer.
Lilly, Pepper, GG and Cricket
Did I tell you that we got chicks? We got chicks.
They are so CUTE. Right now they are living in a box in the bathtub because they need a warm little habitat. They are two weeks old now, so on Saturday we can move them to the garage with a heat lamp.
Our bathroom has never been so lively. All my human smalls love to play with the chicken smalls. It is just weird that I go in the bathroom to hold and play with my little chicks, Lilly, Pepper, GG, and Cricket, and then I go in the kitchen and poke the poultry defrosting on my counter to see how it’s doing.
However we will never eat our chicken pets. Um, just their eggs. Hopefully blue ones.
My Little Secret
I have a secret. Sometimes, when you are a grown man you wear stretchy pants alone in your room. Just for fun.
No, I just wanted to say that. My real secret is that sometimes I take myself and my book out to lunch. I know stay at home moms are supposed to protect the secret that our job is the best gig in the world, but really, I love my dates with my bad self. Usually about twice a month I will find myself fed up to there with cooking, laundry, the dirty entry way, chip bags under the coffee table, planning dinners, arguing about who is going to practices, wiping the dog’s muddy feet, and whatever else sends me over the edge that day.
A moment of quiet reflection will ensue. I will ponder, “how can I get my good attitude back and even appreciate the blessing I have in being a stay at home mom?”
And the answer is like a sweet and light hand on my shoulder saying, “go to lunch.”
For me, eating out and a good book are some of the best therapy there is. So yesterday, I went to this awsome burger joint down the street called The Counter. And I self medicated with the best sweet potato fries evah. I am reading The Dive From Clauson’s Pier.
And then I emerged refreshed, and today I am ready to face whatever comes my way. I can say that because my mom and I are planning to go shopping and get pedicures. You should go. Maybe the same thing will happen to you.
Learn Something New
I love it when you find out something new about someone who you think you know really well. Last week my mom stopped by the house, and we were watching the horses for a minute and talking about how the girls are hoping to learn how to ride. It made me ask if she had ever ridden a horse and she said something about riding once and getting thrown off before she made it that far, and then she pointed across the driveway, gave a shrug, and said, “I’ve ridden pigs farther than that.”
Yeah…she’s ridden pigs farther than that. Who knew?
A Mouse Called Pipsqueak
There is a mouse in our house. Maddie, Katie, and Ellie have seen it. Marc and I haven’t, but we are inclined to believe in it. This is a ranch house, after all.
Katie, tender (and dramatic) heart that she has, has named it “pipsqueak” and wants us to “make friends with it because God made all creatures to be loved.” Blah, blah…blah, blah. When I was a teenager at girl’s camp there were some young women who felt the same way about bugs, and I thought they were dumb too.
Anyway, I have informed Marc that tomorrow his mouse hunt will ensue, but what I really want to know is, how come Riley, who goes freakin’ barking ballistic over leaves falling in the backyard, doesn’t care about a mouse running through the laundry room? Seriously.
The Fabulous Flying Budget
Marc and I are on a budget. He says we are both on this budget, but mostly I am on the budget because it is mostly my job to buy the stuff makes our world go round. Gag. I don’t like to budget. Spending is easier.
But I believe in this budget and I really do want to make it work so I am trying…trying with a true and sincere heart (do you hear that babe?) to spend our money wisely. Oh right, and to SAVE money. Because saving is BEST.
Don’t you think that if I spend less on something that absolutely has to be bought then that should count as saving? I should get credit for it, perhaps in the form of back scratches and positive statements like, “you are doing great and deserve to go out to dinner at Cheesecake and have tuna tar-tar.”
So perhaps you also are on a little budget? If you are, here is something I recently found:
It turns out that the Loreal Bare Naturale Mineral foundation works exactly the same as Bare Minerals. And by exactly I mean that it looks just the same on me, not that I’ve actually read the ingredients or anything, but it only costs $12 instead of $25. That totally counts, right! As saving!
You’re welcome. Oooh, and let me know if you know of any great deals out there, because I believe in this budget. I’m going to keep telling myself that.
Be Mine?
Happy Valentines Day!
My valentine doesn’t really like public displays of affection, but I do for the silly reason that I think it proves to the world that he loves me. Right. I said it was silly. I know.
But I’m PDA-ing my flowers anyway. And he took me to Sushi Groove, because raw fish is the food of love. I’m not joking about that.
I love you Marc. Thank you for another lovely Valentines day.
Hello Monday
Can you see the little spots in Ellie’s carpet? Those are popcorn kernels and nerds.
Here’s to New Friends
So in my church there is this thing called Visiting Teaching and it is where two woman are asked to be companions and visit two or more other women from the congregation. I’ve been doing it pretty much all of my adult life. It’s like a way for all of the women to stay connected, check up on each other (in a good way), make friends, serve each other and all the other good stuff you might imagine comes from such a program, like cookies.
So I’m supposed to visit this sweet lady named Angela. She is about my age, super cute, a great dresser, and lets Ellie walk home with her daughter everyday after school. I’ve been uber lucky to meet her and even though I’m supposed to be taking care of her, I’d definitely say she’s been taking care of me.
Last week when I came to pick up Ellie she gave me this pin cushin that she made for me. I love it. Thank you visiting teaching, and thank you Angela; I feel more at home in Walnut Creek each time I stick a pin in it.
