Mama Monday #57

Theme: Happiness

Happiness is knowing you don't always have to go the extra mile to make someone happy. All it takes is a cuddle, a kiss and the comfort in knowing you are fully present in the moment.

Hold me with two hands.

(squeeze & a kiss) I love you, Sweetie.

I love you too, Mama.

I'm Tired, Thanks For Asking

Well, now that I'm actually doing something instead of reading a book, I don't feel so completely exhausted. But, man alive!... sitting on the couch reading a book - even a good book that I have to finish by next Sunday for book club - is absolutely the last thing you want to do when the goal is to stay awake.

But now, as I write this, it's about 11:45pm and 1am doesn't seem so far away anymore. Cuz now that I thought of a ton of things I could/need to do - it turns out I don't have enough time to do them all! So that's a good thing, but - when am I going to get it all done? Something tells me I'm not going to be as chipper as I am right now come 5am when the alarm goes off. Won't want to do things then, I'm thinkin'. Nope, I'm definitely more of a night owl.

I could be:

• writing my bio for my upcoming featured essay over at Crazy Hip Blog Mamas

• writing my Mama Monday post ahead of time

• navigating my way around my new TTV site and learning more about my new business

• washing dishes

• going over the checkbook

• writing a valedictorian speech for my BIL (not really, but he did suggest that that's one thing I could do tonight to keep myself awake. But seeing as how it took me several attempts to get the spelling of "valedictorian" correct, I don't think he'd want me to actually go through with writing his speech for him).

• oh yeah - finishing my book club book. There's that...

Instead, I decided to blog hop, which took me to some of my very favorite bloggers, at which I saw many times over the button for Blogger Choice Awards. Clicking over there, I saw that you can go ahead and nominate your own blog for whatever the heck you wanna. So, thinking it would be an interesting tidbit to mention in these here late night ramblings, I signed right up with the intent to self nominate.

But, hold on there, Slappy... comes to turn out I've already been nominated! NOT by my own doing! By someone else! Someone else who obviously LOVES me! And I didn't even shamelessly ask her to nominate me! Wow!

Well isn't that special?

It took me awhile to find my ranking, but it's there alright, thanks to the lovely and talented Oh, The Joys. Thank you, thank you! You like me, you really like me! (Or you're just nomination happy. Either way - I won't argue).

Right now I only have a sad little 4 votes (my vote for myself being the 4th). So if you want to help me out and make me feel even more all warm and fuzzy inside - go on over and vote. Thanks!

I know, I'm totally making you guys work here!

You've got to vote for me here.

You've got to click my banner ads in my sidebars

You've got to click all my ads, in fact.

You've got to buy wines and book parties from me over here.

And now you've got to vote for me here.

(Oh yeah - and here too).

I tell ya - I certainly have become a little slave driver, haven't I? Geesh! I'm getting kinda tired of myself and know that y'all must be too.

Oh. No. I'm not tired of myself. I forgot. I'm just plain tired.

No matter - looks like it's just about time for me to go take a tubby and head off to slumber land...

At least for a little while.

See you in the wee hours of the A.M.!

All Available Operators Are Standing By

Sorry - it's been a busy day. BUT! Lucky me gets to stay up late tonight and get up early in the morning (for a sleep deprived EEG scheduled for tomorrow). So I'll be back. When the house is quiet and I've got nothing better to do to keep me awake - you can bet I'll be right here, sharing my late night/early morning observations with you. Fun, fun! See you then.

Sweetie Saturday #55 - I Love Edition

I Love:

• When I can hear your soft singing echoing my own as we sing along to the radio in the car.

• The way you study my mouth when I sing a new song, at the same time you're trying to repeat the words right after me.

• Cuddling on the couch with you and stealing sniffs of your beautiful hair.

• That you love your curls so much. Always insisting that I never comb away the curls!

• Your belly laugh - and all the crazy things you do and see that make you giggle.

• When you call me Mama.

• How you can "read" Goodnight Moon to me - you know all the words!

• That you know which state is Minnesota.

• That you can also recognize so many other states.

• Your great memory.

• When you use your high pitched voice to "talk" for all your friends.

• That your idea of a treat is a vitamin, a bowl of blueberries or strawberries, or a pineapple chunk.

• All your rules - Teddy, Curious George and Bunny are home sleeping friends, Winnie the Pooh is your school sleeping friend, you must be held with two hands when you drink your morning milk and bed milk, etc., etc., etc...

• That you have different rules for different places - you expect different things when at Nana and Papa Daves' house, different from Grammy and Grampys' house, different from Noki's house.

• That you insist Winnie the Pooh comes everywhere with us now whenever we leave the house.

• That your silly paper ladybug on a popsicle stick that you made at school a few weeks ago also is now a frequent traveling companion.

• Picking you up at school - my favorite time of the week!

• When you tell me you had a great day, but you missed me. I missed you too, Sweetie.

• How you're always great. - How are you, Sweetie? - Great! (or just Great. if you're in a less than stellar mood).

• How you say, I'm NOT okay! when you get hurt.

• How well you bounce back from injuries and/or setbacks.

• That you know so many French words and use them on a regular basis (if perhaps not in the most grammatically correct way). - Oops! I tombe'd.

• When you try to make up your own French or Spanish words.

• When you hear a new word and are so curious to learn what it means - and use it as much as you possibly can!

• How smart you are.

• How wise you are.

• How clever you are.

• How beautiful you are - inside and out!

• I love everything about you - you're my Sweetie!

What A Big Girl!

Yes, Sweetie certainly is a Big Girl now. But tonight - I'm talking about myself.

Example: I took Sweetie for her very first "professional" haircut this past weekend. She did great and enjoyed watching all the different TV screens around her as the stylist snipped and clipped. And in the end - she hardly looked like she got a haircut at all.

Every time I looked at her I felt more certain - her supposed "haircut" was no good. A stinkin' $19.95 (including tip) shelled out for Sweetie still to be sporting a mop top.

The length was good. It was just that the bulk of her curls was still running rampant throughout the top. More layers, more closely shaped to her head, were desperately needed to right Sweetie's tress distress.

This morning I resigned myself to the fact that I'd have to take her to a new hairdresser sometime this weekend and hand over another unreasonable amount of money for a kid haircut fix - plus tip.

But then I did something else.

I picked up the phone, called the original kiddie salon, and voiced my displeasure with the cut.

In the end, I took Sweetie back this evening, got the cut fixed, and only paid a nice tip to the nice lady. No charge! Sweet!

I'm so proud of myself for placing that call! I realized - there's no reason I should pay extra for a whole different place to fix the original hairstylist's mistake. And they did so happily - even telling me to see what her hair does after a couple shampoos and if it still isn't right - bring her back!

No that's customer service!

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Another change I've recently made- I no longer put a :) after my name when I send out emails or send cards.

This is something I've done for years. I don't know why - messages from me just don't feel complete unless I add that :). But something changed last week. I'm not sure what - and I don't mean to make this more profound than it needs to be - but I just decided it wasn't necessary. And so I stopped.

Maybe I subconsciously started tossing around this idea to eliminate the :) after I saw that Anna Nicole Smith also used to sign her name that way. That's why her satiny pink, jewel-encrusted death shroud was emblazed with both her name and a :) across its silky smooth threads.

I don't know... I'm just saying. I may have started thinking right about then that I wouldn't want my own death shroud to be similarly emblazoned. Tres tacky!

And you know what? The world hasn't ended since I stopped with the :). As far as I can tell, it hasn't even slowed down a little. All is still good and, through this small little personal act, I feel better about myself.

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Then there's my new Personal Wine Consultant job. That in and of itself makes me feel all growed up. I ordered business cards! I ordered a rubber stamp! I'm in charge of entertaining and informing people! And I'm pretty scared about that! BUT - I'm also confident that I can do it.

Yes, I'm pretty shy. Yes, I turn red if someone looks at me sideways. Yes, I write a whole heck of a lot better than I speak. Not to mention the fact that I'm physically as graceful as a duck (an animal I can relate to cuz we're both waddlers). BUT - I know I can do it. I also know it will take me a number of parties under my belt to start to feel truly comfortable in front of groups. But I'll be okay.

See, I've always gone after what I want. In HS, for instance, I didn't date anyone. I was shy, physically disabled (and therefore felt less attractive) and, oh yeah, I went to an all-girls school.

But when my Sophomore Year Semi-formal, my Junior Year Cotillion, and my Senior Prom came around - I set my sights on the boys I wanted to go with, I picked up the phone, and I straight out asked them.

I took the bull by the horns, baby! Yeah, that's right!

No, not all of the askees accepted my invitation. And it hurt. But, my Senior Prom intended did accepted and even ended up being my very first boyfriend. We dated for about a year and remained close friends for a long time after that. All because I decided to pick up the phone and ask a simple (albeit scary) question.

All this to say.... I'm really feeling like I'm finally a grown up. Finally, I'm a Big Girl now.

(I know - pretty sad for someone who's about to be 30-cough, hack, ahem years old. So what? Big deal. I'm a late bloomer, that's all)

Taking care of Sweetie's hair troubles.... ending my writing assignments with Audacity.... becoming a Personal Wine Consultant.... even helping to install a brand new computer program at work....

Yeah - I can do it. I can take care of things. I can stand up for myself and I can get things done. Go, me!

What a Big Girl Am I!

Look! Butterflies! Ahhh - Freedom!

Beautiful Spring Day = A great time for a family adventure!







What a cool place! A great time was had by all.

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Okay, enough with the fluff. I've had my little break away from the thoughful posts and I think I'm ready to think again. Thanks to you all for sticking with me through all the nothing. But now - I'm back!

You know what I did yesterday? I officially stopped writing for Audacity Magazine. It was my choice and I feel good about it.

For one thing, with my new Wine Consultant business, I'll hopefully have really busy weekends and no time left over for writing extra (mostly redundant to my blog) articles. So, there's that.

But the other thing is - I just don't feel audacious enough to write for Audacity. I've submitted articles for more than a year now - almost two! Some articles have come easy to me, but most I've ended up writing at the last minute simply because I have to give them something. This has especially been the case lately. I just don't have it in me to give them what they want.

I recently talked to my editor there. This was our 1st over-the-phone conversation we've had since I started writing for her. From her, I learned that her readers basically want to hear more of the knitty gritty of my life. More of the troubles and worries and problems I encounter as a disabled mom raising a healthy child. Or at the very least - write the way I experienced a certain situation, then contrast that with how I imagine other disabled parents could/should handle the same situation.

Basically - she wanted me to recognize that not all disabled parents (or potential parents) have all the support and resources available to them that I am fortunate to have. So it would be great if I could address those concerns and write about "the other side of the coin" - at least every once in awhile.

That's how I took her words, anyway.

I thought about what she was saying. I really did. And I certainly understand that not every disabled person is as lucky (for lack of a better word) as I am to have nearby, supportive family; a loving husband; a healthy child; and a good job. I know this. I also know that lots of disabled adults only dream of having children but because of their particular situations are not able to.

But you know what? That's not my story. I just can't make up problems or worries to write about. And I honestly don't have the time to research all the different avenues the disabled person can take in any given parenting situation.

My editor wondered (in her email back to me yesterday - trying to convince me to change my mind) how I manage cooking and/or shopping as a disabled mom? How do I manage housework? Do I need to take a second job because of anything having to do with my disability?

Basically - she was trying to establsh fodder for all sorts of future articles I could write.

Well, let me save everyone's time and answer her questions right now.

I don't cook - Hubby does.

We either shop as a family or Hubby grocery shops for us. Since he does most of the cooking, so he knows exactly what to buy.

My house is pretty much always a mess. But I am perfectly capable of vacuuming, doing laundry, and general dusting and tidying up around the house. And Hubby takes care of the outside stuff.

I'm taking a second job because it seems like it's going to be a fun way to earn extra money for paying bills.

There - that's it. Exciting stuff, huh? Yeah - I bet you were hanging off the edge of your seat waiting for all the thrilling answers.

Anyway - my point is I personally don't feel so much audacious as I do average. My disability is in no way a major part of my everyday thinking. That is, I don't think about being disabled. My physical condition rarely if ever makes me stop to think how and if I'll tackle a certain situation. I don't personally know anyone else who is disabled (I mean - I do. I am in the Spina Bifida Association of MA, after all. And I've "met" lots of disabled moms through my blog, including my good pen pal friend who has spina bifida just like me. But on an everyday basis, I don't interact so much with other disabled people).

In a nut shell - my life is just normal. At least it is to me. It's my story, my life, and I feel it's the only thing I can competently report on.

And even when I do run into a trying situation or a challenge I'm not sure how I'm going to handle as a disabled mom (because, you know, I do), I'm going to write about it in my typically upbeat, positive-outlook way. That's just the way I roll.

And I think it's what most of you - my kind, courageous, smart and awesome blog readers - like about what I'm doing here in my blog.

After all is said and done, my editor tells me that my column with Audacity is mine to write - whenever I want. If I ever have an article to submit, she will accept it. It's my column to do with as I wish.

That's nice. I appreciate it. Maybe I'll do a quarterly thing. Who knows. But for now it's nice to not have that monthly commitment hanging over my head. Moving on to bigger and better things, I say!

Now - anyone want some wine?

Sweetie Saturday #54

Finally! A beautiful day! It's going to be a gorgeous weekend. Even the flowers are coming up in our front yard. Yay!

But, for the last several days it's been nothing but rains, winds and flooding in these parts. In fact, our house is on a hill and, about a mile or so up the road from us, there was a huge landslide earlier in the week. The road has been closed since Monday. And now that the rains have ended, I'm hoping they can clean it up soon. What a mess!

Anyway, the other morning I was taking Sweetie to school and we were winding our way through our downtown streets (the detour for getting around the landslide). It was another miserable, cold, rainy, really yucky day.

Sweetie pipes up from the back seat.

Mommy! It's Spring! The birds are singing! Isn't it a beautiful day, Mommy?!

Ahhhhhhh....no. But it sure is nice to see your rosey-colored outlook!

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Because of the road closure, our commute home the other day was extremely slow. Everyone was trying to get through town at exactly the same time. What should have taken us 2 minutes to get through took about 15 or 20. Ugh!

Sweetie was a trooper, though. Only complaining off and on that her foot was crinkly (asleep).

As she cried out in crinkly pain, I told her to wiggle her toes, move her leg around, and generally try to do what she could to wake it up.

No! That doesn't help! Nothing helps. I'll just have to wait for it to go away.

I got a similar response from her when she briefly complained of an earache a week or so ago. I wanted to look at her ear to better determine what was going on.

Sweetie, let me look so I can see what's wrong and how I can help.

No! Don't look! Nothing helps! I just have to wait 'til it goes away by itself.

Ummmm.... can anyone say "glimpse into the dramatic teenaged years"?. Oh well - that's my little martyr Sweetie. Braving the pain and indignities of her little world, confident that they will right themselves on their own in a timely manner.

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Sweetie seems to get a big kick out of telling me her school friends' full names. Now, I wouldn't ever write those names here, but you'll get the picture.

That's ____ ____'s Daddy.

That's ____ ____, Mommy. He has a hurt on his eye and he's sad.

Today was ____ ____'s birthday!

Whenever she delivers these informative tidbits, she always has a little smirk on her face. As if she's saying,

Aren't I so smart? I know my friends whole big name names!

Yep. You're a smartie all right. Scary smart, in fact. I look forward to seeing what you discover everyday.

Ch..Ch...Ch...Changes!

So. Notice anything different about me? Say, like some flashing, flashy banner ads in my sidebars? You can't possibly miss 'em, right?

Go ahead... click 'em. You know you wanna. I dare ya! In fact, click 'em all the time. Come back to visit just to click. I don't care! Go click happy on yo bad selves!

Okay, okay. Just click the stinkin' ads, would ya? If you do, I promise to stop with the gangsta home skillet talk. Honest. Thanks.

Now, in other news...

I've up and gone done did it (oops. Sorry. Some habits are hard to break)... I'm now an official Wine Consultant with a large direct sales in-home wine tasting company. Actually, it's not entirely all official-like quite yet. I just filled out the on-line "paperwork" tonight. By tomorrow I should be "confirmed" and I'll be able to tell you more - like what company it is and what my new company-related web address is. You know, so you can go there to order wine any ol' time you like. Iffin' you wanna, that is.

So, yeah. Now my weekends will (hopefully) be filled with wine tastings and schmoozing. Not that I want to go totally crazy with this. Just enough to add a little extra income every month. I'm excited! And Hubby is going to help me out too. He's going to be my official supplies lugger and wine pourer.

I know! Hubby's got to have a new name. I think I'll call him my Big Lug.

Well, gee... when I was composing this post in my head earlier today, it seemed a lot more substantial. In that heady post I talked about Sweetie and me and changes and goodness and life affirmation and general Deep Thoughts. But this? Yeah.. not so much.

Maybe it's because I'm writing this much later than I thought I'd be writing.

Maybe it's because I was freezing in the house earlier, so I turned up the heat, and now I'm baking and can't really focus on anything else, other than that I'm worried about Sweetie baking in her double layers of jammies and many blankets I piled on top of her.

Maybe it's because freakin' Sanjaya was finally voted off freakin' American Idol and, while that is absolutely the best news ever, I just can't even believe that the Age of Sanjaya is finally over!

Or maybe I realized that all the Deep, Meaningful Stuff was just a bunch of hooey. Meaning, it must have been hooey cuz I can't for the life of me remember any of what I was going to write and how it was all going to connect in a beautifully harmonious and meaningful way. So there.

Rest assured, I am going to try harder next time to pull myself together and deliver some quality postage to y'all. (Well, maybe not next time, seeing as that will be Sweetie Saturday and those posts are never really quality work - just funny fluff. Ummm, not that the cute and sometimes wise things Sweetie says and does are not quality, worthwhile offerings. Ummmm. I don't mean it like that at all! Ummm... Oh, never mind!).

Just click the ads, okay?

Mama Monday #56

Theme: Silence

Nothing beats a Pajama Day for Sweetie and I in a quiet house on a rainy, stormy day, with the wood stove blazing, Sweetie carrying on imaginary conversations amongst her imaginary friends, allowing me time to read, sew, internet-surf... or jump right in and play along!

Cherish the silent moments. Listen to the silence - it can teach so much.

Becoming One Of "Them" - Maybe.

I see, from a quick glance back at my last several posts, that I've more or less talked about nothing lately. Nope. Nada. Zilch. Zippo. Nothing to see here, folks. Thanks for stopping in. Move right along, now....

Ah! So you think today is going to be different, do you? You think, by contrast, I have something thrilling and insightful and deeply meaningful to share with you now?

Ummmm.... let's see.... well, there's that... don't think you'd care about that... ahhhh, nope. Still nothing.

BUT - I am proud of Sweetie! We made plans to take her to the drive-in movies last night. She put her jammies on, got snacks for the car, got all bundled up. Then, upon arriving to the drive-in, we discovered that they don't actually open until next weekend. Bummer! Sweetie was upset, but so were Hubby and I. She wasn't totally traumatized, though, and really dealt with the disappointing news pretty well. Yay!

Another thing - I just found out yesterday about the exciting opportunites available in direct sales parties selling wine! Woo hoo! Now THAT's my kind of home party! Bringing a wine tasting to your hostess and her guests? Sounds awesome - as a hostess or a consultant. Even Hubby is intrigued and suggested we could do parties together - he'd lug the bottles and pour the wines, and I'd do all the talking/selling. Hmmmm..... I'll definitely have to get more info on all of this.

So - aren't you glad you clicked here today? I bet! I tell ya - I sure am full of Good News/Good Information.

Or something. I'm definitely full of something....

Sweetie Saturday #53

I found Sweetie looking out our back door window.

Whatcha doin', Sweetie?

Watching Daddy.

What's he doing.

He's just outside, dumping the kitty glitter.

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Sweetie teaches me new things all the time. In fact, just this week she informed me,

Nice ladybugs give good advice, Mommy.

Huh... who knew it? Sweetie - that's who!

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Sweetie is old enough now to go play in her room for awhile without constant supervision. I can usually hear her playing and, anyway, she rarely lasts very long playing on her own.

So it surprised me last weekend when, after about 15 or 20 minutes, she was still upstairs. Also, I realized that I really couldn't hear her doing anything this time. Hmmmm..... So I asked Hubby to go up and check on her.

Just a moment later, I heard him burst out laughing. When he came downstairs, he explained,

I'd forgotten - she asked me to play hide and seek with her, but I told her no.... she's been standing in her closet, holding Winnie-the-Pooh, and singing A Little Bit More, A Little Bit More.

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I live with two very picky, picky people. Especially in the department of expressing love.

Hubby has always been insistent that one should not say, I love you, too, when told they themselves are loved. He says - Don't say the "too" - it makes it conditional and I don't think love should be conditional.

Fine - but Sweetie is very insistent that you do add the "too" when answering her claims of love for you. So much so, in fact, that she'll melt into tears if you don't add the "too", and she'll force you to - let's start all over again!

I love you, Mommy.

I love you too.

(giggles) Thank you for saying it right, Mommy.

I personally don't care either way - with a slight lean towards Hubby's way of thinking. We've tried to bring Sweetie over to this side and to see the light of unconditional love - but she's just not buying it.

Whatever - I've just got to be darn-tootin' sure who I'm talking to when I verbally reciprocate someone's love.

Ugh..... Oh well. There are worse problems I could have.

Happy Eleven.... Er, I Mean Ten

Ten years ago today I was finishing up my first week at my new job... with a date with a cute graphic designer who worked in the same office as me.

Ten years ago today I found myself at a work-related charity silent auction, featuring the band Beatlejuice (R.I.P. Brad Delp). To be honest, I had no idea what a Beatlejuice was - only that a cute guy from my new job had asked me to attend with him.

Ten years ago today I insisted that I'd meet him at the event, rather than give him the convoluted directions to my parents' home - why confuse him with somewhat difficult directions until I find out if there'll be a second date?

Ten years ago - there was a second date.

And a third.

And so on.

Every month for that next year, on the 11th of each month, we'd celebrate with a card, a dinner out, and a celebratory, Happy Eleven! greeting.

Over the last 10 years, there has not been one day that he and I have not at least talked on the phone.

On our first year dating anniversary, we celebrated with a trip to Saint Malo, France, ending with a weekend in Paris.

Almost exactly 2 1/2 years after meeting, we were married on a beautiful New England autumn day.

Later, we bought our old New England farmhouse, signing the closing papers on our 2nd wedding anniversary.

We soon found out our co-worker's cat delivered the two little kitties we'd soon be adopting. They were born right around the time I found out I was pregnant with Sweetie.

Then, of course, Sweetie arrived - just in time for that next year's Christmas!

Our family has grown. Our love has grown - adjusted - settled - strengthened - expanded - but never lessened.

Happy Eleven, Pumpkin Eyes! Still loving you, after all these years.

Mama Monday #55

Theme: Peace



Blowing bubbles with Sweetie on a snowy, chilly, post-Easter day.

Sweet!

Happy Easter! May you all have a wonderful day. I know ours will be totally Sweetie-licious!

Sweetie Saturday #52 - Anniversary Edition

Woo hoo! Look at this! Apparently, I've been doing this Sweetie Saturday thing for a whole year now. And what a year it's been!...

This past Monday morning, Sweetie came running in to my bedroom to say Good Morning. Usually she wakes me up, but on this particular day I was already awake, reading in bed.

She climbed in bed with me and proceeded to ask me a very important question. I can't remember exactly how she worded it, but basically she wanted to know if I had slept all night with the light off and then woke up and turned the light on to read.

Yes, that's right. I answered.

I guess that was the correct answer, cuz Sweetie then informed me,

And that's why I love you.

Well, alrighty then! That not make any sense to me (as toddler Sweetie used to say). But I'll take it anyway!

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One day last week, as Sweetie and I were driving home from Nana's, I dog ran right in front of my car and I had to stop short.

I'm sorry, Sweetie. A dog ran in front of the car and I didn't want to hit him.

The very next morning, again out on the road, I had to again stop quick. This time was my fault - I didn't notice the car coming towards me.

I'm sorry, Sweetie. I had to stop really quick.

Was it that dog again?

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Sweetie is reading! Kind of. She got some early reader books for Christmas and she's now very interested in looking at them together and sounding out the words.

She'll excited ask me to read with her. But - don't you know it - I'm a hard-nosed school marm at the core. If she wants to read, I'm gonna make her read, dagnabit! And don't you get lazy on me, neither, ya hear?

So, we're slowly making our way through one of the books. And she was doing really well! But then it got harder for her, I got tougher on her (um, yeah, I guess) and she got frustrated.

With a heavy sigh, she says,

I'm getting tired of this. You just read it to me.

Okay.

But then?! Only minutes later she's anxious to pick up the next book and try again.

That's my girl! Way to go, Sweetie.

Mid-Week Menagerie

Nothing's on TV tonight. American Idol results, yes, but that was short-lived and, like I said last week, whatever.

Our dishwasher broke down about a week ago. I decided, with Hubby's blessing, that we could deal with not having a working dishwasher for the time being instead of pay the high price, again, to have it repaired, again (it would be the second time in about 4 years). I'm trying to convince myself that washing dishes is calming, therapeutic, fun, and relaxing. But we all know I'm not fooling anyone, least of all myself.

Sweetie's sick with a mild cold, which she's generously shared with me. Ever since her fever illness a couple weeks ago, it's been her thing to complain about a tummy ache every once in awhile. Not that she actually has one - it's just something to say when she's trying to get out of something (like staying at school). But yesterday and today she's changed it up a bit. Yesterday she said her tongue hurt. And today she told my mom that her cheeks hurt and that she needed cheek medicine. Hmmmm.... maybe it would behoove me to shine a flashlight into her mouth to see what's up. On the other hand - I still think she's just complaining to complain.

You know what? My tongue hurts. Weird.

It's snowing here. On April 4th. Could be up to 8 inches or so by morning. Yay. New England weather is awesome - not.

I've got a book club book to finish, a house to clean in time for Easter brunch, and a new counted-cross stitch pattern to sew. But instead, I think I'll go down some cold medicine, take a nice hot bath, then go to bed. I will attempt to read, but that never works out very well. I'll surely be asleep within only a page or two. Oh well - at least I'll try.

Oh - and have you voted today? Please, do keep it up! I can win this thing only with your consistent help. Thanks so much!