Monday, August 17, 2009

The Score

Elspeth starts creative dance tomorrow, she gave us a preview. She is creative. Whether they will call it dance . . .
We were so excited to wake up to a steady rain one morning. I let the girls go out and play in their PJs. Addie really got into the spirit of things.

They made me a hot tub. Elspeth said she washed her hands and feet in it. She didn't understand why I carried her straight to the bath tub . . .

We got a family membership to the Sonoran Desert Museum (its a zoo, but they don't like to be called that). The Red Bird of Paradise are beautiful in the field pictured above.
Addie was more interested in the flaps to get into the hummingbird aviary, than any of the actual hummingbirds.
Elspeth models her sun hat and sun glasses, we don't go anywhere without them these days.
These photos are not doctored. That is the color of our backyard at sun set. We keep the house closed so tightly, we missed this at first. Now we know to start opening up around 5:30 to catch the show.

Which brings me to today. Jeremy started today. I don't think he will get to do much in behavioral health, this is the cattle call orientation for all new employees. He is probably hearing a lot about health care choices and where to park.

Since this is my first day flying solo, I have recalled that Jeremy's first day at home with the girls was fantastic. I don't like to keep score, but, well I have felt the pressure to equal his first day (don't ask him about day 2).

What I have done right:
1 - I set the timer for 1 hour of free play so I could get some boxes unpacked. That way, I called an end to free play before the girls crashed and burned. They are still excited to have the toys back after 14 weeks of respite, they loved it.

2 - Went to the pool this morning. I haven't heard a peep from their room in over an hour, pool = nap.

3 - I fed them a nutritious and balanced lunch.

What I have done wrong:

1 - After we left the house for the pool. I locked up (good), I started the car to get the air conditioner going because it was in the upper 90s (still good). I heard the cooler of water bottles I was taking for post-pool drinks hit the lock as I was getting in and thought to myself, the car has just locked, be sure to unlock it before you get back out to let the girls inside. I stepped out of the car, and the door slid closed behind me (bad, very very bad). I walked around the car to make sure ALL the locks had engaged (they had). Locked outside in the upper 90s with no water and no way to get into either my house or my car (phone locked in car). We started knocking on doors until we met Gretchen. Who smiled, let the kids pillage her 8 year old sons room while I called AAA, and gave us each a cold bottle of water for the wait. For the record. When it gets that hot, AAA will try to rush the call if you mention the small children. Before that, you are just the stupid woman who locked her keys in her running car, THEY are innocent bystanders.

2 - Despite Holly's clear signals that she needed to go OUT, I thought I could get Addie down before I took the dog out. I was wrong. At least we still have a carpet cleaner.

3 - I meant to give them baths before nap, but we were late to the pool, late to lunch, and late to nap. I was in danger of missing my window. But my saving grace is I haven't changed their sheets yet today, so at least they are greasing up the dirty sheets that I will pull off after nap. I am going to have to figure out a plan B, or give up some of my ideas about clean. The desert is dusty and dirty. If I bath them after the pool, but before the walk up to the neighborhood park at dusk, they are filthy. Actually, so am I. I have scrubbed my tub 2 times a day for 3 days, but I can't get rid of the perfect footprint in the bottom of the tub. Because it is so perfect, it is obvious that it is mine and not Jeremy's. The desert may not be the place for open toe. I am going to start polling the other moms at the playground about how to get things CLEAN again. . .

So, am I winning?

On the fence? I tried to "educate" my older child about how we live in the Sonoran Desert. She took this well, I thought. Today she asked me if our friend Ethan was going to visit us in the "Snoring Desert." *sigh*

2 comments:

HennHouse said...

That you had time to write all of that is another point in your column...

Love you!

Melissa Blair said...

Sounds like quite the adventure! I met my first neighbors in a similar fashion. The door to our garage is positioned so precisely that if you open it all the way, it will bump the knob of the basement door, locking the garage door. I did not know this, and at the time, we had one of those doors that automatically closes. I had just returned from a drive to our apartment in Cincinnati to pick up another car load of stuff. I backed up the car to the garage - since I was unloading and it was February, I had the car parked halfway in the garage and halfway on the driveway. I took my first load of stuff into the house, including my coat and my purse with my car keys and cell phone. After I finished unloading boxes into the garage, I went to grab my purse and realized that the door had locked! My cell phone, car keys and house keys and my coat were inside the house. My mom only lived 2 miles away and I had given her a spare key, but I couldn't walk over there because it was really cold, I didn't have a coat, and I couldn't close the garage door because the car was blocking the way. I had to go knocking on doors to find someone home to let me use the phone to call my mom. I was thankful to find a neighbor home at the second house I tried. I called my mom, and she drove over my key. To top it off, my mom was watching my kids and they had just decided to take a nap about 15 minutes before I called her - she had to leave them at her house sleeping, while she quickly ran my keys over to me (thankfully it only took her 5 minutes round trip). What an ordeal! I so feel your pain! Make a spare house key and keep it hidden outside somewhere (or leave it with a neighbor)...just in case!