Friday, August 9, 2013

hello again

I like to call this one "Driveway Dancing in the Santa Cruz Sunset."


We went on a little family vacation. Now we're back and I'd rather still be there. 

I've got oodles of pictures to go through. Most of them were taken on my phone. I find no shame in that because my phone takes really good pictures. When I plug my phone into Dan's computer to load them, his computer shuts down. That's not good. I thought about emailing the pictures to myself but there are a few hundred at least and that would just be dumb. So my phone spent several hours yesterday loading the pictures to Dropbox and now I have to figure out where the heck I go from there.

So for today, some random crap so I can feel like a good little blogger who doesn't neglect her blog. And BONUS, it's the ninth so I'll try to come up with nine for funzies like the good ol' days.

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We spent some time on our vacation with my buddy from college. She lives in California now. We stayed at her house a few nights and she drove up to Santa Cruz and did some fun stuff with us. It was good to see her and talk to her. She likes to reminisce. Lots of her sentences start with "remember when...." but lots of the time I don't remember when. She has a really good memory for people and events and stuff people say. I have a really good memory for phone numbers and dates. We'd make a good partnership in a job where those kinds of things are important. Also, we're friends so that would help too.

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I had a life changing moment at the gym a few nights ago. I learned that there is a password for the wifi there. Who knew? Not me apparently. I've been either watching dumb shows on the televisions or using my data to watch something on my phone. Free internet at the gym! What will they think of next?

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Danny's third tooth fell out yesterday. It was helped by the fact that he was leaning over in the car to pick something up and Cate's knee bumped his face. There was blood and his face showed me that he was a little freaked out. He was calm though and had caught the tooth in his hand. It was a top tooth and now some of his words come out sounding a little different. For the first two teeth he lost he kept trying to get me to tell him that I was the Tooth Fairy. My response was always, "Do I look like a fairy?" and thankfully, he never said yes because I don't think I want to look like a fairy. I know there are some people who just steer clear of all the Santa and Tooth Fairy stuff right from the start and that's fine. I don't even know where I'm going with all this but I see those teeth getting wiggly and then falling out and it reminds me of all the pain and tears and sleepless nights they caused when they were coming in and I kind of feel like I want a refund. Or something like that. Know what I mean?

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I am feeling like I need to steer clear of Facebook and blogs and even maybe my beloved Instagram for a few weeks. I just need to get past the whole summer is ending and school is starting business without hearing everyone's opinions on the matter. Mostly it's because I detest summer and I am thrilled beyond thrilled that school is starting soon. I know I am a weirdo but I'm 40 and I'm too old to care about it anymore. If I have to read about someone soaking up the sun and savoring the last days of summer and being sad that their kids are going to school and oh my, whatever am I going to do with all that free time every day boo hoo hoo....well, I just can't. I will have a first grader and a kindergartener and I'm happy for them and happy for me. The end.

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Speaking of kindergarteners, Cate went to school yesterday for her little kinder assessment. For the past month (or more or possibly less but it feels like at least a month) she has gotten tears in her eyes when I mention school. She finally just told me I'm not allowed to talk about it or use any words having to do with school. So we have started substituting the nonsense word schmooga-schmoog whenever we need to say teacher or school or class or kindergarten. Yesterday it went a little something like this, "We are going to your schmooga-schmoog this morning to talk to the schmooga-schmoog so she can give you a little schmooga-schmoog. Then you can show her how smart you are and how many schmooga-schmoogs you can read and all the schmooga-schmoog sounds you know." She started crying at home and kept crying the whole way there. I had to carry her inside (still sobbing pretty loudly). I almost started crying myself, a little out of sympathy and a lot out of frustration. She calmed down and did quite well on her little schmooga-schmoog. I sure love that kid but this is uncharted territory for me.

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I wish this blog and I could be friends again. I really do. How do you regular bloggy people find the time? I know where I used to find it. Naps. I want to document stuff. I don't want to forget about awesome family vacations and teeth falling out but my gosh. I know I only have 2 kids and it's not like they're babies or anything but they are constantly on. So I am too. Always doing something. And then if I do get them both occupied (ohhhhhhh, who lives in a pineapple under the sea?) my brain can't help but think of all the 2 million and one other things it should be doing instead of cranking open the computer and blogging. Blah blah blahhhhhhgging. And then I make dinner and get people in bed and go to the gym (or watch a show on tv because sometimes that is just really really what I need to turn my brain off). Ahhhh, then it's quiet and I can crank out a blog post maybe but all I really feel like doing is sleeping or crying.

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I need to stop eating sugar and stop drinking Diet Coke. I tried to give it up starting on my 40th birthday but I was at girls camp and someone brought a birthday cake and someone else gave me chocolate bars and I didn't last long. It's all just making me feel crappy. I'm going to give it another go. Soonish I think.

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My sister trimmed my tomato plants while we were gone. She said it will help them produce more fruit. My zucchini plants are huge with lots of leaves but I'm having a hard time finding the zucchini in there. My beets were delicious. I just wish I had planted more. The peppers are blah. I won't waste my time with those again next year. My broccoli just keeps growing and I'm really excited for it to start looking like actual broccoli. And my pumpkins are looking like they are trying to take over the world. How's that for a boring little garden update? I already have plans to give this garden stuff a little more effort next year. I'm sure I feel this way every year and then winter comes and snow and snow finally melts and it all just feels like a lot of work.

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I'm trying to figure out how to end this with a real zinger but I've got nothing. How about a few wishes? I wish I could worry less and be happy for people more. I wish my kids would eat everything I cook for dinner. I wish I could see more good in the mirror and less wrinkles. I wish for my kids to be good and sweet and kind always and for me to do the same. I wish for more happiness about the little blessings and less hoping for the big ones because the little ones are abundant and the big ones seem to take their sweet time.


Over and out.

5 comments:

tessie said...

Years and years ago I taught second grade. One year there was a sweet little girl that burst into tears when I would tell them to get out their Language books. The word 'language' terrified her! So, like you, I made a silly name each time it was time to get out the book. She and the class loved it and couldn't wait to hear what I would call it next.

Vanessa Brown said...

I'll stop eating sugar with you, I really need to do it too.

Marisa said...

I've missed you! And you nailed it—naps. The end of naptime was the beginning of the end for my blog. No time during the day and who wants to spend those precious bedtime hours blogging when there is tv to watch?

We had beets from the garden tonight. And I was so sad that we've eaten almost all of them, I weeded a new patch of ground and planted another packet of beets. TODAY. I did that all today. I was super productive today. I think I'll trim my tomato plants, too, because they are struggling.

Poor Cate. I bet she'll love kindy once she gets used to it.

18 days until school starts for us. I'm totally counting down. I should make a chain. I'm so ready for school to start and fall to come!

debra said...

I'm excited for summer to end and school to start. My kids have made sure of that this past week. I love them dearly, but I love them more when they're not bugging each other or me constantly. I hope you and your blog can see each other more often. It gives me something to do when I'm avoiding mine.

Unknown said...

Your wish list is perfect.