With all the cool new clothes we’ve been getting lately, it was high time for a photo shoot. I took the girls over to Harbor House and set up in one of the median gardens. There was a birthday party going on at the pool, and I had a few interesting looks from some of the guests.
A few days ago, Pete found out Sister #4 was going to be staying at the in-laws’, and invited her to visit us while she was there. So today she came over, with the parental units in tow.
Usually, Pete’s dad arrives eager to leave, but we managed to keep them around until after 3 p.m. First, we had a job to do. A thunderstorm the other night resulted in one of our trees nearly losing a branch. Pete needed help getting it down, and Dad had the tools. Then we went to lunch… at a brew pub. (The Angelic.) We walked around downtown, did a small bit of shopping, and went up to the observation deck at the capitol. Dad started up a conversation with the guide stationed at the fifth floor landing. So there were a number of things to capture his attention.
In typical August 2004 fashion, the weather was very fall-like. We wore sweatshirts and dodged raindrops. Right after Dad insisted it was time to go home, the rain came down in earnest. So his timing was perfect.
My third girl arrived today from Nevada. She is a custom Fruit Punch that I couldn’t pass up. Of course, I had to take pictures.
Moon is registered for 8th grade, and I’m just $170 worse for wear. (A big chunk of it was for bus transportation, actually.) Her new ID features a lovely mugshot photo, and she scored a pretty primo locker location. The way-cool teacher she had for 6th grade is her algebra teacher this year, which rocks big time.
As much as the kids complain about having to start school next week, things are going pretty well for them so far. With Moon in 8th and Peter in 5th, they are both at the top of the pecking order at their respective schools. That’s a good thing, right?
Dr. Ann called this evening with the results from my thyroid test. In a nutshell: too much. I’ll be cutting back starting tomorrow morning. Of course, now it seems obvious. I’m hot all the time (well, you already knew that about me, didn’t you?). My energy is lagging (which can be a hyperthyroid symptom as well as hypo). I’ve had a few dizzy spells. I think I’ve gained a few pounds (yep, hyper can stimulate the appetite, I found out).
Moon can cut back on hers, too. And her insulin level is normal, which is great news. We both get to go back for another test in 6-8 weeks. Bloodletting… yay!
In the Blythe world (and the doll world in general), a custom girl is one to whom you add your own special touches. From day one, Xanthe seemed to cry out for her own special look.
So here she is… with a matte face, new makeup and shorter hair. Pretty frickin’ lovely, if you ask me.
Now I’m eyeing Angelica, because she’s been looking mighty shiny lately. Demabrasion is fun, really.
First thing this morning, Pete and I took the kids downtown to see our miracle man at the salon. Peter had a huge mop of hair that needed taming, and Moon had decided to get about three inches cut off. The stylist layered the ends and gave her a jazzy side part. So cool for school!
Speaking of which, Peter’s school had registration this afternoon. There were forms to fill out and checks to write, but most of all, news of this year’s class assignment. To our surprise, Peter’s teacher isn’t coming back this year. (The kids stay with the same class for 2nd/3rd and 4th/5th grades.) And F is going to be in Turbo’s class. Now Turbo might actually look forward to September.
In other news, I did some kitchen stuff today: blanched green beans and made zucchini appetizer. Pete made an afternoon visit to Dr. Fran and I tagged along. Being in her house made me think of the Oracle.
The kids have been totally wrapped up in the Olympics this week. Peter likes the Romanians because they have a cool national anthem. Moon observed, “I like men’s swimming because it’s all about hot guys with their shirts off.”
But music and hotness couldn’t capture our attention like last night’s bid for the gold by awesome Wisconsin gymnast Paul Hamm. Pete knew the outcome before we did (he’d been on the internet) and he said something dramatic was going to happen. When Paul fell, we thought that was it. Then when the Korean fell, we thought, okay, that was it.
Paul’s comeback took us by surprise and made us believe in Olympic glory, even more than the men’s or women’s swimming relays. I’m always telling the kids that it’s never too late… there’s always a chance… don’t give up. It’s nice to have a role model to back up my words.
Got up at 8 this morning (early!) because I wanted to get to the lab before work. Moon needed a fasting insulin test, which is best done after rolling out of bed. Moon was a bit nervous. She firmly instructed the technician not to even try to take blood unless the vein was absolutely, positively right there. I had mine taken from my hand. Piece of cake. The third technician to look at Moon’s arm decided to take the plunge (ignoring Moon’s demand for a promise not to wiggle the needle) and succeeded.
Not bad at all. I wasn’t too late for work, and my boss said some very complimentary things about the job I’ve been doing lately. I heard a bit about his vacation adventures, which included jumping out of airplanes and doing loops in a biplane. Later in the day, there were a few appointments still available for a massage, so I took one. I signed Pete up for the other. It more than made up for the discomfort of having blood work.
I know I’ve mentioned my poor sleep habits, but the truth of the matter is that I’ve been tired in general lately. Sure, I often go to sleep at midnight, or 1 a.m., but just as often I sleep until 9, and can hardly drag myself out of bed.
On Thursday, I called Dr. Ann, and told her what was going on. She ordered a blood test. I’m going to try to have it done tomorrow. (It’s time for Moon’s blood test, too. Just call us the thyroid twins.) Fatigue can be symptomatic of too much hormone as well as too little. Whatever the case may be, I just want to not have to think about it at all.
Sometimes I worry about overreacting, but today convinced me I’m on the right track. I went to bed at midnight, and got up at around 8. Right away I thought ahead to my next napping opportunity. We were headed to the in-laws’ to celebrate the various August birthdays in the family, which means an hour in the car. I totally “rested my eyes.” Later, after taking a walk, having lunch and doing the birthday stuff (cake, singing, presents), I sat down to watch some of the Olympics… and fell fast asleep. Pathetic. I hate being a slug, especially on a beautiful day like today.
I did help Niece #2 pick flowers, though, and we met the neighbor’s dog.
Pete’s birthday was Thursday, and he decided to take a vacation day. (I had to work.) In the afternoon, a strange car appeared in our driveway, with California plates. A family of five piled out…friends he hadn’t laid eyes on in six years, since we had visited them in southern California.
M.A. and Dorian hadn’t changed a lot, but their kids had. The oldest, who looks like a teenage Kate Hudson, is almost 16. When we had last been together, she and Moon played “Restaurant” and served us pretend food. The boys are now 14 and 12. Young men.
M.A. and Dorian asked if my office was very far away. “It’s only five minutes from here,” Pete told them. He had a sneaky idea…
He sent the daughter, Jenna, into my office. She’s about 5’7″ and could easily pass for 18. “Are you the admissions person?” she asked. “Yes, can I help you?” I answered.
“I’m interested in going to school here. Could I have a catalog?”
“Sure!” I jumped up to get one. “I can show you around the school, if you have time.”
“I’ll take one of your business cards, too,” she said. “And I’ll write down my name and phone number for you.” (At this point, she had fooled me too well, and was trying to figure out how to get out of the school tour.)
I gave her a sticky note. She wrote her name and phone number.
I recognized her name. “Are you …?” I blurted, thinking, ohmigod, what a bizarre coincidence that she wants to come all the way from California to go to school here!
Then Pete, M.A. and Dorian jumped into the doorway from where they had been listening. I shrieked. Good thing the boss was on vacation.
We did a bit of catching up, and decided to get together Friday. I met M.A. and Jenna at the mall — they had errands to do. At around 2 p.m., we called the men of our families to meet us for lunch.
Moon is already asking me when we can go to California again. And she’s figured out that there are some pretty good colleges in southern Cal. (USC-Sunnydale is purely fictional, though.)
Did I mention that Pete and I decided against the Tempur-pedic mattress? In fact, he cancelled our order the morning it was supposed to be delivered. He had belatedly been sold on a Self Adjusting Mattress which actually saved us money.
Of course, that meant we had to set it up ourselves. So last night we had the fun and joy of hauling our king-sized mattress and double boxsprings up the stairs and out to the garage. It brought back memories of our first move 18 years ago, when we got stuck on the staircase and became verrrry snippy with one another.
Setting up the new bed was supposedly a “one-person job,” but it ended up taking three of us over an hour.
Mistake #1: Not taking the mattress and base out of their boxes before bringing them into the house. D’oh!
Mistake #2: Reading the frame assembly directions incorrectly and having to undo everything midstream. (We’d still be futzing around with it if not for Moon, with her cool head and logical mind.)
By the time we finished, I was crabby and sorely needed a workout, even though it was almost 10 p.m. (So I went to the gym.) Pete broke down the boxes and put our organic cotton sheets on the bed.
I must admit my sleep was a bit erratic, as I was keyed up from my workout, and we rotated the bed position. I can tell it’s going to be great, though. An added bonus is that we’ll have less dog hair in the bed since it’s at least six inches higher than the old one… pretty much corgi-proof.
Day 1: We drove to Sister #1’s house, arriving a bit late due to construction detours. Nonetheless, we had a great time playing with the kids and chatting. Peter joined his cousins in their baby pool (fully clothed).
After BIL #1 came home, we dined at a local Italian restaurant which has the best pesto salad dressing in the whole wide world. Nephew #1 kept telling us about buffalos. We drove to a La Quinta, barely avoiding a huge thunderstorm, and enjoyed the obligatory night in a hotel. (This was the kids’ requirement for vacation.)
Day 2: It was too rainy and dreary to go to any attractions (did I mention we brought the dog along?) so I spontaneously called my friend Kim, who lives about 45 minutes away from Sister #2. We dropped in on her at work and spent an entertaining few hours catching up. Then we drove to Sister #2’s house, managing to get lost trying to find it. Our cell phone service was out, and we didn’t have much luck with the local gas stations. Finally we figured it out, and as we rolled in to their driveway I realized I had directions stored on my Palm. D’oh!
Day 3: We spent enough of the day outside that Moon and I were a little sunburned. Peter and Nephew #2 played in the kid-sized pool (in swimsuits, thankfully) while Moon and I sat on the swing and talked about life. All of us took a walk to Target/Starbucks, where we stocked up on supplies and obtained a nice hot latte for me. In the evening, Sister #4 and her family joined us for a cookout, and BIL #2 brought his cousin as well. We enjoyed the cousin’s company so much that we plotted ways to introduce him to Sister #3 — who’s not on the market, exactly, but she’s not married, either.
Day 4: We decided a trip to the mall would be fun, and we all piled into Sister #2’s minivan. And Moon slammed the van door on two of the fingers of my right hand, as I mentioned in an earlier post. At the mall we found a long black overcoat at Hot Topic — perfect for Moon’s transformation into a vampire for Halloween.
After lunch, when it was time for us to go, we said our goodbyes and Niece #2 burst into tears. When we had first arrived, she had asked Pete, “Are you going to stay forever?”
Sometimes I think a family commune would be ideal.
Long story short: no one showed up. Not a soul. I sat outside for most of three hours before deciding to call it a day. Pete and I packed our stuff up and hauled it to Goodwill (save a few choice items). Although we didn’t make much money, it felt good to give all that baggage the heave-ho.
Nichole and her husband JM came over later to get their assorted leftovers… after moving their entire household this week. We all went to Cold Stone Creamery, where we played 10 Days in Africa, which is a very good game even though Moon won. (Yeah, so I’m competitive too.)
We had an awesome trip to see friends and family. This morning, though, Moon slammed the car door on two of the fingers of my right hand. (Accidentally, of course.) They are still pretty tender, and I can’t believe I’m typing. It makes me just a little bit nauseated putting pressure on them. So I’m saving the big update until later.
Niece #2 cried when we left. She really loves her uncle, who was willing to carry her around the mall after her mom said no. Niece #2 and Nephew #2 are going to get a baby brother in November… should I call him Nephew #2b? Or Nephew #2 #2?
More later. (Ow. Ow. Ow.)
Yep, we’re taking off for a few fun-filled days in Chicagoland to see the Sisters et al. We’ve done very little preparation, but what else is new? I’m glad to have a few days off work. It’ll be fun.
Yesterday we had people over for dinner (from my church), so we spent the day cooking and cleaning. The bonus is that the house will be pretty clean when we return, which is always nice.
In other news, my new purse arrived today from eBags. I love it, and I’m so glad I get to take it on vacation.
See ya on the other side.
Just finished some uncontrollable spastic giggling while reading about Sarah’s recent scare. Reminds me of the time Pete got some extra protein in his salad, and expertly ate around it. When I caught sight of the tiny green worm at the side of his plate, I discreetly pointed it out to the waiter… and Pete got a free dessert.
I’ve been waiting to mention the most exciting news of the weekend. My eagerly-awaited package from Korea arrived Friday during the garage sale. Meet Xanthe! Nichole witnessed my obsession first-hand, as I had to document the de-boxing event immediately. Xanthe is a Lounging Lovely, inspired by the 1970s Blythe outfit of the same name. She came with lots of goodies, including a record player and coffee mug.
Moon has admitted: “Blythe is cool.”
