Fountain of Youth

Today M and I had decided to stay in town even though we didn't have any shopping to do or other meet ups to occupy the time. We packed our picnic resolved. After leaving G at school I said, "OK, let's go."

"Go where?" asked M.

"I don't know. We decided to stay in town but didn't decide where. Where would you like to go M?"

As she had requested for several days this week "The Fountain of Youth."

M loves to get the peanuts from the vending machine. Only once have I let her get candy from these machines. But more often I am willing to get the pellets for the fishes, or the peanuts for the peacocks. We had to scrounge up our nickles and dimes. Then we had to ask the admissions lady if she would exchange us a quarter. Then the peacocks didn't even want the peanuts.

We wandered over to a picnic table in the shade and ate our cantaloupe looking out on the inter-coastal waterway. Then scampered off to the restroom. I got to delight M further by turning up with a napkin for her to dry her hands on so she didn't have to use the blower. Later back at the table eating the rest of the cantaloupe I saw that we had not made it to the bathroom in time, so we had to go.

Luckily I had some spare clothes in the car. M changed her pants. One of her socks went missing so we had to agree (after much searching) that she could wear her slippers which were also luckily in the car. And if we had wanted to ride scooters, we would also have been able to have a lucky moment, helmets too.

Then we went to the library playground and hung out for the remaining 45 minutes. As M did her monkey act at the playground I noticed a strange bump on M's leg and shortly thereafter discovered the missing sock.

Yesterday G told P that he would get to work at home because today is Friday. P said "Sorry, sometimes I do, but this Friday I have to go to the office."

As we were driving home P called to tell me the G was right and that he was getting to come home early. After he had finished his work he took M on a walk in the woods and came back with the idea of pouring water on the asphalt so the kids could watch it evaporate. So we did that and it was sweet.

Then it started to rain.

I made a bonanza of pizza. I should have taken a picture because it really was amazing how much pizza I made. Next week I'll take a picture. This week I just packed up 2 huge bags of the left overs so I won't have to cook most of the weekend.

Then M said "Mom, can I go outside and jump in puddles?" It's amazing how much this little girl has grown up this year. She put on her boots, and we got a jacket out of storage for the occasion. It was sweet.

Just now she asked for a pickle. When she came back to the kitchen she said "Mom, how's that pickle coming along?"

Basically she's crazy cute and we're having fun.

Recipes

Last night I turned to making and baking to cope with the second night of P being gone for church. When we think of the other families who have to go 3-5 nights a week it boggles our minds.

Chocolate Muffins

1 c sugar
2 cups flour
1/4 cup dry milk
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup cocoa
2 eggs
3/4 cup oil
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Bake at 400 until your psychic cooking sense says "Ack, take that out of the oven!" or about 15 minutes.

Freezy Treats

3 large bananas (blended with a hand blender gives best texture)
1 16 oz can of crushed pineapple with liquid
1 12 oz can of orange juice concentrate

Mix it all up and put it into Popsicle molds. We grew up eating it out of sandwich bags. That's still my favorite way. To do this take a bread pan and put about 5 sandwich bags in it. Put about 1/2 cup of the mix in each bag. When they're all done gently bend down the excess bag so there isn't any air on them. Freeze over night and enjoy!

People of small ambition

P and I have attainable goals and today one of mine was met.

Can you believe one of my goals was to make my own diapers. For reals.

I got a pair of snap pliers so I could do the snaps and not have to use velcro.

I go this cute PUL (Polyurethene laminated) cloth. That's another story...

And here they are. It's so beautiful to achieve goals.

10 minute walk

Today we parked at the house we just submitted an offer on. Then we got out and walked to Geoff's school. It was just 10 minutes of very pedestrian friendly, kids on bike friendly side walk from door to door.

This house has a tiny yard. But having been interested in 2 houses with huge lots that were largely unusable... I see the yard at this place as being enough. Enough for the kids to have a place to dig holes, swing from the giant Magnolia in back, shower off from riding bikes to the beach, camp out, etc... And it's not all the extra maintenance.

Did I tell you it's no gas? I haven't had a gas stove in 13 years. I'm actually not a purist, but I really dig the cooking on gas, and tankless water heater.

Did I tell you it's 105 years old? But it was beautifully remodeled 2 years ago with new plumbing, electrical, kitchen, baths.

You know the saying "When Mama ain't happy"? Well if we get this house I hope the reverse would follow.

new love

With heavy heart, we were ready to put in an offer on the Crazy Horse Trail home. Then I went to see this home that is a stones throw from G's school and I fell in love. It's bank owned so maybe the feeling can be mutual.

It was lovely to feel excited about a property again. The thought of walking him to school, not having to live in the car, not having to maintain 100+ trees.... If we get the house, come visit us and you will understand why we love it.

who's that cutie

This is P and G 6 years ago at the Orange and Blue game. It's amazing how much we lived in the 4 months before we started to survive.

I'm wearing this PKY shirt that say 2004-2005 on it and I use to worry that people would think that's when I graduated from HS. Now I'm like "as if" because even that is 6 years ago. And I really graduated 13 years ago so it's like I'm always partying like it's 1999.

My little brother just got married. This the brother who scandalized us eternally on the changing of the year Y2K. Now he's got a family and all grown up buying a Prius and living well. Way to go little bro!

Today I got us all up and out heading for the gym. When I got there in my flip flops ready to yoga the lady asked me if I was going to the Pilates class. Oops. So we came home and I thought I'd get spiffed up to go see the Crazy Horse Trail house. Then I decided I'd rather wear my favorite jeans and this shirt that begs people to suspect that I'm 25.

Oh M...

M is developing a happy fantasy world where mom goes and gets a job so M can go to daycare.

It's ironic that so many women work and after paying for daycare, they aren't actually making that much money.

Because, who wouldn't want to live on "Crazy Horse Trail"?

We made an offer. It was a low offer. Someone else made a less low offer.

So the dream house is fading away. There is an odd possibility that the other party won't be able to get the financing to buy the dream house. But...

So the next chapter, is "Crazy Horse Trail." It's bigger and badder in every sense of the word.

Dream house:
4 beds, 3.5 baths on 1 acre with pond.

Crazy Horse Trail House (as it must be called in full in perpetuity)
5 beds, 3 baths, on 1.18 acres with a pool in a gated community.

We hadn't looked at this one before despite the jaw dropping figures because we didn't want to pay HOA fees until we die. It turns out that this communities fees are just $75. They have a 24 hour guard but don't waste money on a lot of other amenities because everyone has an acre so if they want basketball courts, pools, and playgrounds, they should just put one in right?

It also turns out that the Crazy Horse Trail House is in bad shape. It needs a new roof, new AC and the pool should be refinished. But this level of bad shape is nothing compared to house we saw yesterday (grandma let grandson renovate the house and grandson gutted the place and left it to rot as his life fell apart) which just needed to be scraped for 8K to make use of the lot.

Oh my.

gifts

5 years post chemo! Boom Baby! G's back to the regular pool of probability for getting leukemia!

I love it that I always miss the actual day I might possibly spend commemorating this, which would have been May 5.

He's awesome. And he's reading Calvin and Hobbs

No pictrues please

I woke up with a start from a dream of frustration and loss.

This morning I would a friend for a yoga class at the complex but I went to the wrong place because it's been a long time. Actually I'd never tried working out there before but from going to the big swimming pool I thought it was the same place for classes.

The kids wanted to know where we were going if it wasn't to take G to school or speech therapy. I told them that I was going to exercise and they were going to child care.

"What's that?"

"It's like daycare, or nursery. You get to play with toys while I go to a class."

That got M on the ball getting dressed and singing "We're going to daycare. We're going to daycare!"

G almost didn't make it because he couldn't find 2 black socks and white socks were not happening.

So we were way late. The kids took to the play room nicely though and I headed into the class. I borrowed a mat because I apparently de-cluttered mine last year.

It was an awesome class. I can't believe I've lived here and never used these facilities! Having gone to meet my friend I was able to overcome my general feeling of not belonging. And everyone was so friendly.

Then I heard the muffled cry of a baby. Again. I was pretty sure it was mine. Then I was sure it was bP. So I tried to discretely leave the class, and I felt so bad to come late and leave early.

I'm excited to go again though, and use the equipment. That way I can leave when the kids need me to.

When you walk to Pluto...

Don't go in full day light.
Take a water bottle, and a stroller if you're not a purist about the children walking the distance.
We learned that the planets are really really spaced out. We kept track of the number of steps.

And we didn't make it all the way to Pluto.
Somewhere about Saturn M was on the verge of heat stroke (probably not, but for her to be red in the cheeks, it takes a lot). So we sat down at the base of the marker and Dad went back for the car.

I had the idea that we'd rest then continue to make progress. So we rested up a bit and then kept walking. And we had to keep stopping. Poor kids. We had just barely reached 1849 steps (13 past Neptune) past when P pulled up on the curb and put an end to the grand adventure.

Just another Saturday

Today low tide was at 6pm so we weren't headed to the beach until 4. So that made for the most laid back Saturday we've had in ages. I made french toast when I woke up at 9. 9! OK that's not so abnormal for me, but P was still in bed and that is. The kids had gotten themselves up, dressed, and found a kids show. Their independence was a nice surprise.

Then I sewed a dress for barbie, and a purse for me, and some shorts for M, and some wipes for bP.

M and I had some tuna sandwiches around noon when P got around to his daily bowl of cereal. G just ate PB candy all day.

P took the kids of for a little shopping trip. When they came back P was asleep and I had finished some video editing(I love our computer!). M came through the door "We're going to hide your surprises because tomorrow is Mother's Day!" Sweet!

We moseyed down to the beach at about 4:30 and remembered anew how beautiful the ocean is coming over the causeway. We'd timed it perfectly and the tidal pools were great. P took the kids out in the waves and I even let bp stand on the sand bar. There were some strange blue jelly fish that I now know were not in fact jelly fish. They are little colonies of other polyps. That would explain why they fell apart when one man tried to cast it out of the water. Our plan was to just watch them go by. The ones we saw (3 in all) were even more symmetrical and beautiful.

This ocean life thing is such a gift. I've come to embrace the sand and relish the surprising beauty of each trip.

We came home and ate some left over pizza, pasta, and apples. Oh I love left-overs!

It was a great day.