In a span of four days we’ve been caught in the rain twice. To tell you the truth, it was kind of fun!

The first time was when we went grocery shopping. The clouds had told me that a storm was coming, and I even took a picture of them. I hoped it would stay clear until our shopping bags were loaded, but my hopes were dashed when we exitted. People were standing around, waiting out the storm, with worried expressions. They waited as if it were acid coming down. Afraid of it. I had a plan.

“Mama, what are we going to do?” Olivia asked.

“We’re gonna be careful and run to the van. Everyone’ll get in, I’ll buckle Davey in, and then load the groceries. Ok? On your marks. Get set. Go!”

The rain was dense and the drops were large. Davey laughed a nervous laugh and I could hear Benny squealing in delight. Mikey took a short-cut (which I wasn’t exactly thrilled with his decision) and Livey exclaimed that Mikey was gone as we were in transit. You could say that Olivia over-reacts. I don’t know where she gets it? Or maybe I do.

By the time I got to the back of the van, to load the groceries, I was soaked. I took my time as I was already soaking wet; there was no use in rushing to get into the van. Rather, I stood there allowing the rain to fall on my face. I watched the water roll down my arms and I strolled across the parking lot to return the buggy. A man, who had raced to his truck with his son, spotted me and laughed.

“No sense in going fast now, eh?” I noted out loud.

——————————–

Yesterday we were in the rain again. After service we went to Target. Target is about 20’some miles from our house, so when I get the chance to go, I do! I finally got some Method products for cleaning. I’d been wanting to use them instead of the Greenworks (by Clorox) for a while. I also hadn’t cleaned my stainless steel appliances in weeks because the last time I did my hands broke out in “the rash”. I firmly believe that going green with the cleaning products and soaps is what has helped my hands heal. Thank God it’s not wheat because I really like whole wheat pizzas and sandwiches!

As I pulled into the parking lot drops started to fall. Trying to beat the rain was futile. Soon thunder boomed and big rain started to fall. We tried to wait it out, but it wasn’t happening. I had Mikey unbuckle Davey and we devised a plan. We weren’t parked far from the doors, but by the time we got to them we were soaked. Soaked in our Sunday Best.

There really is something about being caught in the rain; it’s oddly cleansing, so-to-speak.

I don’t ever want to be afraid of getting caught in the rain. I don’t want my children to, either. I want us to let the rain drops fall down on our faces, washing our souls, and freeing our inhibitions. For after the rain, comes the sun…

The best thing one can do when it’s raining is to let it rain.
—Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Today was just beautiful. The sun was shining, the wind wasn’t whipping all blustery like yesterday, and it was a mild temperature.

Davey had a “well check-up” this morning. He weighs 26.8lbs and is 31.75″ long. That’s the 90th percentile for weight and 80th percentile for height. He’s perfect, but we knew that!

After the appointment, we came home, and the kids and I ate lunch while Davey napped. When he woke up, he ate his lunch and then we set off. I decided to make the best of such wonderful weather, and I took them to our favorite park. They played for well over an hour. Davey got in on the fun, too. He loved swinging, and I let him climb-as much as he could-on the little playground. The other three had a ball running, climbing, swinging, playing, and enjoying the sun. At one point, while they played I walked up and down the sidewalk, to get some extra exercise. It was great. These are the things we’d never get to do in Buffalo, and does it ever make a difference. Usually, at this time of year, a bit of seasonal depression sets in. I’ve completely avoided it, and days like today are the reason why.

After that, we went to Old Navy, where we each got a little somethin’-somethin’. The grand total was $39.75 and I saved $39.04. Crazy, huh!?

Tomorrow’s forecast is nice, but with a chance of rain in the afternoon.

Last night it started to snow. It stuck. We still have snow on the ground! The little girl across the street is home from school, so I can only assume that schools are closed around here. Stuff like this, back in Buffalo, is nothing, but down here it gives thousands of people a day off!

As for us, we’re going grocery shopping later on. If only you knew the stuff I’ve driven through in NY. Seriously.

Photographic Evidence:

Another one bites the dust,
Another one bites the dust,
And another one gone, and another one gone,
Another one bites the dust,

Yup, another weekend bites the dust.

On Friday we celebrated Davey’s birthday by going out to the Chinadive. We usually have the same waitress. This is the one that helped me clean up puke one time when the baby threw up everything he ate, plus a bottle. It was so gross, but she got in it, helped clean up, and I am forever indebted to her. She rushed up to Davey and I said, “it’s his birthday today,” and she squeezed him with a hug and kissed his cheek. I think, if I let her, she would eat him. What’s not to eat, really?

After we all ate, we headed over to the grocery store to do some maintenance shopping. We got some needed staples to add to what we already had at home, along with a birthday cake. Going grocery shopping when you are full is a good thing. When you go hungry, you end up buying a whole bunch of stuff that you really don’t need. I do need to make lists more, though. Could this be one of my resolutions?

After we got home, Davey took a little nap, and then around 6′ish we did the birthday thing. He loved it, and thankfully did not get sick from the sugar carnage. He sure did love the celebration we had for him!

After all the kids were in bed, Michael and I had the Song Off. And, after that we went to bed and “talked”. Yeah, we “talked”. A long, hard, and heated “talk”.

On Saturday morning we enjoyed some coffee-computer time, and then I put Davey down for a nap. I ended up napping, too. After we got up, ate some more white beans (the ones Michael made with the leftover ham), we got ready and headed over to Maureen’s house. They were gathering people to their home, one last time, before Jeff goes out west to start his new job. She’s sticking around until the house sells, or to the end of their son’s school year is over in May. At least, I think that’s what their plan is.

The gathering was nice. It just was what it was. We really didn’t get to visit with Jeff, it was loud, it was hot, the baby was into everything and ate nothing, the kids all ran a muck, and I felt out of place among all the neighbors. Did I mention that it was loud. I must have some kind of sensory issues? I really wish we would have just told them we’d stop by another day, before Jeff got the heck outta dodge, and think they felt it, too. As we were leaving we made plans for them to come over on New Year’s Day, to visit family to family. I’m looking forward to that.

Since Jeff is leaving Maureen and the kids behind, while he goes to start his job, I have vowed to my friend that I will be here for her. And, I will. I know how this goes, as I’ve been there again and again. Being alone on the mom-job is hard as hell, but it’s manageable, and I’m going to help my friend cope, deal, and get through it. That’s what friends do.

Sunday was rainy. Rain! Our area needs as much as we can get, so it is welcomed. Plus the pounding rain washed off the poop on the porch that Mikey tracked around with his slippers. The new slippers we got him for Christmas. Kids!

Michael made his yummy and famous “Poppy Joes”. The kids ate those up with glee and delight. Pretty low key day, for the most part; coffee time, computer time, play time, nap time, time out, wasted time, time filtered away as fast as the cold rainfall of the morning came.

It’s Monday, the eve of the New Year, and the fog is so thick I can’t even see across the street. Davey was up twice and is now up for the day. After nap time I’m heading over to Blockbuster and the grocery store to pick up movies and munchies.

I can clearly remember, as a child, thinking about how it would be in the 21st Century, and here we are now, eight years in. There’s so much to see, so much to do, so much to be, so much to experience. Sure, I have resolutions, and they are like everyone else’s: lose weight, be more patient, exercise, yadda, yadda, yadda…

Thinking about it, though, I think the only thing I am going to resolve is to be true to myself always. In being true to myself, I feel that all other aspects will fall into place accordingly.

To Thine Own Self Be True

Yet here, Laertes! Aboard, aboard for shame!
The wind sits in the shoulder of your sail,
And you are stay’d for.
There … my blessing with thee!
And these few precepts in thy memory
Look thou character. Give thy thoughts no tongue,
Nor any unproportion’d thought his act.
Be thou familiar, but by no means vulgar.
Those friends thou hast, and their adoption tried,
Grapple them to thy soul with hoops of steel;
But do not dull thy palm with entertainment
Of each new-hatch’d, unfledg’d comrade. Beware
Of entrance to a quarrel but, being in,
Bear’t that th’ opposed may beware of thee.
Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice;
Take each man’s censure, but reserve thy judgement.
Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy,
But not express’d in fancy; rich, not gaudy;
For the apparel oft proclaims the man;
And they in France of the best rank and station
Are of a most select and generous chief in that.
Neither a borrower, nor a lender be;
For loan oft loses both itself and friend,
And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry.
This above all: to thine own self be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man.
Farewell; my blessing season this in thee!
–William Shakespeare

It’s unbelievable that this even happened.  I meant to post it yesterday in honor of the one year anniversary.  As always, a day late and a dollar short.  Oh, but wait, I found a dollar toady.  I guess I’m just a day late.   Not so bad unless it’s the day late that results in a positive pregnancy test.   This isn’t the case.   Annnnyway…  I’m rambling and I haven’t even had any coffee. It’s the chocolate chips, I’m sure of it.   Tangent much, Mishi?!

Here’s my recantation of  Friday the 13th - Buffalo’s Surprise Storm!

The whole week was one sleepless mix of snot, teething tablets, eye goop, formula puke, lessons that children didn’t want to do, lessons that the mama did not want to do (due to the lack of sleep, of course), and even a little bit of gloomy weather. All-in-all, though, it wasn’t thaaaaaat bad. Michael did some grocery shopping, we cooked some really nice dinners, and just had a nice week at home. While the kids didn’t want to do their lessons, they trudged through and we completed all that we set out to.

The weekend (which was a lovely sun drenched kind of weekend) got better when we were visited by some good friends. My girlfriend made her famous hummous and we snacked, drank some spirits, played a few hands of cards (flowers and shovels, y’all), and tried not to go crazy when the kids fed off each other thus exhibiting loud and obnoxious behaviour. The Hi-C juice boxes didn’t have anything to do with that, though. No, I don’t think so.

Today was one of those mellow days, however, that I love so much and often crave. The kids played outside a lot, I enjoyed too much coffee-computer time, went to the store to get some ingredients for dinner, and when I returned Michael cooked. He even cleaned up the kitchen afterwards. The baby seemed bothered by his teeth for a while but we remedied that with teething tablets, followed by baby orajel.

So, while I got less than thirty hours of sleep, this whole week and weekend, things are good. What more can one ask for?Nothing, really. Well, except for a tree that produces any kind of delectable wheat/wheat gluten free treat! I did find wheat/wheat gluten free waffles, though. It’s a start.

Can’t believe the next week is upon us. Before I know it we’ll be carving pumpkins, roasting the seeds, and getting high on all kinds of high fructose corn syrup Halloween candy!!!