May 2012 – The UnderToad

It’s Raining, It’s Pouring

Books.

I swear. It does not matter when I put a book on hold, nor how many end up in my queue at the public library. Inevitably, they will all arrive in the same week.

I thought about reading Jeffrey Eugenides’ new novel, The Marriage Plot, at the beginning of January. I think my request for one of five books in circulation went in at number sixty-something.

More recently, I added John Irving’s In One Person, and magically was very close to the top of the list. Finally, I had a whim to tackle the entire Chronicles of Narnia this summer, and thought it would be easier to just get the edition that has all seven books bound in one. (They looked so innocent in that cute little paper-back boxed set I got from a book order as a kid. This looks as intimidating as Gone With the Wind. Geesh.)

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Confessions

Suddenly Starbucks

I’ve had this strange feeling looming in the back of my mind for a few days now. For a while I assumed it was the UnderToad, and pushed it away, believing it would resolve itself as long as I didn’t acknowledge it with too much thought.

It isn’t the UnderToad.

I’m lead believe this foreign and somewhat uncomfortable feeling is that of guilt.

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Confessions, Eliott

One Month Ago

I wrote this post a month ago, on the day that it happened. At the time, for whatever reason, I didn’t want to publish it, and wondered if I ever would. To spoil the ending, everything turned out just fine. Better than fine, in fact.

So I’m having a mommy melt-down right now.

Of course, it is Friday, which means my five year old will not get out of bed. This means the entire morning went the usual way it goes when Eliott decides not to do anything. But my new approach to this attitude is to tell her one time, “If you do not do all your jobs before school today, or if you are not ready when it is time to go, you will ride in the car to drop Carter off and come back home with me.” (Thankfully, school is currently a reward in her mind.)

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Confessions

Saturday Morning Porch Review

I’m not going to apologize for the lack of posting, structure, or general theme to my recent updates. Those of you who understand morning sickness, all day, for sixteen weeks, are impressed that my current children are still alive. Forget about this silly blog, which needs no food. But to those of you who echo the sentiments of my baby sister (at dinner a few weeks ago), sounding something like this: “You know I can’t even remember the last time I had the flu. I just can’t imagine, or even remember really, what you must feel like. And since I never really get sick, I honestly don’t think I’ll have a rough pregnancy,” I would like to paint a word-picture that the migraine prevented me from creating that night when I politely agreed that your pregnancies would probably be easy, and silently prayed for the ability to projectile puke all over you across the table at that very moment.

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Confessions

How To Survive Flying While Pregnant

Pregnancy fun fact #302: During pregnancy, lots of women become more sensitive and reactive to the scents around them. The increase in estrogen leads to a highly acute sense of smell.

I spent a four day weekend without my children or John in Washington state, catching up with my sisters, sleeping in a hotel, and not cooking any of my meals, all under the excuse of the dedication to a new elementary school building on the same campus as my K-12 high school.

It was a great weekend. Minus the flying part.

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Confessions

Worst Customer Service Ever?

I like to think that I take customer service pretty seriously, when it comes to the places I choose to patronize. Certainly, in food service, there is no such thing as returning to a restaurant where the service is poor. The fact that most restaurants charge more than twenty dollars for a steak I could easily make for myself at home, and just as good, I’m only paying for service and a night free of dishes.

Grocery stores, however, are a different story. I hate to announce that I will never shop at Lowe’s Foods again, because the truth is, they have the best discount produce and bakery rack in town, and are in a terribly convenient location for a quick in-and-out after dropping the girls off at school. But every single time I go there, I want to announce, “I WILL NEVER SHOP AT LOWE’S FOODS AGAIN!”

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