(no subject)

A year ago, a day like yesterday seemed impossible. In fact, a year ago I would have doubted that we would ever have a relaxing day again.. like, EVER. But yesterday the whole family stayed in pajamas all day. I read and read and read on the couch, sometimes with a toddler snuggled up in the crook of my arm, resting his head on my chest or shoulder and peeking at my book, other times quite alone as the boys chased each other around the living room and filled countless hours with dinosaurs, trucks and musical instruments. Lunch and dinner together as a family. And then a late afternoon burst of productivity: Cleaning out all the clothes for B&B that were too small and bagging things up to give away.

By evening, I felt rested and even borderline slothful as I settled down again with my book and Nicole with her reality TV shows.

~~~~~~~~

This morning started for me at 4:30. Brooks cried out and I asked Nicole to handle it. My alarm goes off at 5:00 and I usually ask her to take that morning wake-up (if it happens – rare!) so that I can try to doze for 30 more minutes. Her ire was inescapable, though. She came back to bed angry at me for having left the bathroom space heater on all night (I forgot. And didn’t go back into the bathroom after bedtime.) so sleep was impossible to regain. Le sigh.

So as I was sitting on the couch with my first cup of coffee, I heard rustling behind the chaise. BIG rustling. I mean, maybe smaller than a bird, but definitely larger than a bug. MOUSE! It’s a MOUSE! My brain in overdrive. All the hunting-minded cats were assembled and no one was *doing* anything. I gave them about 20 minutes to handle it. No one was moving. Scratching was getting more insistent. I muster all my courage, take the lamp and lay it on the floor sideways and start looking under furniture.

Nothing.

Eventually I trace the noise to a giftbag left behind the chaise after family dinner (souvenirs from The Dona’s stint in Baltimore). Courage, B – courage! I pick up the bag. It is weightless. No mouse. But the sound was definitely in the bag… At this point, I feel like I deserve a gold medal for bravery as I carefully peel open the bag… and find a moth trapped in the fold of the bag, madly scrambling to get out. A. Moth.

~~~~~~~~~~

People are staggering in late this morning, struggling to find the inertia to care on this cloudy, thick, dense and wet Tuesday morning. My beach vacation is in a nine work days. Please let me make it. I have so much to do between then an now that my head is spinning. But how does one eat an elephant? (One bite at a time, right? Right.)

I want to do a recipe dump this week sometime. I’ve had a LOT of baking and cooking success stories lately. Thank you, Pinterest. I’m pretty pleased with myself to be baking from scratch and making tasty, healthy meals for my little family. Who knew I’d become a cook someday?

We also started Christmas wishlisting for the boys. Oh. My. Goodness. Most fun ever? Yes.

(no subject)

A year ago, a day like yesterday seemed impossible. In fact, a year ago I would have doubted that we would ever have a relaxing day again.. like, EVER. But yesterday the whole family stayed in pajamas all day. I read and read and read on the couch, sometimes with a toddler snuggled up in the crook of my arm, resting his head on my chest or shoulder and peeking at my book, other times quite alone as the boys chased each other around the living room and filled countless hours with dinosaurs, trucks and musical instruments. Lunch and dinner together as a family. And then a late afternoon burst of productivity: Cleaning out all the clothes for B&B that were too small and bagging things up to give away.

By evening, I felt rested and even borderline slothful as I settled down again with my book and Nicole with her reality TV shows.

~~~~~~~~

This morning started for me at 4:30. Brooks cried out and I asked Nicole to handle it. My alarm goes off at 5:00 and I usually ask her to take that morning wake-up (if it happens – rare!) so that I can try to doze for 30 more minutes. Her ire was inescapable, though. She came back to bed angry at me for having left the bathroom space heater on all night (I forgot. And didn’t go back into the bathroom after bedtime.) so sleep was impossible to regain. Le sigh.

So as I was sitting on the couch with my first cup of coffee, I heard rustling behind the chaise. BIG rustling. I mean, maybe smaller than a bird, but definitely larger than a bug. MOUSE! It’s a MOUSE! My brain in overdrive. All the hunting-minded cats were assembled and no one was *doing* anything. I gave them about 20 minutes to handle it. No one was moving. Scratching was getting more insistent. I muster all my courage, take the lamp and lay it on the floor sideways and start looking under furniture.

Nothing.

Eventually I trace the noise to a giftbag left behind the chaise after family dinner (souvenirs from The Dona’s stint in Baltimore). Courage, B – courage! I pick up the bag. It is weightless. No mouse. But the sound was definitely in the bag… At this point, I feel like I deserve a gold medal for bravery as I carefully peel open the bag… and find a moth trapped in the fold of the bag, madly scrambling to get out. A. Moth.

~~~~~~~~~~

People are staggering in late this morning, struggling to find the inertia to care on this cloudy, thick, dense and wet Tuesday morning. My beach vacation is in a nine work days. Please let me make it. I have so much to do between then an now that my head is spinning. But how does one eat an elephant? (One bite at a time, right? Right.)

I want to do a recipe dump this week sometime. I’ve had a LOT of baking and cooking success stories lately. Thank you, Pinterest. I’m pretty pleased with myself to be baking from scratch and making tasty, healthy meals for my little family. Who knew I’d become a cook someday?

We also started Christmas wishlisting for the boys. Oh. My. Goodness. Most fun ever? Yes.