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Today was kind of a drifting along, do-nothing day, but then again, it really wasn't. The morning was easy. DF called about 12:30 to say she would come over after she gave her kids some lunch, and they got here a little after 2, which is exactly when I expected them. The advance notice gave me time to pick up a bit, stash anything remotely resembling food so her DS2 wouldn't grab it, and clean the downstairs bathroom.
For the 2nd day in a row, the kids played together really well. The younger ones enjoyed picking (or pulling, I should say) lemons and oranges off our tree -- I sent DF home with 2 dozen of each, I'd say, and there are still tons more on the trees! DS1 wanted fresh juice with his snack, and I said OK, but I declined to let the kids juice their own. I just didn't have the patience for it today. DF's littlest absolutely loved our mini-trampoline, he had such fun crawling up on in it, sitting there, and kind of bouncing himself or being bounced by his mom. He really is a cutie. My DS2 was stuck to me like glue whenever I went near the baby. There was definitely some jealousy going on there.
DF was wiped out when she got here because her trainer worked her out for an extra half-hour because her next appointment was late... OMG, I would've been falling over! I don't think I could even do a half-hour, much less an hour and a half! It's good DF is doing that for herself, she has major problems with body image and I know this is helping her a lot. She carries a lot of weight in her legs and it really bothers her, but you know, there's only so much you can do to combat genetics, and ain't none of us getting any younger. Still, she looks great and has three times the energy I do (or perhaps she just spends her energy differently, I dunno).
She told me she enjoyed coming over here and just being able to zone for a couple of hours. If she were at home, she'd have to be picking up toys or cleaning up something else or doing some other chore... it made me realize that I've arranged my life to have a lot of leisure/computer time built in. Not everyday, obviously, and I have more on days like today when I'm not driving anyone to or from school or activities. But I do have time, usually, at least twice a day, to sit and read here for an hour or so. It's really important to me, so I make the time for it. Everything else still seems to get done, so I'm not worried about it, either!
Among the best moments of today: DS1 read an entire page of Harry Potter & The Goblet of Fire, which is pretty darn amazing considering he is in FIRST GRADE! I had to help him with some words (minute as in "tiny", not a time measurement, and some others), but he just astounded me. I mean, he breezed over "ordinary" as if he reads it all the time. And he just takes it in stride. I swear he must read when I'm not looking, because it's like a leaps-and-bounds thing. He has always "got" it, but now he's just accelerating at this amazing rate. I know I'm a good example, I'm always reading, either here at the computer, or the newspaper, or magazines, or books... there are literally books in every room in this house, (except the bathrooms! ) and I need some new bookcases because I'm running out of places to put them neatly. What I really need are new kitchen bookcases. My old ones were cheap-o and fell apart. I'd like to get nice maple (or maple-looking veneer) ones to match the cabinets we have. That would be cool, and I could put the stacks of books that are cluttering up the hall away! I'm not nearly as bad as a lot of other people I know, but I do love books and they are one thing I will probably always have around me.
Moment of shame: I totally picked a fight with DH over the driving-home-last-night thing. Totally stupid. I love that DH has a pager that accepts text messages, though, because as soon as I got off the phone with him I sent him an "I'm sorry" message... a quick look at the calendar reminded me that, yes, this is my ovulation time, which is when any PMS-type insanity usually peaks. Sometimes I do go "right 'round the bend", my brain makes things up or sees things that aren't there, behaviorially... I hate that. At least I can tell, in retrospect, that's what happened. It's amazing how easy it is to do that, when you're feeling a little bad about yourself, everyone else's actions take on all these unintended meanings! Lord love DH, he emailed me back, "It's OK. I still love you." Which is exactly what I needed to hear!
So... getting back into the routine, read a million books to the kids tonight before bed, that was really nice, except DS2 always, always wants "one more book, Mommy!" and would keep me up reading to him all night. Finally, I just have to say no, that's enough. Tonight I actually carried him upstairs, screaming. About mid-way up the stairs I told him, "Stop screaming or I'm going to drop you. I don't need you screaming in my ear when I'm carrying you." ... and he stopped! He really has great self-control for such a little guy, probably because I honestly do not put up with much sh*t from any of them, and we use the words, "control yourself" pretty frequently. DD tries hardest (and irritates me the most) with the tantrums/bad behavior, which I just don't get -- it doesn't work, so why bother? She's 5, she should get that by now... ah well, in time she'll understand. I hope. I know from personal observations and talking to friends that I am a pretty hard-ass mom, but I wouldn't change anything! I do indulge my kids in somethings (those weekly trips to the cafe at Borders, for example), but in the important things -- respect, responsibility, self-control, proper expression, courtesy -- they are wonderful.
Spending a bit more time around other kids these past 2 days has made me appreciate my own kids' verbal skills all the more. At one point today, DS2 kept giving me these huge bear hugs, sitting on my lap, facing me. I finally asked him, "What are you doing?!?!?" and he said, with this huge grin on his face, completely clearly, "I'm trying to squish you!" It was so funny. I mean, the kids is not yet three and his average sentence has at least 5 words in it. When DH came home, DS2 informed him that, "I'm using my money to buy a blue doggie, Daddy." Of course DH is mystified, so I have to explain that DS1 was playing with his Christmas-present micropet puppy, and DS2 really wants one, too, so I said he could buy one with his Christmas money. Not only does DS2 get all those concepts -- the micropet belongs to DS1, he can get his own, he got money for Christmas, he can use the money to buy one -- he has already picked out which one he wants from the pictures on the back of the other one's package! And, he immediately stopped screaming for DS1's puppy as soon as I told him we could go shopping some other time and buy him one! That was a relief!
I'm sounding like one of those tedious Christmas letters I was complaining about the other day, aren't I? Oh well. This isn't exactly intended for public consumption and certainly isn't being xeroxed and sent off to everyone I know! (Excuses, excuses...)
The Coyotes, unbelievably, beat Dallas 6 to 0 in Dallas, and have now scored 10 goals (won yesterday 4-0 in LA) without giving up any. Why couldn't I have seen that team play? Well, if they keep this up, when they get back in town, DH and I will try to score some (cheaper) tix and catch another game!
Tonight, I will go to bed before midnight!
(Yeah, riiiight....)
(Shaddup!)
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