As I sit here now with my hair in a towel, I can hear the two children screaming upstairs. Usually this would annoy me. It is significantly less irritating though knowing that I don't have to respond today.
[Photo: Le petit Martin apres le voyage en Luxembourg, fevrier 2006. Martin, on the way home from Luxembourg last February.]
Yesterday I took care of my landlord's children. It was kind of like last week's comic stip, Baby Blues, where the dad comes home and says "at least you don't have to commute." I ran around all day! First it was FunFit, a gymboree type activity at the community center. Except I've never been there, and I got lost. Not really lost so much as I thought I went too far and really I was one street away. So we missed the little-little class and went to a slightly older one, where Maya was not exactly comprehending. Because we went to the later class, we missed Shabot Sing! at Eli's school. Eli was there, Maya and I missed it. But I had to pick him up afterwards and then it was on to the park.
We had a fabulous picnic there. Almost no drama. Then it was time for soccer practice. Except I didn't have a ball, because it was in his mom's car. So we inadvertently borrowed from a friend of his. Maya and I just goofed around and he went running off to kick soccer balls at cones. When it was time to go home, they were both pretty tired. They typically fall asleep in the car, so I needed to change them before the car, so they wouldn't be in yucky pants the whole time. There was no bathroom at the park. (This is bizarre since it is a huge park with LOTS of equipment and fields for little kids.)
Okay, so I changed one on a towel on a picnic table and the other standing up (super feat!) outside the passenger side door to my car. Eli threw a tantrum and then fell asleep almost instantly in the car. Dana helped me transfer them, and then I got as much baby stuff out of my car as possible before heading to school. There are not enough "thank-yous" for Dana covering for me.
I spent about 3 hours with Dr. Nisbet working on the article categorization. I have the unique and wonderful experience of reading about a decade's worth of articles on global warming before next Saturday. But at least I know what the research is going to be used for now. So that went as well as it can, since I either am too critical, put my foot in my mouth, or argue with him basically everytime I see him. Our only spat was over the value of popularization and how it should be done. I am going to find evidence to support my point before I bring it up again. But it went well.
I chatted with Mom, drove home, ate leftovers, and pondered my life while lying on the kitchen floor (had to be there). Dana is going to be writing an interesting novel in November I think some of you might like. I'll let you know when I have more info.
I called some friends and did some homework and talked to Mom and Dad. At the end of that I was feeling beyond emotionally drained. I dug into my homework, looking for solace, but knowing that it was going to be hard to concentrate. Then a friend called me back and I went down to his place for a while to hang out and get my mind off things.
We chatted, folded his laundry (voluntarily), drank too much water (I did anyway), and played chess (I had a horrible strategy and lost) and backgammon (I had a decent strategy and lost by two). By the end of the night (much later than it should have been since he had to get up for work this morning), I felt amazingly better. It was good to talk about the problems I was having, but not necessarily need to dwell on them. We got to talk about a bunch of other things, which gave me more time to process without having my emotions flip around. I'm really lucky to have a friend that is willing to let me ramble like that.
I drove home and would have crashed except there was a weird "spider cricket" under my bed. These things are bizarre because the hop like crickets and climb walls and stuff like spiders. I killed the (poor) thing and then scraped it out from under the bed. It is not, as it turns out, a cricket or a spider. It is an insect with multiple body sections, eyes on its body frame, and six legs. I'm going to have to look it up. Obviously, now that it was almost 3 a.m., I was not going to investigate fully.
**I want to note here how soccer moms really have alot on their plates. Driving kids around all day, giving up most of your lunch because the kids like yours better than theirs, finally getting them to sleep only to run off because you have other work to do ... I was too drained to even make myself dinner (leftovers are a heavenly thing). Call whatever soccer moms you know today and say "kudos." They totally deserve it. And, if you are considering becoming a soccer mom but aren't really sure it is for you, borrow some kids for a day. It will be the best birth control you've ever had. This is not to say it isn't rewarding, because it truly is. But it can take everything out of you. Thank you Mom for being our softball mom.**
Dana's alarm woke me this morning (not a super bad thing). We caught up on all the previous days events and she headed out to a Georgetown football game. (American is in the same conference and undefeated, baby - since the advent of the school!) Showered up and already having read a little, I'm going to fix myself some brunch and then spend my day working on my annotated bibligography and the other 9 items on my homework list.
It is looking lik a beautiful sunny day though, so hopefully I'll be able to head outside and do some of this. I'm hungry and ready to get out of my bathrobe now, so I'll talk to you later. Have a fun Saturday! Love always, ~Heather
[Photo: Le petit Martin apres le voyage en Luxembourg, fevrier 2006. Martin, on the way home from Luxembourg last February.]Yesterday I took care of my landlord's children. It was kind of like last week's comic stip, Baby Blues, where the dad comes home and says "at least you don't have to commute." I ran around all day! First it was FunFit, a gymboree type activity at the community center. Except I've never been there, and I got lost. Not really lost so much as I thought I went too far and really I was one street away. So we missed the little-little class and went to a slightly older one, where Maya was not exactly comprehending. Because we went to the later class, we missed Shabot Sing! at Eli's school. Eli was there, Maya and I missed it. But I had to pick him up afterwards and then it was on to the park.
We had a fabulous picnic there. Almost no drama. Then it was time for soccer practice. Except I didn't have a ball, because it was in his mom's car. So we inadvertently borrowed from a friend of his. Maya and I just goofed around and he went running off to kick soccer balls at cones. When it was time to go home, they were both pretty tired. They typically fall asleep in the car, so I needed to change them before the car, so they wouldn't be in yucky pants the whole time. There was no bathroom at the park. (This is bizarre since it is a huge park with LOTS of equipment and fields for little kids.)
Okay, so I changed one on a towel on a picnic table and the other standing up (super feat!) outside the passenger side door to my car. Eli threw a tantrum and then fell asleep almost instantly in the car. Dana helped me transfer them, and then I got as much baby stuff out of my car as possible before heading to school. There are not enough "thank-yous" for Dana covering for me.
I spent about 3 hours with Dr. Nisbet working on the article categorization. I have the unique and wonderful experience of reading about a decade's worth of articles on global warming before next Saturday. But at least I know what the research is going to be used for now. So that went as well as it can, since I either am too critical, put my foot in my mouth, or argue with him basically everytime I see him. Our only spat was over the value of popularization and how it should be done. I am going to find evidence to support my point before I bring it up again. But it went well.
I chatted with Mom, drove home, ate leftovers, and pondered my life while lying on the kitchen floor (had to be there). Dana is going to be writing an interesting novel in November I think some of you might like. I'll let you know when I have more info.
I called some friends and did some homework and talked to Mom and Dad. At the end of that I was feeling beyond emotionally drained. I dug into my homework, looking for solace, but knowing that it was going to be hard to concentrate. Then a friend called me back and I went down to his place for a while to hang out and get my mind off things.
We chatted, folded his laundry (voluntarily), drank too much water (I did anyway), and played chess (I had a horrible strategy and lost) and backgammon (I had a decent strategy and lost by two). By the end of the night (much later than it should have been since he had to get up for work this morning), I felt amazingly better. It was good to talk about the problems I was having, but not necessarily need to dwell on them. We got to talk about a bunch of other things, which gave me more time to process without having my emotions flip around. I'm really lucky to have a friend that is willing to let me ramble like that.
I drove home and would have crashed except there was a weird "spider cricket" under my bed. These things are bizarre because the hop like crickets and climb walls and stuff like spiders. I killed the (poor) thing and then scraped it out from under the bed. It is not, as it turns out, a cricket or a spider. It is an insect with multiple body sections, eyes on its body frame, and six legs. I'm going to have to look it up. Obviously, now that it was almost 3 a.m., I was not going to investigate fully.
**I want to note here how soccer moms really have alot on their plates. Driving kids around all day, giving up most of your lunch because the kids like yours better than theirs, finally getting them to sleep only to run off because you have other work to do ... I was too drained to even make myself dinner (leftovers are a heavenly thing). Call whatever soccer moms you know today and say "kudos." They totally deserve it. And, if you are considering becoming a soccer mom but aren't really sure it is for you, borrow some kids for a day. It will be the best birth control you've ever had. This is not to say it isn't rewarding, because it truly is. But it can take everything out of you. Thank you Mom for being our softball mom.**
Dana's alarm woke me this morning (not a super bad thing). We caught up on all the previous days events and she headed out to a Georgetown football game. (American is in the same conference and undefeated, baby - since the advent of the school!) Showered up and already having read a little, I'm going to fix myself some brunch and then spend my day working on my annotated bibligography and the other 9 items on my homework list.
It is looking lik a beautiful sunny day though, so hopefully I'll be able to head outside and do some of this. I'm hungry and ready to get out of my bathrobe now, so I'll talk to you later. Have a fun Saturday! Love always, ~Heather
Comments
Paul pleure toute la journée et toute la nuit et nous sommes très fatigué.
On est en train de te préparer un paquet plein de surprises.
Bisous
Hugues