Tuesday, June 23, 2009

I Can Has Naps?

Today's itinerary was not especially hectic. But somehow I was barely up to the challenge of normal life. Matt is still in California, so it was just me and the kids. Because I love daily itinerary posts. . .

I woke up at 8:30. Today was my day to drive the carpool up to swim team practice. I rousted both kids out of bed and I was driving to pick up our neighbors by 8:55, a cup of yesterday's reheated coffee on board. While the girls swam from 9 to 10 at the pool, I pushed Hank on the swing. Science has yet to determine the maximum amount of time that Hank would want to be pushed. In computer models of the scenario, either the sun burns out or the universe collapses back into a singularity before he wants to get off and go slide. So that was my cardio for the day.

At 10:00, we dropped our friends off and came back home to a round of cheerios. I dragged the garbage and the recycling to the curb. Then things are hazy. I think there was a lot of playing with trains. I was allowed to touch some of the trains, even. I nurtured Hank's burgeoning imagination by pretending to be tied to the train tracks. Then I did a few loads of laundry, neatly dumping the clean clothes in a giant pile in a chair. Oh, why there they are right now.

Around noon I called AT&T to see about options for using my iPhone in Australia. I don't even know that I can't just get by with a temporary Australian phone and my sister's internet connection. But my iPhone is my precious, and I don't want it to think I didn't even try to keep us together. So they signed me up for some kind of AT&T World Explore & Swashbuckle plan for six dollars a month that gives me the privilege of paying $1.29 PER MINUTE for voice calls Down Under. Seriously. I don't think I'll be talking much. Also I signed on for the AT&T Sun Never Sets on Our Empire Plan for data, costing $25. I feel like I just got worked. They are probably sending me a fruit basket right now.

Then I arranged online to have our mail held while we're away. The USPS website is awesome. You can do anything on there. Anything. Go try it.

Then I noticed that Design Mom had a post about having arranged her bookshelves by color. I have been wanting to do this for the longest. Go look at it. But I need someone to come over and help me do it. Takers?

Then after lunch Frenemy Neighbor texted me and said, "Would Laura like P to come over and play at this time?" And I texted back, "Sure." And she answered, "Thank you. I can work in peace now." Great! Me, not so much. I was feeling bad, because the day after my last post about Frenemy, in which I gave vent to my frustrations with her, she got stung on the hand by a fire ant, and she's seriously allergic to them, and had to go get a shot and spend two days in bed. She showed up at my house with a puffy Frankenhand. So I'm not sure if this blog has the power to call down the wrath of nature on people, but it was not my intent.

I put Hank down for a nap. I didn't go to sleep in his room, though I really really wanted to. I did some work, a very little. Laura and P straightened up my bedroom for me. They like to do this, and it is adorable, except they hide the dirty clothes I've left on the bathroom floor somewhere in my closet.

At 3:30 I woke Hank up and we took Laura to her orthodontist appointment. The office manager wanted to chat with me the entire time Laura was with the doc, instead of letting me read Us Weekly. Sad trombone. There may be some detail of the Jon & Kate sitch that I missed, people. So the dentist is happy with how Laura's headgear is working, and gave us some extra rubber bands to take on our trip. I said, "Oh, you can't buy these at the store?" And he laughed, like, "Oh NO, you can't just buy those rubber bands." Because these are special or something.

It was nearly five o'clock, and I had no intentions of cooking supper. Then I remembered that Tuesday night is Kids Eat Free night at Chick-fil-a. I've written a paean to them before, those God-lovin' chicken cookers. (Amy's phrase.) I figure the play place would be a good way for Hank to get his ya-yas out a little. So we roll up to the Chick, and lo and behold, it is Cinderella night. There is a young woman in full Cinderella drag, smiling and hugging on the kids. Her wig made her look only slightly tranny. The excitement level in that place went to 11. Probably 20 little girls were there in their princess costumes. Laura was really into looking at Cinderella, but with an expression of bemused tolerance, like she was so far beyond all this princess nonsense. Hilarious.

Have I mentioned that at every moment of the day, it was 149 degrees? It was.

Perhaps that's why, when we got home, I was felled like a tree. I lay down on the couch and dozed while Hank watched the entirety of Night at The Museum. Yes. Please don't forget to nominate me for Mother of the Year, if you haven't already. You see, I had been up late the night before because I got sucked into that "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria" show on BBC America. It's like American Idol, only Andrew Lloyd Webber is picking the star of his production of Sound of Music, to play in the West End. It is what TV's are for, y'all. Look into it.

Then I got vertical, and there was more nurturing of children and some light housekeeping. Then when it was almost bedtime, Frenemy Neighbor called and asked if Laura wanted to go up to the pool for one last dip with them. That's what summer is all about, after all. So I hustled her out the door, and Hank into bed. And here I sit, refraining from eating all the leftover birthday cake.

Are y'all getting into your summer routines? Oh, and in my day there was lots of thinking, and thoughts, and a rich inner life. Don't know if that came across, the rich inner life part.

I'm humbly submitting this to Keely's Random Tuesday Thoughts.

randomtuesday

16 comments:

Keely said...

omg, the Power of Blog. And the the judgement was appropriately creative - I mean, a FIRE ANT, really?

I could read daily itinerary posts from you like, every day. Or more often, if Hank finally has enough of swinging and there's an event horizon and you can somehow squeeze two days into one.

I'm pretty sure that's how that works. My knowledge of quantum physics is rudimentary.

Lawyer Mom said...

The tranny Chik-Fil-A girl. I'm picturing it now!

So this Frenemy working in peace once P comes over . . . what does this Frenemy chick do, anyway?

The Dental Maven said...

Never underestimate the power of the INTERNETS!! Do we need more proof beyond the dreaded FRANKENHAND????

Michele said...

She shelved her books by color? I'm speechless. My little librarian soul is appalled. I refused to come over and sort your books by color though while your gone I'll sort them by Library of Congress subject heading then author then alphabetize them. Would that be okay?

I guess I wasn't so speechless after all.

Anonymous said...

Blimey, remind me to never upset you. I had no idea your blog was so powerful.

Now, I'm so tired reading about all that activity that I'm going for a lie down.

Michele R said...

I would be no help sorting your books because I would be looking at and reading through each one; however, I can help you sort your closet by color, though. I know how to turn off the water at the main location by the street if you need help with that. Random, I know but we have now had two pipe leaks at our house.
So interesting how some things work well with Frenemy.

Bren said...

Ike will sort your books by color. That's what he does. Sorts things. Mostly by color. Every color being "bleeeuooooo". But then he'll make a color-coded tower out of them. (Trains? not interested. Swings? He says he'll scratch your eyeballs out if you try.)

Power on with the single-mom thing. I always have some 'thank God this isn't permanent' moments when Houston's out of town.

Sara said...

"barely up to the challenge of normal life"
Oh, totally. I'm there.

I think it was an above average day. Laundry *and* the kids got fed. Pffft. You're way ahead of the game.

I'd comment more but I'm too busy listening to "sad trombone" over and over.

Cassie said...

I'm with Sara. Laundry getting done = above and beyond.

I'd love to help you arrange your bookshelves. Via Skype perhaps?

Good work on the nap too by the way. My kids scream if I lie down, and God help me if I blink for longer than 2 seconds. I must engage, or be available to engage, at all times or there'll be hell to pay.

Stay cool today, friend!

Amy said...

I, for one, TOTALLY picked up on the rich inner life stuff. It like permeated your post.

And thank the good Lord for Chik-fil-A. They never let ya down!

Casey said...

How does one get their kid to watch an entire movie? Mine wanders away after ten minutes. Tell me that and I WILL nominate you for mother of the year.

Becky said...

Casey, I think I'm just lucky. I've taught them from an early age how to couch-potato out when necessary.

And Michele, I know the arrangment-by-color thing offends your sensibilities! The idea behind it is that you actually remember the color of each of your books and search for them that way. I know I often thing, "Where is that, it has a yellow spine." So apparently it's easy to find your stuff, and an easy order to keep up. I might try it when I have some free organizing time.

Michele R said...

I meant to tell you that my kids thought I was all knowing at the Chick-Fil-A a little while back. They had kid's meals and I told them if they turned in the free book they'd get an ice cream. But I made them go up to the counter and ask. Sure enough, they came back with ice cream.

Anonymous said...

i'm doing the swim practice, shuttling about thing too and it is tiring! I, however, believe that I can Has Naps and am the queen of the 15 minute power nap. No one disturbs the pro.

Fantastic Forrest said...

Your inner life is so rich, it's in the top tax bracket, Becky.

When I come to Georgia, I want to go to Chik-Fil-A with you. Can you see if Cinderella will be there then? We just don't have cool stuff like that out here. Although we do have Darcelle's in Portland....

Coffee with Cathy said...

Becky -- This so reminded me of my summer days with kids at home. Thank you so much for sharing -- you held out much longer than I would have! My nap trick was to lie down on the floor and close my eyes and tell my precious little daughters, "I have to really think about what outfit Barbie needs to wear, so don't bother Mommy for a few minutes." Now, at 25 and almost 23, they never let me forget that.