Friday, July 28, 2006

My constant buddy

Syddo and I have been hanging out together pretty much nonstop since last Sunday, and I have to say, I don't think I have been the best of company. First, I am highly distractable--I like cheese where did I put that thing oh it's in the kitchen wow this room is dirty why did I come in here? OH! Look! Cheese-- and Syd finds that highly annoying. I know because she starts doing things she knows not to do-- like pinching the dog-- so that she gets my negative attention. Second, I am really tired of staying indoors, where it is relatively cool, and watching movies, which are exceedingly boring. My brain can no longer tolerate another moment of Beauty and the Beast-- whose title I cannot simply say but rather must SING when I type it. I have watched that movie so many times, I am infuriated with my own inability to memorize the lines to the Gaston song.

I hate watching the movie but my constant buddy wants me on the couch, next to her, so I sit. Reading magazines. The newspaper. Looking at pictures. And then I hear the dog yelp and I know I haven't paid enough attention to my constant buddy.

If I go into the bathroom, my constant buddy goes too, and sits on her potty chair while I sit on the big one. Or she'll insist on sitting on my lap. And here I used to complain about the dog coming in and staring at me while I did my business. It was unsettling having him sit there, smiling, so totally entertained by my discomfort at his gaze.

Ahhh, what I wouldn't give for such silent company now. How delightful it would be to sit in peace under that blank canine stare and not have to jump up midstream to stop a toddler from t.p.ing the bathroom, or using Ben Gay as toothpaste.

Sydney has taken to falling asleep in my bed, which is wonderful and exhausting all at the same time. Time changes a person, and my sweet girl morphs from a freshly-bathed, Dora-jammied, snuggly Syd huddled against me as we read Stellaluna, into to a hot foot in the middle of my back, flip-floppy three year-old who is trying to take over the bed. When I scoot her over, she flops back. When I gently carry her to her room, and she finds her way back into mine an hour later.

In the morning she tells me it is not wake-up time yet and that I must get back into bed, but first get her some milk. I snuggle next to her and she squeels, "Peee-ewwww!" She tells me I have Stinky Cheese Man breath.

Such love.

Admittedly, I have moments of needing my privacy, of wanting to just have a moment all to myself; in those times I remember both of the boys each going through a phase of needing me ALL THE TIME. And I remind my sleep-deprived self that the sweetness of her mommy love won't last forever. In fact, in retrospect, these days are far too short.

I arrive at work, coffee in hand, ready for ME TIME. And by lunchtime I find I am missing my constant companion.

Thursday, July 27, 2006

It's Get Drunk Thursday

Remember that from college? Get Drunk Thursday? Your roommates and random friends would get together at some local watering hole, all geared up to take the weekend by storm a whole day ahead of schedule. In news, Get Drunk Thursday would be called the walk-up to Friday Night Buffoonery.

Over time, Twisted Tuesday was the walk-up to Wasted Wednesday's walk-up of Get Drunk Thursday, at which point aliteration was completely unpronounceable, let alone unneccessary.

To commemorate my wilder days, this fine, hot Thursday evening I, in the company of my 3 year-old daughter and the Bear in the Big Blue House, consumed 2 ENTIRE bottles of water. Seriously chugged them, dude. Hardcore. I like have 1 inch of water left. It's not even cold anymore.

Yeah, I drank on Thursday. You know it.

Saturday, July 22, 2006

Lazy Saturday

I am alone in this falling-apart house of mine, alone for the first time in as long as I can remember. There are no peals of laughter from wrestling children; no television blaring in the background; no stereo crooning; no over-long whether-or-not-someone-may-or-may-not-but-probably-not-but-would-it-
uhm-be-alright questions meandering my way. Neither are there bedrooms awaiting cleaning nor laundry needing my attention.

Ho-lee-crap. It's just me and my time, and I am stunned I have no idea what to do with it.

When your life is filled with other people all the time, other small people you love and take care of, people who are the center of most all of your waking time and a good portion of your sleeping time, total free time comes as a strange, awkward luxury.

I love it. And usually, like my paycheck, I squander this extra time on things I had no intention of spending it on. Great, ridiculous silly things that pass time and leave nothing to show for it, like naps and browsing and loitering. In my busy hours I dreams of these days, of simply enjoying the company I keep when I am alone.

It's too hot to go outside. I've already read the paper. I'm not hungry and my TV -- let's just say there are peasants in third world countries that have better TVs than I do. They probably have cable, too.

Magically, here I am, enjoying my witty, self-adoring company, and yet I find myself whelmed, if not overwhelmed by the possibilities a day of freedom holds. Somehow I have no chores to keep me busy; I have done them already. (Seriously-- who AM I??) I can list any number of things I'd like to or could be doing, and instead I am here, tickety-tickety-ing on this computer, revamping my blog.

I guess that's something.

Over Mexico City

Wednesday, July 12, 2006

The proof is in the pudding.




See? We WERE there.

Tuesday, July 04, 2006

Back from Peru...

So much to say, so little time... The Peru trip posts will begin in the next few days, al;ong with photos and perhaps a few site changes as well. Stay tuned!