Dan comes home from work lots of days and asks Cate what we did all day.
"So, Cate, tell me what you did today."
Lots of days her reply is, "Nuh-fing." Nothing! Nothing? Where has that kid been all day when we were busy doing everything except for nuh-fing?
So here's all the nothing we did today. Just so that some day (when my kids are big and all I want is for us to sit around at home together and do nothing instead of running all over town to basketball practice and dance lessons and who knows what else) I can look back at all this and remember that we did stuff together. And they can remember that they liked me and actually wanted to be around me. Not that I'm expecting my kids to grow up and not want to be around me, but I've heard it could happen.
☀ heart cookies (from one of those bag mixes, not scratch mind you) because I've got Valentine's on the brain. Cate only wanted to eat the dough, not the end result. I let her even though there was a warning on the package to not eat the raw dough. Livin' on the edge.
☀ kids helped themselves to a little peanut butter for breakfast (I need to remember to put the lid on tighter)
☀ making decorations for the party (my birthday party because it's been my birthday for the past 3 days, according to her)
☀ finally opened his last Christmas present (from Aunt Nancy). Darth!
☀ making messes
☀ finally using the sprinkles Grama Bama gave me last year (I think she bought them on clearance at Target). I like sprinkles.
☀ helping. Pinch and sprinkle! Pinch and sprinkle! No dumping! Pinch and sprinkle! (I just about had a heart attack.)
☀ taught Danny that X means kisses and O means hugs.
☀ sitting down in front of the boob tube. Say what you will about it. I love Peppa Pig. She taught Cate about toe-mah-toes and biscuits. And muddy puddles.
☀ watching the end of Peppa together (since I had to get up to answer the phone). Sitting together nicely!
☀ watching Psych and auditioning a treat for the neighbors for Valentine's Day. It's a winner (with peanut butter, pretzels and chocolate how could it not be?). When Danny tasted them he said, "Mmmmmm! Mmmm! Mmmm! Mmmmmmmm!" That's my boy.
☀ working on the tractor from the Lego set Grandma gave Danny for Christmas (and remembering why I make Dan help Danny with Lego construction)
☀ Danny playing with pink Legos! Never thought I'd see the day.
☀ another mess
☀ reading dinosaur books (after she asked me at least 5 times to read to her...the tractor took longer than I thought)
☀ took a trip to Target because it was 4:30 and I was dying to get out of the house and just go somewhere. Anywhere. I chose Target because my grays are poking through and something's got to be done about that.
☀ salad for dinner. Blah.
☀ Danny came over to sit on my lap while I was eating my blah dinner just because he wanted to snuggle. I especially want to remember this one when he's 16. And I want him to remember it too.
And then Dan came home. And he said, "So, Cate. Tell me what you did today." And I punched my time card (since I'd been with these awake kids for 12 hours today). Danny wanted to wrestle and Cate sat at the table cutting her glue stick with the kid scissors.
☀ I went to my room and made freaky neck pictures.
☀ And saw what I'd look like with freaky hair and droopy boobs.
Not pictured but slightly worth mentioning:
☀ the fact that I had showered, gotten dressed and applied make-up all before 9:00.
☀ finally realizing what I'm going to do with those big old windows in the garage (and hoping that maybe I'll get it done at some point this year...I'm dreaming big)
☀ listening to Danny tell me that this is a "no fun day" several times this morning when I told him he couldn't go play video games at Aunt Judy's house
☀ attempting to enforce a little quiet time this afternoon (lasted 45 minutes because for some reason, Cate thought she had to use the bathroom twice and I finally just gave up)
☀ washing, drying, folding and putting away 3 loads of laundry (boring)
☀ watching Despicable Me after non-existent quiet time (Danny's favorite part: when the geeky guy on the moon says, "Oh, poop.")
☀ attempting to escape to my room for a few moments of quiet after the Target trip and Cate asked where I was going. I told her I was going to go sit by myself for a few minutes. Her reply, "I'll go where you go." Yep. You sure will. Every time.
And just for funzies...
Cate.
One year ago today.
Her first attempt at stuffing socks down her shirt.
Given her genetics, it probably won't be her last.
