My job is so glamourous.

 

I know you are eaten through and through with hot, green, boiling jealousy.

 

Today’s paper:

 

The effects of sitz bath massage on postoperative pain, anxiety, and mood states in patients with hemorrhoidectomy

 

Read it and weep. 

 

 

I know I am.

Mondays child is fair of face,
Tuesdays child is full of grace,
Wednesdays child is full of woe,
Thursdays child has far to go,
Fridays child is loving and giving,
Saturdays child works hard for his living,
And the child that is born on the Sabbath day
Is bonny and blithe, and good and gay.

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My uncle died last night, or, rather, one of my uncles.

He was my dad’s brother-in-law, married to my dad’s eldest sister.  He was one of those men that intimidated me as a child, big voiced, loud of laugh.

Last summer was the first time I had seen him in many, many years. After my dad left, there was very little interaction for me w/ my paternal relatives, barring a few cousins.  Not from animosity, it was just easier given the circumstances and the changes that occur in living patterns post-high school/college, etc.

I don’t feel I knew him  particularly well but he was relative and in fact is the first of my aunts and uncles to leave.

That alone makes me sad.

****************************************

A mom’s group I went to today left me feeling  more depressed than the reverse.

I have no idea why but it took me most of the rest of the day to shake it.

Actually, I DO have an idea why. Pretty consistently, I manage to say something really stupid there, one of those things that make you think “did I just say that OUT LOUD?”  Not that that is unusal for me. but still, it isn’t pleasant.  And then you sit there and remember it all day long, playing it over and over again in your head until it is a mutant child of what acutally happened and far, far worse than probably it was but that is cold comfort when you wish you would just learn already and keep your mouth shut, closed, sealed, zipped.

******************************************

Since trouble always comes in threes:

I realized, after walking up to the library and wandering around the library and reading books to the TT and interacting with various library-type individuals and walking up to the and playing with the TT, that….

 

….. a strategic button on my shirt was unbuttoned.

Perhaps that is why the older gentleman in the library smiled at me so kindly. Perhaps I made his day. It’s nice to feel I brought a little joy to SOMEONE today.

****************************

did I say trouble comes in threes?  I meant fours because:

there is neither cookies nor ice cream in the house.

 

What a day.

 

Whole Grain Zucchini Parmesan Pancakes

Growing up, my mom’s zucchini (yes, zucchini) pancakes were always a treat for me, mostly due, probably, to the parmesan in them

1 c. any mixture of grain flours (I used whole wheat, flaxmeal, and quinoa today)
1 c. milk
2 eggs
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 med zucchini, shredded
1/4 c parmesan (or more. why not?)
dash pepper

1. Mix
2. Cook
3. Eat.

Makes about 8 pancakes.

Today, Emily (remember Emily? Hi, Emily! I didn’t forget about the 7 things I LOVE) wrote about feeling discouraged about her fitness program that she has recently started (did I mention that Emily is about a size 2 and most likely only needs to lose weight in her little finger, if at all?).

I have been thinking about this for myself. Not that I am doing X-stretch or “shred” (whatever THAT may be. sounds dangerous to me) or anything remotely difficult. In fact, I can hardly motivate myself to go for a walk even when the weather is beautiful like it has been this week and yet we are constantly  made to feel guilty for not getting at least 1/2 hour of exercise every single blessed day.  Who has time for that? Who has the energy? Not mamas of little ones, IMHO.

I blame mothering toddlers. No, really, I do.  It just kinds of saps your motivation for pretty  much anything, especially the sleep deprivation part.

I’d like to lose about 8 more pounds to get where I was before I got pregnant w/ Miles and before I put on the 10 pounds I put on before I got pregnant with Miles.  I’d like to do that before getting pregnant again (IF that ever happens). 

But.

I know full well how good exercise is for me, how well it makes me feel and how happy I am when I can wear certain clothes without feeling constricted.  But that may all have to wait until I have navigated these uncharted toddler waters. And if that means that for the next 6 years I don’t exercise as regularly and as consistently as I should and as we are told we should every time we turn around, well, I’m not going to feel guilty about it.

So there.

I’d much rather eat brownies, anyway, and if that is what it takes to survive, so be it.

Parmesan Pancakes?  Brownies? Bring it on! I’m ready!

Or, Things to Remember to Not Forget Next Time, or Why Traveling with a Toddler Redefines the Word “Trip”

1. Camera, for that 18th picture of the TT playing with the baby goat or thinking about playing with the baby goat or thinking about playing in the baby goat’s water trough that has no wine in it

2. Witch hazel, to remedy the next skin burn I get from the strap of the husband’s bag sliding down my arm because i thot i could carry everything all at once and save myself a trip but really what does he have in there because it’s not the wine???

3. WD-40, for squeaky doors that cause mama to need a glass of wine to deal with the irritation and desperate hopes that they won’t waken the TT

4. Tape, for the curtains in the bedroom that never totally block the light out because there are gaps between them and the walls so the TT thinks he needs to get down and go play with more baby goats when in reality he needs to be falling alseep so mama can go watch mindless TV while drinking wine read something completely edifying and probably spiritually fulfilling as well because she is just that kind of a well-rounded individual

5. Corner protectors, for those sharp corners that are on every single piece of hotel furniture right at TT eye level and that cause mama to need a glass of wine after all those near-misses

6. Wine, self-explanatory

Day Out with Thomas