Baby Shower

I went to a baby shower.

It's been ages since I've been to a baby shower. A dear friend from college and her wonderful wonderful husband are expecting a baby girl this summer. The shower was a gathering of people I haven't seen in years, and it was wonderful. The mother of the mom-to-be is Sue, from Susan's Losin'. And I got to see her, and she looks fabulous, I have to say. An inspiration for anyone who thinks they can't shed pounds.

Also, baby girls are wonderful. I mean, I guess that, as far as infants go, they are pretty much the same as baby boys. But the stuff that goes along with a baby girl is all pink. The pink these days is off-set with brown, and it's just so, so... I don't know. I just got the impression, sitting there and watching baby stuff pile up in the corner, that I could smell that milky baby smell and see that newborn squishiness, like before the baby fills out, and the skin is still all loose and wrinkly, and they just sleep and try to open their eyes and yawn, and they cry like little meowing kittens...

Not that I'm.... you know. I just love little babies. In the daytime. When I'm not sleeping all night and doing things that take longer than fifteen minutes.

But still... pink! It was fun to buy pink.

Sands Through The Hourglass

Is April seriously almost over? But we just GOT to April. I'm not ready for May!

In Other News...

Did I mention this?

Nathan has been switched to morning Kindergarten!

I was very excited to get the phone call... actually, Steve got the call. I almost didn't believe him. But when we got the slip in the main confirming the change... Whoohoo!

I feel a little bit bad. I know some people still stuck in the afternoon with no recourse.

But I don't suppose there's much I can to do help, is there? I just have to take what I have and enjoy my good fortune.

Warmer Weather

Spring is pretty rainy. And cool. It always is, but we forget. We remember the warmer weather, the sun, the grass and flowers... Two years ago it was 90 in April, and now we always expect it to be that way. It's the way our brain works. Like if you let a kid watch TV after dinner, he thinks he should always watch TV after dinner. That kind of thing.

Pets To The Vets

We get those postcards in the mail. The ones telling us the pets need their shots and general check-ups.

I called. "I would like to make three different appointments," I said. "It's such a bother to deal with more than one."

"Oh, no!" the lady on the phone said. "Well, If you can get them all in within 24 hours, you get a 10% discount."

Hmmm... "OK, I'll bring them all at the same time." At least this way I'll get it over with, I thought.

Cut to me, getting out of the car at the vet's office.

I have two cats, each in a very large cat carrier.

I have a dog, who is big and excited and needs to pee on every bush and smell everything.

I have two boys, 3 and 5, who are excited to be doing something different.

Before the car doors closed all the way, Andrew managed to fall and hit his head on the pavement. I couldn't do anything, because my hands were full of cat carrier and dog leash.

In the exam room, Frank refused to get out of his carrier. He then hid until the vet took him out of the room. He was returned at arms length. Puck was docile, but once he was done he curled up in the carrier. Gunther barked the whole time. The vet took him out to get a urine sample. How the heck to you get a dog to pee in a cup?

When Steve got home that afternoon, I gave him the run down. The cats are too heavy, and need to eat less. Gunther is too skinny, and needs to eat more. They are doing blood tests to make sure nothing is wrong. He also has a laceration on his foot that is infected and needs antibiotics for 4 weeks. Twice a day. He also has a really cool collar so he won't lick his wound. He has been sulking every since, and keeps bumping into things because he can't see.

We also got flea and tick meds and heartworm meds for the next six months. I am really glad we got that discount. Also, I'm really glad we only do this once a year. Pets are expensive.

More On Strep

When the doctor told me Nick has Strep, he handed me a prescription for The Pink Stuff.

Side Note: prescription is always spelled wrong. It should be spelled perscription. the end.

I wanted to fill the prescription right away, so I drove to the store. Not the drugstore, even though there are four of them clustered around the pediatrician's office. The drugstore usually takes about forty minutes to fill a prescription, and waiting around a stupid boring drugstore when you don't need anything is torture when you have strep throat and you're six and you just want to be in bed at home.

No, I went to the grocery store. Because that way, while we were waiting, we could pick up some ice cream, some ice pops, some ginger ale... and a new toothbrush.

We parked the car, and I coaxed Nicholas out into the wind. We walked in through the big doors and then wandered around to the pharmacy... and it was closed.

Closed because, apparently, every day the pharmacy closes for lunch. At 2pm.

I wasn't sure what to do, and I was so irritated that I wasn't thinking clearly. I could hear them back there, doing whatever it is that pharmacists do. I don't know what it is, but I'm sure it's very difficult and specialized. Because I think it takes Special Training to be a pharmacist. What do I know - I almost failed high school chemistry because the math was too complicated.

Anyway, I didn't want to leave. Going back to the drugstore would mean dragging Nick back to the car, driving back where we came from (10 minutes?), dragging Nick out of the car again, and then waiting another forty minutes. The lunch break was 30 minutes, the sign said.

So we stayed.

We shopped for the non-meltable items. And then we camped out by the door, waiting for the pharmacists.

Who took their time, I have to tell you. It was closer to 2:45 when they finally opened the window and took the script. Then we had to wait for them to fill it.

What is it, exactly, that pharmacists DO with these scripts? I used to get a birth control pill filled out every month, and it would take 30 minutes for them to hand me the pills once I showed up at the window. But then pills were pre-packaged! All they had to do was located the stupid pills on the stupid shelf! Right? No?

The same goes for antibiotics. There is a powder in a bottle. They add water and shake it, and then paste a label on the bottle. This, apparently, takes 20 minutes. They seem to be doing something. They go to a shelf, take something from the shelf, walk it over to a computer, type for a few minutes, walk over to the shelf again, move some papers around, go back to the computer, consult with a co-worker on something, go back to the computer... I swear, she's just updating her facebook status. What could she be DOING? I know I don't know what I'm talking about, but when I'm there waiting, a sick child crying into my jacket, I just want to barge back there and say "Gimme the bottle! I can add water to it MYSELF because I was born with my Very Own Brain Cells, Thanks you very MUCH!"

Anyway, it only took fifteen minutes once we handed over the script. And Nick has been on The Pink Stuff for a few days, and he seems fine now.

Sicker and Sicker...

Last Sunday, Nicholas started complaining of a sore throat.

He wanted to go to church, though.

I often feel a little odd when my kids start talking about church school. I kind of get afraid that they are turning into little preaching born-again Jesus freaks. Which, if you know either my church or my personal views on religion, couldn't really be farther than the truth. In fact, my kids love church school because 1 - there are bigger boys there with DSi game systems, and everyone gets together and plays the games, 2 - there is a teenage girl there with a DSI and she lets Nicholas play some of her games, and 3 - this teenage girl also happens to know everything there is to know about Pokemon.

All three very important reasons for going to church wouldn't you agree? The Church of the Eternal Pokemon.

Anyway, Nicholas was upset when we told him he couldn't go to church. He cried. He said it was his turn to bring the snack, which it was. But he had a fever and sounded like a frog.

The next day I took him to the doctor. It turned out he had Strep.

I think it's only been a couple of weeks since I mentioned to someone that my kids didn't get Strep, which was odd, because I seemed to get it twice a year when I was a kid.

But never fear, we've finally caught up. Thank Goodness! I thought we were falling behind.

The Old Guy

There is this old guy who walks on our street.

Our street was not made for walking. There are no sidewalks, and it is long and curvy. Cars need to move to the wrong side of the road to avoid the odd runner or pedestrian. I stopped walking out there with the stroller after a few uncomfortable walks with baby Nicholas.

But this old guy is out there walking in all but the most extreme weather. He is ancient and wrinkly. When cars pass him he waves his cane at them in greeting, without ever raising his eyes or smiling. Old New Englanders do not smile unless forced. They nod.

One day we ran into him at the dump, and of course Steve spoke to him. It turns out he has lived in this town forever, and has seen it transform from a few houses in the woods to the booming metropolis it is now. The population has boomed. He cannot recognize his own home for all the changes, the new roads, the new buildings. I know how he must feel. It's changed since we have move here, and that was only 8 years ago.

Sometimes I realize that I haven't seen the old guy walking for awhile, and I worry that something has happened to him. He might have had a fall, or he might be ill. He might have died. People do, and he is old. But he always pops up a day or two later, just walking up and down the street, going slowly, shaking his cane at the cars that pass.

So much to do

There are times when I look around and see how much I have to do around this house - everything that needs fixing, cleaning, doing - and I panic. I can't possibly plant a vegetable garden, pull out the remaining thorny brush, repaint the boy's bathroom and re-organize the basement in the same year! Where do I even start? I can't think of where to begin.

Or when. When do I start? There is no time!

Over the past few months I made a change to my schedule. Instead of working out at 8:30 or 9am when the kids were in school, I started setting my alarm for 5:15. I have been getting up before the day begins so that I can run five miles before breakfast. I originally did this so I could spend more time writing. But alas, I am even worse about writing than I was about running. It's easier to squeeze in a run between dropping the kids off and a vet's appointment. It's harder to squeeze writing in between the school bus and gymnastics class. I find I do odd jobs instead, like emptying the dish washer and doing laundry.

I was supposed to have a novel written by now. It's been two months. Instead I have 30 pages of draft. But my workouts have become much more frequent. I'm keeping the change.

Because of this feeling of being overwhelmed, of not having enough time to fix up my own home or pursue my own hobbies, I am making another change. I have taken a good look at my life, and my habits, and my activities, trying to find out where I spend my time.

It's at the computer.

I love my computer, but it's stealing my soul. Not just this blog, but Facebook and Netflix. My IPad changed my life, but I need to put it DOWN!

And more than that (Mom, please don't hate me) I have to put down the books.

See, when I'm not checking out everyone's status updates or watching bad movies on Netflix, I have my nose in a book. I used to think this was OK, because it's a book. Books are our friends, and we can learn from them, and they can speak to us in a way that ordinary people can't. But Books also drag my mind away from life. The last time I put down a book to interact my sons learned to ride their bikes.

So now, no books. No computers. Not during the day. Except for writing. And keeping track of my running and possibly to listen to music when I'm in the shower because that's a really cool trick. And reading my book during nap-time. That will be OK, too.

Instead, I am going to do yardwork when My kids are outside. When I am tired of that I have to play with my kids. Or sleep. Anything else, really. I can do this. I can, I can!

Pysanky

This year I finally broke down and purchased a pysanky kit online.

My friend Larissa used to invite me over to do this complicated egg decorating when I was a kid. But a much, much older kid than my kids are now. But I wanted wanted wanted to do this so badly, and I was sure that, with a little help, each kid could make some really cool eggs.

It was a long process. I used to think it was the dye that needed an hour to fix itself to the egg. The dyes actually worked fast - I found that five minutes in a dye could get it to hold. It's the process of applying wax to the egg that is so time consuming.

And it's longer with the boys. Why? Because of the fire.

Yes, fire. See, you light a candle and then heat up the little tool with the wax in it over the candle to soften it. My kids weren't sure what the flame was supposed to do. They kept trying to hold the little tool right at the end, which had just been in the flame. A couple of times they accidentally scribbled on the fingers holding the egg - with hot wax.

You may notice that there are only ten eggs in the bowl. See, these eggs were not hard boiled. You either do them raw or blow out the shells. I am not an expert in blowing out eggs, so I took my chances. (also, I thought it would be easier to get the eggs to stay in the dye if they were full of... egg.) I broke one halfway finished. Nate broke one he had finished and was so proud of he refused to put it down. And then he cried.

The kids made some pretty cool masterpieces. They worked with me, one at a time. They opted to do less designing and more scribbling. I did a few, also, so they could see what kinds of things you could do, but I am also not that good.

We finished up yesterday, when we also colored the dozens of eggs I hard-boiled with the friendly coloring kits. After the bright colors of the pysanky these all looked pastel. And after the scribbled designs on the pysanky, these all looked really boring.

The kids were proud of them, of course. And instead of 10 eggs in a week they made 30 eggs in ten minutes. I guess it's faster. But I think we're keeping the Ukranian egg decorating kit for next year. As the kids get older, they can really have fun with it.

Sneakers

A few weeks ago we took the boys to the mall to buy new shoes.

We do this every once and awhile, mostly when I realize that someone has holes in the toes or can has worn out the velcro-fastening.

I can't go into a lot of detail about what happened that day, but I will say that Nate and Andrew ended up with new sneakers and new sandals, and Nick did not.

Nick then spent the next 3 weeks with only one pair of shoes, which he had to wear all of the time.

Finally, with Tee-ball starting, I realized he needed a new pair of sneakers.I gritted my teeth, explained to him exactly how the shopping trip was going to go down (I choose! Me! The Mom!) and told him he could choose sandals if he was good.

The big news, folks, is that Nicholas is finally wearing sneakers that tie! He has finally let go of the velcro and has a nice pair of Saucony sneaks. With laces.

Now I just have to teach him how to tie them.

Tee Ball!

I signed us up fpr Teeball again this year.

And by "us" I mean Nicholas and Nathan. But as they are too young to get to and from games and practices themselves, it really is an all-family event.

See, the rest of the month of April is full of intense practices.

We had a practice yesterday. It was cooler than it had been in days. And for some reason the park is always 10 degrees hotter or colder than the rest of the town. The little kids were so excited to get their team shirts! And they then just pulled them over their coats and ended up looking like little football players. Andy and I spent 5 minutes at the playground and then waited in the car.

There is another practice today, and a couple more during the week, at 6:30pm. Now, 6:30 pm might work really well for the dad who coaches and gets out of work at 6pm. But for the family that usually eats dinner at 6pm and starts baths at 7pm, this doesn't really work at all. I realize I have kept my kids on an early-to-bed schedule. It's about to get turned on it's ear.

Not to mention that many of these practices and games take place during choir practices (mine) Karate classes (Nick and Nate's), or directly after piano lessons, church youth choir, or whatever. We're going to be rushing around and making some rough choices.

Especially since, for some reason, there are only 9 players on the team. 9. The pressure is on. We can't miss a game. Not that anyone keeps track of winning or loosing. At this level they only play 3 innings, and everyone gets a turn at bat. This might make the games a lot shorter.

Famous Last Words

last night, as I am putting the boys to bed...

Nate: Mom, can I have a bin, just in case I have to throw up?

Me: Don't worry, Honey. I think we're all done with throwing up for now.

********

one a.m.

Andy, (directly into my ear as I sleep in my bed): Mom! Nathan is throwing up!

Playing Catch-Up

I do most of my blogging on Saturday mornings.

Picture this: Saturday morning. Most normal people are sleeping. But my kids are in their PJ's and watching Transformers on TV. I am awake, but in my bathrobe, snuggled on the couch, and creating a post for each day of the upcoming week. Some weeks I don't have enough to fill seven spots, so I end up skipping days, or hoping something interesting happens to fill the void later in the week.

Last week, I got as far as Thursday. What this means is, although the post about Nick getting sick was yesterday morning for YOU, it actually happened on Friday night and into Saturday morning. But after that I had nothing to write for Friday's blog post.

Lucky for you, Readers, I found something to write about on Wednesday night and into the wee hours of Thursday morning.

See, Andy got sick right after supper on Wednesday, five days after Nick. And then, at 11pm, Nathan followed suit.

Actually, Nate became quite ill. While Andy was sleeping peacefully in his own bed, Nate kept getting sick all night long. While I settled into the guest bedroom with him, I remained convinced I would be getting up at 5:15 for my morning run and yoga. At about 3:30am I realized this was not going to happen. Even though I am not the sick one, I would be sufficiently sleep deprived as to make a run almost impossible.

Also, what if Nate kept getting sick while I decided to run a quick 5k? That wouldn't be fair to anyone.

Also, at 6:15, I was more tired than anyone on the planet.

As it is, I have suspended the rules for today. I am too tired. Instead of showering, I am in my PJ's and will go out with Nick in my PJ's to wait for the bus. I don't care what the neighbors say. Nate and Andy do not have to get dressed even though they seem bright and chipper this morning, and are in there arguing over who get which hot wheels car. I am also going to let them watch TV this morning. While I catch up on laundry and change every single bed sheet in the house. And disinfect the bathrooms. And all that kind of stuff.

So, to sum up: I thought we got away with only 1 kid getting sick. I was wrong. Also, it's Friday for you, Thursday for me. Also, I didn't get enough sleep last night. That is all. I'll see you on Saturday.

The Vomit Diaries

Is there anything more depressing than the sound of a kid throwing up at 3am?

No. Not really. Because you know you have to get up and do damage control. And depending on which kid is sick, this can be considerable.

Of course, last night, the kid in question was Nick.

Nick is older, so you think this would make things easier. But that would be a false assumption. See, Nick is also on the Top Bunk. Which means that, to check on him, I have to climb halfway up a ladder, in my sleep.

At this point I want to apologize for my stories about puke. I know no one likes to hear about it, and I don't, I really do NOT post about every single throwing-up experience that goes on in our home. But it's just that these situations keep bringing out new hilarity that I feel MUST be shared.

As I am perched on the ladder, helping Nick "aim" for his blanket, he can't get down. He is busy throwing up, and I am on the ladder he uses for his descent.

In the end, I'm left with a blanket full of yuck, which I carry to the bathroom, clean up in the toilet, and deposit in a laundry basket. I then return to the bedroom and I'm pleased to note that Nick's PJ's are clean. And his sheets are clean. Which is odd because the room still smells. A lot.

But his brothers are asleep. Yep, Andy is asleep there, across the room, and Nate is down OH MY GOSH WHAT IS THAT ALL OVER THE FLOOR AND NATE'S COMFORTER YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!!!

Yes, see, Nick started throwing up and just leaned over the side of his bed. Which happens to be two feet from the ceiling. I also had to clean Nathan's comforter, a number of books, and a large splatter area from the rug.

The stench was unbearable. In the end, all of the boys woke up, and then started crying because of the smell. I couldn't blame them. At first I sent Nate to the guest room and thought Nick could then sleep in Nate's bed, which was at least closer to the ground. But the carpet was so soaked and the room was so smelly, I ended up moving all boys to the guest room, which was a gamble because there are some really nice quilts in there, and I don't want them puked or peed on. I had to fold them all and put them all away and put Andy's comforter on top of the boys. And then get Andy his special pillow, and his special book, and his special llama.

Then Nick puked again, and I realized that all three boys would be up all night, and that the younger two were probably going to catch it. Steve (who by this time was also awake) suggested Nate and Andy sleep in our bed, and I could stay with Nick. Which worked fine. I just had to pry Andy out of the guest room bed, as he was crying because he really wanted to sleep with ME. Then I had to carry him, his book, and his llama to our bed, and get him to put his head on the pillow. Then I had to find Nate, who was wandering around the house by this time, probably trying to find a place to sleep that wasn't smelly or crowded.

And then I climbed into the guest bed, where Nick immediately plastered himself against me and breathed in my face for the rest of the night.

Please do not let all of us get sick.

Mammogram

Yes, I'm talking about that. So if you think you'll be offended, you can skip this post. But I will not go into any descriptive detail, so you're probably safe.

See, the thing is, I've heard nothing but awful things about getting a mammogram. It's uncomfortable. It's even painful. It's humiliating. It's a big, huge, pain. I didn't even WANT to know.

When my doctor referred me for a baseline mammogram, I groaned. I dreaded it. Why me? But really, I had no idea what to expect.

And afterward, I was like.... THAT WAS IT?!

SERIOUSLY?

THIS is what people dread? Those five minutes? I mean, I wouldn't say I had fun, or even that I enjoyed the process, but I have to tell you that I just don't see what the big deal is. I mean, cost and insurance aside, this was one of the most painless things I can think of. In fact, since I am a list maker by nature, I have made a list of things that I enjoy LESS or dread MORE than getting another mammogram. Given a choice, I would rather have a mammogram than do any of the following things, all things I know I will have to do at least once in the next few months. (My next mammogram should not be until I turn 40.)

1 - go to the dentist.
2 - change planes at JFK
3 - attend a birthday party at Chuck E Cheeze
4 - shop for shoes
5 - or pants
6 - clean puke out of the carpet at 3am

There. That was just off the top of my head. I'm sure many more things will come to me later today.

Dental Superstar

Here's Andy at his second dentist appointment. This is the one where they do the actual cleaning. He did a great job!

Left Behind

Not everyone is thrilled about Nick and Nate learning how to ride sans training wheels.

These Days

Nathan walked in on me in the shower yesterday morning to ask if he could ride his bike. I calmly asked if I could rinse the soap out of my hair first.


Bike Bike Bike. It's all about bikes.

This video is particularly funny. Or at least it would be, if you could hear what the boys were saying.

Just before he disappears behind the house, Nick shouts "I'm flying!" And Nate copies him and follows him on his bike.

And then Andy shouts the same thing. Only he's on the purple thing, and I start laughing, which is when the camera starts shaking....

And then you have to keep watching to see how the boys manage to ride into each other.... just watch.

Bike Rider

The weather has been so great these past couple of days that Nathan wanted to go out and ride his bike.

The thing is, I had accidentally run over the training wheel with the car. It was bent in such a way that the back wheel was off the ground, and no matter how fast Nate pedaled, the bike was stationary.

So I took the training wheels off. "I'll teach you how to ride without them," I said. And I pictured the rest of the morning being spent running up and down the driveway, encouraging and shouting and teaching Nate how to balance and pedal at the same time.

Ten minutes later.... see for yourself.



Now, you must understand that this posed some issues. See, Nathan learned to ride his two-wheeler in two minutes. But Nick hadn't learned yet.

By younger brother learned how to ride a bike before I did. He was five. I pretended it didn't bother me, but it did. Not enough to teach myself, mind you. My mother finally had to drag me out of the house and onto a bike. I think I was fifteen or something.

I thought this would be the same thing. I am aware that Nick and Nate have different strengths. I thought Nick's first reaction would be to panic. And then he would fall, and then maybe we would be able to coax him back onto his bike before next fall.

But when Nick came home he was very excited. And within a few minutes he was also zooming around the driveway.

Overachiever

There's always got to be one that over-performs. I call this one "Floyd." He's always been a good two inches taller than his brothers.

Tick Tock

I found a tick on me the other day, which means the pets' flea and tick medication has become a priority again. And the pets are all hiding from me.

She won't find me behind this chair...

Reading, Writing, Etc.

Nathan's red PJ's make him look a little huskier than usual. There is a layered flap in the bum.

Nate needs to work on his writing, but he is doing a wonderful job reading. I showed him The McGuffey's Reader that I used to learn to read. I don't know if it's the actual copy, or just someone else's, but I have one.

And now he has it. After reading the first lesson, he kept asking if he could read on. And now he can read quite a few of them very well. Mind you, he only starts Kindergarten in the fall. I think it's normal that I have fewer academic worries about this particular child.

Play

Andrew At Play

Trick and Treat

This is what we had for dinner a few nights ago.

What can you tell from this photo? Aside from the fact that we really like yogurt in this house, I mean.

Well, if you're up on your food gags you can tell that I have a need to follow trends, I guess. The cupcakes are not cupcakes. The reason they look like they do is because they are actually made of meatloaf and the frosting is mashed potato. The "grilled cheese" is actually pound cake with frosting.

I had few problems with the cupcake, and was more worried about the pound cake with frosting. Too sweet - who puts frosting on pound cake? It was too much. Pound cake alone - heaven. Frosting - too sweet! The kids loved it, of course.

AS for the cupcakes, the boys ate them. All but Andy. Andy loves mashed potato, but would not, could not, eat either frosting that tasted the way it did or blue mashed potato. Neither explanation would get him to swallow that stuff. He ate a little of the meatloaf, but that's about it.

And now I need to find a trick for next year that does not involve oreos or gummy worms. Seriously, there has to me a good healthy food trick out there.

Sick Again Again

I am sick again.

I've had a tough couple of months, in that respect. This time, it's my throat. It hurts.

Not terribly. Not all the time. But enough to make me grumpy. Also, my head hurts and I'm tired.

I feel well enough to go about my day. I get up, I take the kids places, all that fun stuff.

But at 5:15, when my alarm goes off, I can't get out of bed to run. I have been hitting snooze and finally turning the alarm off completely. In my half-sleep state, I think this will make me feel better. But as the day goes on and the pain wears off to a dull scratchy ache, and I find myself eating slices of toast to give me something to do, I really start missing my morning activity.

This transformation is the one I never thought could take place. I am itching to exercise. I need to run. I need to work up a sweat, and when I don't I get grumpy and restless. Even having a cold or a... whatever this is doesn't make that need go away completely.

Tomorrow I'll run no matter what! Unless, of course, I get worse...

Ghost of Tetris

We had Tetris for our Nintendo when I was a kid. One day, the game cartridge disappeared, and we never figured out what happened to it. But the thing about Tetris is, the game stayed with you.

You spend the whole game trying to fit shapes together, and you do this over and over and over. And then your mother calls you to the dinner table, and you realize that your brain is trying to fit the curve of the serving platter to the curve of a spoon. The carrots on your plate might fit well into this steak. The game haunts you.

I found this game on my iPad call Mysteriez. I might be spelling that wrong. It's hard, because the creators of the game purposely misspelled the word, so now I have no idea how to misspell it. Anyway, I've been playing this game for a few days now, and it's getting to me.

The name of the game, aside from being misspelled, is misleading. There is no mystery involved. Instead, there are a series of pictures, and each picture has the numbers 1 - 40 hidden somewhere in them. And I have five minutes to find them all. And it's harder than you think.

I am not recommending this game, mind you. It's the kind of game that's a quick brain teaser when I'm waiting to pick up Nick or stuck in a waiting room, but it's not all that entertaining.

My trouble is, I've been playing them a lot lately. And now I realize I'm finding numbers everywhere. In tree branches, in my breakfast cereal, in the laundry... I see fours and fives and sometimes a roman numeral ten... numbers everywhere.

The April Fool

In '97 it snowed on April 1st. Feet of snow fell from the sky. No joking.

I remember because I worked at a preschool, and I got the day off. I spent the day in my shirtsleeves digging out my car. It was fifty degrees and warm.

Today is April 1st. We were forcast 6 to 12 inches. The weather site Steve was on actually said "This is not an April Fool's Day Joke" so that people would take it seriously.

I hate snow. I hate it I hate it I hate it.

Spring is here. It's April. The flowers have started growing, I've restarted my compost, and I have seedling in my windowsill.

And the kids are home from school because it's a SNOW DAY.