Turtles in January

Mother nature has finally started making up for the cold snap she put us through a couple weeks ago... after a week of high temps in the 30s, my trip to Boston last week didn't seem all that much colder than what I'd just left. But the weather this week so far has been downright warm. Today it was sunny and in the mid 60s. I took advantage of the warm weather to take a lunchtime walk around the lake in our development, where I saw the resident blue heron stalking some fish. I also saw a cute little turtle sunning himself on a rock.

Let me repeat that: A cute little turtle sunning himself on a rock. IN JANUARY!!!! Does that not just blow your mind? I mean, how COOL is that? Okay, I admit, I may be more fond of reptiles [excluding snakes] than the average person. And just rather kind of weird anyway. But -- TURTLES IN JANUARY!!! Come on, people! One of you has got to find that as awesome as I do.

Celebrating MLK Day the American Way

(Shopping).

The kids and I were off from work and school today. Ben had camp at the JCC, leaving Rebecca and I to have a rare "girls" day together. Though really at this age it's less of a "girls day" and more of a "mom trying to avoid/minimize her two year old's frequent tantrum day". We started our day at a new restaurant near the mall called Terrace Cafe, where I had the California french toast and Rebecca had a fruit cup and a chocolate chip muffin. The food was very good, but the service was haphazard -- Rebecca's muffin required two reminders after I'd gotten my food before it was actually brought out. (Honestly - WHO MAKES A TWO YEAR OLD WAIT FOR A MUFFIN?!)

After breakfast we headed for the mall and Nordstrom's, where against all odds I managed to successfully purchase a dress and shoes for a black tie charity ball that Joel and I are going to on Friday night. With a lot of help from the sales staff, who brought me tons of dresses to try on, as well as a balloon for Rebecca to play with.

Rebecca got a little antsy in the shoe department as I was trying to find shoes to fit my short, wide feet (I got news for you kid, you have my same feet). Every time the sales girl would head back into the store room for yet another pair to try Rebecca would look up and ask hopefully, "All done yet?" I rewarded her patience with a visit to the fountain afterwards -- Rebecca loves fountains and she sat on the side of the fountain for half an hour trying to dip various body parts and toys in the water whenever she thought I might not be paying attention.

After such an exhausting morning we came home and took a two hour nap (both of us) -- a fine way to round out the day.

Easier Said Than Done

While I was in Boston this past week Joel mentioned that his parents wanted to take Rebecca for a hair cut. "Sure," I said, neglecting to mention that there is a REASON why Rebecca was desperately in need of a hair cut... namely that she screams and thrashes when approached with scissors, and the only way you can actually manage to get the job done is to sit with her in your lap and attempt to hold her still and keep an eye from being poked out. So anyway I forgot to mention that small detail, and the hair cut was not successfully accomplished. So this morning I took her for her hair cut myself, and held her down while she screamed and thrashed and managed to get her bangs trimmed and the ends of her hair trimmed a little. Afterward she was very happy to tell everyone and anyone that she got a hair cut and you never would have known from looking at her happy, beaming smile HOW GODDAMN DIFFICULT IT WAS.

Happy to be Home!

I got home from Boston last night, arriving to a CLEAN HOUSE thanks to the cleaning service, which came Wednesday (although Joel claims the house was not in too bad shape before that but not sure I believe it). I arrived in time to say goodnight to Rebecca who was half asleep in her crib and paid me very little mind except to mumble something about polar bears. Ben acted happier to see me, and I was in time for his bedtime stories and to tuck him into bed.

This morning it was back to reality -- squabbles over breakfast, arguments about which Backyardigans episode to watch after breakfast, tantrums over not allowing Becca to climb into her car seat by herself (she was taking too long), and a long wait in the cold for a school bus that was 25 minutes late (by which time Ben was whining and Becca was bawling outright).

And then, back to work and the 80 emails sitting in my inbox... Ahhhh, so nice to be home....

More Pictures of Baby Amelia!

Introducing Amelia Catherine

My niece! She seemed a little grouchy about getting woken up to have a camera shoved in her face. But I am sure she will get used to it!

Off to Boston to Meet My New Niece

So my niece arrived a couple of days ahead of schedule, at 2:30 this morning, and although I have not met Amelia Catherine yet I already have a bone to pick with this young lady -- YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO WAIT TILL YOUR AUNT COULD GET THERE! I can't wait to meet her in a few hours! Off to Boston!