Why don't folks say "it's only a game" when they're winning?

The silly Twitter experiment worked. Instead of a million phone calls while I was gone, my family was able to pop in here instead. Therefore, I only had to make half a million phone calls while I was gone. Crisis averted.

So, the kids were awesome on the plane. Awesome! However, I am sad to tell you that children screaming with utter joy are still CHILDREN SCREAMING.

Overall, I am a little verklempt as to what to say about the trip. My mind was in a million different directions on the flight home. In short, my heart is all crumbly right now. However, this is not my story to tell and to dwell on it here would feel mawkish.

I am hoping to get back out to Vegas later this year. And it better be for good reasons, dammit.

Cares for Kids Seatbelt System ROCKS

Folks, the Kids Fly Safe seatbelt system ROCKS. If you plan on traveling via airplane with your children, I cannot recommend this system enough. Traveling without carseats and renting them upon arrival saved me loads of worry and headache.

Less is Actually LESS

Save for the backpack on my back, this is all we took with us. Yes, oh yes. I took advantage of washer/dryer access and only took a carry-on suitcase with us. I will say this, a 21 month old carrying her own backpack? Cute in theory, does not, I repeat DOES NOT, work in practice. However, we HAD to take it because Arun was carrying one. And these days, Anjali must be doing whatever the hell it is that Arun is doing. Lord help me when she figures out the differences in their personal plumbing when we attempt Toilet Usage in the next few weeks.

Lake Mead
Lake Mead is very sentimental to me because my grandpa took us there to feed the fish. Sadly, the hatchery was closed for renovation, so we will have to wait for another time to feed the fish.

Red Rock Canyon
The kids were asleep, so I just did the scenic route and jumped out to snap photos while they caught up on much-needed nappage. I had so much fun playing with light, aperture and composition. Not too shabby for someone wielding a lowly point n' shoot Canon, no? And I would like to vehemently note, I do not own Photoshop nor do I ever plan to. It smacks of cheating, somehow. Red-eye and zit removal is not bad, but some folks go overboard. Ansel Adams is rolling over in his grave, folks.

Are we on our trip yet?

Oh, Innernets. Remind me again to never again tell a 3 year old a week in advance that we will be hopping on a plane. A 3 year old who is still working on that whole "space, time continuum" concept thingie.

In the blogosphere lately, there has been a lot of self-existential questioning. And that goes for me, as well. Fortunately, I will be leaving the laptop home - all those years of traveling for business completely burnt me out on dragging laptops across the country - I do not even take a computer to BlogHer. Yes, I will be on Twitter while I am gone. However, it takes 2 seconds to send a text message from my phone. Eh. Big deal. I am looking forward to my Internet-free days of virtual self-reflection.

On that note, I leave you with an excellent article on why moms, in particular, are susceptible to Internet addiction:

If it were just an escape that moms were looking for, however, they could flip on the TV or pick up a book. But according to a recent Babytalk.com poll, more than double the number of moms choose the computer over books or the boob tube during their babies' naps, showing that they're looking for something more than an escape: connection, yes, but also a way to express themselves.

That is me. That is me.

I know that I spend too much time online. We are out and about every day, we rarely spend an entire day at home. When I do get home, I feel that need to find out what has been happening in the world, not just with blogging, but also with a variety of new sites that I follow. Not including some things that I work on for FoodieBytes.com. While I do not feel that Team Chaos are getting the short end of my Attention Stick, other aspects of my life are often ignored - things I truly enjoy- reading and knitting while I watch television. Furthermore, I have an incredible amount of household projects which are growing mold.

I will be using this trip to evaluate this and will coming back with specific steps for decreasing my online time.

Talk amongst yourselves.

Can race car drivers deduct speeding tickets on their tax returns ?

My friend J left me a voice mail yesterday regarding our trip out to Vegas this Saturday. She left detailed instructions on giving her a list of what foods/drinks we need, reminded me to bring bathing suits and asked which size diapers we use and what brand of wipes so that I do not have lug all of that with us. Oh, and her husband is going to meet us at the airport to help me juggle luggage and kids since I am traveling without X. Even though I am renting a car, which she had already tried to talk me out of.

Oh, yes she did.

My friend has a million other things to be concerned with right now (cancer! Hello!), but she will not be thwarted in her efforts to be a gracious hostess. Good luck trying, folks. I have been unsuccessful for nearly 20 years now.

So, the trip. Lingers on my brain at all times. Planning, expectations, worries mixed with an odd excitement about taking my kids on airplane together to one of my favorite cities. While we will not have time for jaunts to the Lake Mead, Valley of Fire, Hoover Dam or Area 51, I am planning on a cruise down LV Boulevard and a quickie out to the Red Rock (the canyon, not the casino.) I am also hoping to at least see the Bellagio Conservatory and I would really like them to see Treasure Island, but that is low on the totem pole for the other things we will be doing.

So, yesterday was my birthday. Rita wrote me the sweetest post ever, that made me cry. She can be such a whore like that. Seriously! How rude is that? Making someone cry on her birthday? 'Tis evil, y'all. Anyway. While I am eternally grateful and feel privileged to be carving yet another notch on the Bedpost of Life, it was sort of a crummy day. But these kids? Still managed to make me smile.


File this under Too Damned Lazy to Drag Out the Baby Books..........

Anjali, infuriated with Arun because he took a toy away from her, "AH-WOON! We both sharing it! WE BOTH SHARING IT." (score one for Ni hao, Kai-lan!)

In general, when she gets furious, she gets verklempt and begins stuttering, which usually ends with an adament "I MAD at you!", complete with fingerpointing.

Anjali, pointing to Arun: "Ah-woon, you a good brother." (She hears me say this one a lot.)

Anjali, on the swings, after insisting on being swung really HIGH: "My belly makes a sick!!!" (Then she giggled maniacally.)

Arun, after I pointed out that Anjali was sad we left the swings and that is why she was crying, "Yeah, she cries all the time. I don't like it when she cries because I like her." (An astute observation of the Terrible Twos as viewed backwards from someone firmly entrenched in the Throes of Three.)

Anjali to Arun while they are in their carseats, "Ah-woon, hold my hand. Tank you, Ah-woon. Tank you." (If X and I are not available for comfort, she is turning to Arun more and more, which I find interesting and adorable all at once.)

Do pediatricians play miniature golf ?

Bang! Bang!

• An awesome gift for Mother's Day..... I am currently reading Lenore Skenazy's Free Range Kids: Giving Our Children the Freedom We Had Without Going Nuts with Worry. Skenazy is the Official World's Worst Mom who let her 9 year old ride the NYC subway by himself and then began the Free Range Kids blog (required parent blogger reading, in my opinion.) Anyway. I normally would wait until a book is finished before writing this, but this is the sort of read that is compelling me to fist pump into the air during the introduction. I am nearly halfway finished and damn, y'all. This is one of my new "required" readings for new parents (along with Your Pregnancy: Week by Week, Baby 411, The Science of Parenting and Our Babies, Ourselves: How Biology and Culture Shape the Way We Parent.) I will do a proper review (I am taking notes!) when I am finished, but I am afraid that may take another week or so. I want parents reading this book now. It is chockfull of data and humor. I want parents letting their children play in parks without hovering now. I want parents putting away their unfounded fears of stranger abduction now. I want parents letting their children play in the front yard now.
  

• Daddy's Girl Bethiclaus asked me about Anjali's hair and if it was going straight or not. Eh. I am not sure The new hair coming in is actually still curly. When I wet it down and scrunch it, we still get ringlets. The reason it was looking straight in some snaps I uploaded is that I was brushing it straight to experiment. Frankly, she looked like a bag lady and we are back to Finger Picking and Scrunching. I can report that X needs a hair cut and when he gets out of the shower, before he brushes it straight, Anjali's hair looks suspiciously like his.

• Backpack...Backpack....Anjali Sr. wanted a reporting back on the backpack. I love, love the backpack itself. I am still not 100% happy with carrying a backpack and not a handbag. But time and time again, the backpack is proving itself far more convenient. I am also not having a problem with the drawstring enclosure, but I am the type to keep all loose odds n' ends enclosed in pockets. If the backpack gets knocked over and a few dinosaurs or Little People happen to tumble to their deaths, we are none worse for the wear.

• Paging Dr. Clooney.....The other day, it became obvious that Anjali needed to go to the doctor. However, it was 4:30pm and the doctor recommended a visit to Urgent Care, rather than waiting. So, off Anjali and I went. For two hours. Two hours. Where Anjali got to eat two special popsicles while we waited for a urine sample. While we waited. And waited. And waited some more. While Anjali gleefully played in the exam room taking her dinosaurs on a tour, spinning them around on the fancy chair, showing them the bright lights of the x-ray display. When we were finally done? She screamed and pitched a fit "Wanna see doctor again. Doctor! DOCTOR!" And the next day when we went to drop off some more sample? Both kids were peeved and complained that they did not get to go in. Are my children the only ones who love the doctor?

Future Free Rangers of America

What's in the bag?

Handbag Thursday [hānd'bāg' thûrz'dā]
-noun
1. A Canal Street knockoff of Jodifur's Shoe Friday.
2. A lame attempt at regular blog fodder by invoking my own accessorized day o' the week.
3. A frivolous little feature that allows me to talk about handbags every week. What's not to love about that?
---------------------------------------------
So, yeah. I missed Handbag Thursday last week. I just was not feeling it. And, eh. That is the beauty of being an Itty Bitty Blogger, folks are less likely to notice if you fail to show up or not.

This week's handbag comes from a Woman on the Street move I made a few weeks back at a local children's farm. I saw this bag and thought it was so interesting and fun. I stopped the gal, told her what I was up to and asked if I could feature it. She was so flattered and pleased by my request, that I will definitely be doing that move again!

This is a Lucky bag from Macy's.

To where do folks in Hell tell other people to go ?

Things That Anjali Has Said Today*:

"Be careful, Arun. Okay? Be careful! Okay? Okay?"

"I peed in my diaper. I have poopy bottom!" (then she commences with maniacal laughter)

"Are you mad at me, Mama?" (No, sweetie. Not any longer)

"Wanna see Celeste again." (This said, just mere seconds after having totally dissed Average Jane to her face.)

*Keep in mind she cannot pronounce her Ls (sub with a W at your leisure) and she says Arun as "ah-woon". Which yes, still kills me every time with the Sweetness.

---------------------------------

So. Earlier this week, the eloquent Meno had a great post on a subject that has clunking around in the attic that serves as my brain these days:

Em gave me The Year of Living Bibically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible by A.J. Jacobs for Christmas.

I liked it pretty well, as in, i actually finished it. It's a pretty affectionate look at some of the silly laws in the Bible.

Here is a quote from the book;

It's why i don't know what to do with Jasper. If i give him some religion, then he might become obsessed and go Guru Gil on me. Then again, if i give him no religion, he could descend into moral anarchy. They're both so risky. I feel like i can't win.

and, Meno goes on to write;

The really annoying part of the quote is that it's pretty casually tossed out, like everyone KNOWS that those of us without religion are amoral, serial-killing, dog-raping, baby-hating, 401k-embezzling, wife-swapping, 7/11-robbing, public-spitting scofflaws.

During NaBloPoMoFo 2006, I wrote about religion every Sunday. All in all, I wrote 4 posts in total and came to the general conclusion that Church Is Boring. So, I made a dedicated effort towards not attending church. It has worked out pretty well for me and I love having my Sunday mornings free, save for the occasional Easter Egg Hunt, of course. I have also determined that while church is not an inherently bad thing, I do not believe it is absolutely necessary for achieving morality or even ethics. Oh, dear Lord, no. I am sure all of us know faithful church goers who lie, cheat and steal.

For a time, I felt guilty not attending church. Now? Not so much.

And Meno's post reminded me why.
--------------------------

Since I am getting all Deep Thoughts Or Not on you today, I will end with this.

The other night, as they lay in bed going to sleep, I overheard X and Arun discussing color. Arun observed that X is brown, I am white and that he and Anjali are also white. While the exchange itself was adorable, a part of me was sad. There will come a time when Arun realizes that some folks do not respect his father completely based on his color. The same father he adores. Furthermore, many folks will not consider Arun a white person because of that tainted drop of brown blood. Someday, Arun will overhear someone making fun of folks who are not from this country, folks who should change their funny-sounding names. Specifically, Arun will probably hear some joke about how all Indians own convenience stores (hopefully, we will teach Arun well and he will be able to retort "Only if you are a Patel!" Heh.)

As I always say, kids do see color, they just do not assign a value to it. I just hope my children will feel confident enough to ask me about all the Future Crap they are going to inevitably hear someday. As such, I am going to teach Arun and Anjali to call themselves Mudbloods.

And they better be proud of it, dammit.

Huh? Huh.

I began two very different, yet equally snarky posts today. Neither felt right and I just did not have the heart to finish them.

So, instead of snarky, I am going to shoot for maudlin. Bring your own damned syringes of insulin and set your pancreas on alert.

A few months ago, I registered Anjali for the same school that Arun attends - she begins in the fall. A month ago, I bought her lunchbox (we needed it anyway for picnics and such.) Today, I ordered her backpack (we needed anyway for our trip to Las Vegas.) When we go to stores, Arun and Anjali not only hold hands, but they walk together into the store with me. At home, they bicker over toys, food and their parents (My mama! No! MY MAMA! My daddy! No! MY DADDY!) In the car, they bicker over who likes dinosaurs (I like dinosaurs! NO! I LIKE DINOSAURS!) Yet, if one of them is napping or out of the house, the other wanders listlessly around the house asking for the other. And often, they will disappear to far corners of our house to play together quietly. And often, in the car, if Anjali is upset and crying, Arun will reach over, grab her hand whereupon she immediately stops crying.

Sigh.

Somehow, despite my firm, committed stance on Lazy Parenting, these babies managed to not only survive, but they have thrived and are now children. And that is okay. This is not a sappy post about missing my babies. No, I think I relished their babyhoods enough and besides, this new stage is so much fun. I have no desire to go backwards. I do enjoy the little persons they are becoming and I am excited to meet the people they will become.

Currently, Anjali keeps saying "Mama, I have poopy butt. MAMA, I have poopy BUTT." Then, she giggles because she knows she should be saying "bottom" and not "butt". I suspect I will not be giggling myself in a few minutes.

Or maybe, I will, after all. Before I know it, she will be wiping her own poopy butt.

Do you mind?

I think I am going to scoot back into my safe cocoon where my friend does not have stage 4 cancer. And where I am going to Vegas without children. And where J and I are going to play roulette until the sun comes up. This version will not feature hangovers, however.

Okay. There. Sometimes blogging can be cathartic. But I also do not want to litter this space up with mental meanderings bordering on the sad side, which is why I am trying to end the week on a positive note. This is why I do not talk much about J or even my Great Aunt P (her house is being cleaned out for the upcoming estate auction. And there is something about that process that is so final. ) I am hoping for my 5 year blogging anniversary to make this blog into a book via Blurb (one copy for myself, nothing more). To not talk about the undercurrent of sadness running through my life once in awhile would make that book lacking, somehow (at times, I wonder if I will regret not talking about the PPD, although realistically, I think it was safer to leave that out of Rancid Raves.)

Anyway, I am thinking of doing some sort of post about traveling with kids. This will be my first trip with both kids together, so I have been wrapping my head around how I am going to accomplish my Less Is Actually LESS motto of travel. But truly, I love, love going places with my kids. I do not think I have any magical techniques, but seriously, there are a lot of folks out there who do not seem to enjoy traveling with their kids and I have to question why. I love to take my kids to see new things - the look in their eyes is worth all the extra work and the aching muscles. It was really tempting to take the kids with me to BlogHer so that we can do Chicago together, but in the end, I decided I really need to make BlogHer about me and seeing my friends. I am making BlogHer my own personal sabbatical.

To end this week on a high note?
Yesterday, as I was cooking dinner, Arun and I had a deep, serious conversation about the food sources available for the mighty T-Rex. When I explained that the T-Rex likes to munch on other dinosaurs, he asked if that included the triceratops, which is Anjali's favorite dinosaur. I had to be honest and admit that yes, T-Rexes eat the poor triceratops. His reply "Well, I am not going to tell Anjali because it will hurt her feelings." Then he cheered up considerably, "Hey, can I tell Daddy??!!"

Yes, sweet boy, you can. Yes, you can.

What happened in Vegas?

Remember when I ranted about my profound disgust for Disney the other day? Then, my baby girl puts the smackdown on me that is worthy of a princess. Nice, real nice. At least she did not insist on buying it. Thank the Lord above, I don't think she yet realizes the items in the Scholastic flyer are available for actual purchase. Le Target? Is another story. She spent our entire visit on Monday with a Spongebob toy clutched desperately to her chest declaring for all to hear, "I wanna buy dis! I WANNA BUY DIS!" Fortunately, she is part magpie so I was able to distract her with something shiny in the checkout stand as I surreptitiously stuffed the offending toy away in the endcap.

So, the other night I booked our tickets for Vegas later this month. And a few weeks ago, I ordered the Cares Kids Fly Safe seatbelt system. Physically, there is no possible way I can travel with two kids, two carseats and luggage. If we lived in a country with coolies or porters, sure - I could manage it. But in America? Folks are all by their lonesome, when it comes to traveling. Instead, I am renting a car and two carseats when I get there. I have heard horror stories regarding renting carseats, but I have had really good luck thus far doing this. *FuriouslyRapsOnWood* Also, I will post a review on the Cares Kids Fly Safe system after the trip. I was really hesitant to pay such $$$ for it, but decided it was an investment in our Traveling Future since it can be used for quite a few years.

So, I am finally getting to see my friend J and this is actually the express purpose of the trip - yes, my friend J, the same one who has a mass of Pancreatic Neuroendocrine tumors, which is about as much as fun as it sounds (say it three times fast!) She has a really big doctor appointment coming up in LA this month. An appointment that involves all sorts of scans, measurement of tumors , blood tests, etc. I am going to stay back in Vegas to help watch her daughter and keep her mother company during what will be a long day of waiting. I am hoping Team Chaos will help in entertainment, I suspect her daughter is going to have a blast having playmates. J has had to avoid playgroups and such because germ-laden children are low on the totem pole at this point (which is one of several reasons my trip out there was delayed for so long.)

I have not been to Vegas in over 2 years - I would really prefer to get out there about once a year. Therefore, I am experiencing an odd mix of excitement and trepidation. I am excited to show my children one of my favorite cities - a city that holds 25+ years of memories for me. Some good, some bad, some bittersweet, some unbelievable, some sad, some hilarious. And everything in between. In my 25 years of going to Vegas? I have done a lot, folks. Experienced my first hangover, was in a wedding, attended a funeral, attended another wedding, drove to Red Rock, stayed in some gorgeous hotels, stayed in a dump, drove to Hoover Damn, won some money, lost some money, drove to the Valley of Fire, ducked bats while swimming, enjoyed romantic dinners, enjoyed seafood buffets, played holes of golf at an early morning tee time after having been up all night long, attended bachelorette parties, flipped a lot of cards, slid a lot of chips, roadtripped to San Diego, pulled a lot of slot machines, roadtripped to Area 51, and rolled loads and loads of dice. Loads.

And that is not counting all the sweet, treasured memories I have with my family (although, I still blame my cousin for the first hangover.)

I do not talk about J very much here, I simply do not feel it is my story to tell. And I am probably living in a bit of denial, in my safe cocoon here in Kansas, sending care packages her way. Patting myself on the back for "helping". But. I am very scared for her. Every email, every phone call leaves me a little weak in the knees and teary-eyed. It is difficult for me to wrap my head around the fact my friend could die and leave a 15 month old daughter behind. In what universe is that possible?

To give you perspective on J: in college, she always kept saline in her apartment for all of her late-night study buddies in case our contact lenses bothered us. Or how about this: J has been sending me care packages to thank me for the care packages I have sent her. Yes, folks. My friend who has cancer has been sending me care packagages. And even apologized for how long it took to get one of them out. The mind boggles, no?

For a long time, my visits to Vegas were tinged with a sadness, my grandpa fought emphysema for a good 3+ years and to watch someone die slowly like that is tough, to say the least. And then, I watched my step-grandma go through the grief process. There was a year or so, where everything was bright and sunny in Vegas. And now it seems the clouds have returned.

I am not sure what I will find there in a few weeks, but I suspect I am not going to like it very much. I want a miracle, dammit.

'Fess up, who of you got to her?

While I was digging through the Scholastic Book flyer today, Anjali pointed to the above and said "Princess! Princess!".

Grrrr......

But, what about Oprah?

So, our new neighbors are moving in. Neighbors as in "right next door" neighbors. As in "sharing a fence" neighbors. As in "my bedroom window looks into your bedroom window" neighbors. Those neighbors.

X met the husband yesterday and got some basic, useless information, because you know, X is of the male persuasion, a man. He got the ages of the kids (younger ones are nearly the exact same age as ours), found out the husband is a teacher, and that the wife's parents already live here. What he failed to dig deep for was the important bits of information about my 'potential new BFF. The facts that matter. Does the wife stay home? What are the genders of the kids? What are the wife's parents names? (so I can check with my grandma to get any Additional Scoop in case the parents are Old Olathe, the moniker my grandma uses when folks are actually from here.) Does the wife like chocolate? Target? Mexican food? The zoo? Parks? Red wine? Oprah, America's Official Girlfriend?

Speaking of Oprah, I watched the whole "secret lives of moms" thing. Overall, I thought the episode was a pretty "meh" and just a repeat of the usual Motherhood is So Hard theme (cue back of the hand to the forehead, then heave a heavy sigh.) Although, I do wonder if reading Erma Bombeck and Teresa Bloomingdale back in high school and early college may have clued me in to the fact that babies are babies quite stinky and motherhood is not all bliss? And another thing - are mothers really not taking showers? Really? Is this a joke? I do not get it. Even if Arun had to scream for 5 minutes, I still took my goddamned shower every single day. Even these days, I take a shower with at least one child outside asking if I am done yet.

The one thing that really spoke to me was when Cheryl Hines talked about how hard it is to not "be there" for her friends like she used to be able. I do hate that I am not a good friend any longer. Seriously, I am NOT a good friend and I hold no pretenses otherwise. And at this point in my life, I just cannot be. Good grief, ask Monkey, it took at least two (three? four?) phone conversations before I was able to get the entire story of her recent boyfriend breakup. And I felt terrible about having to let her go mid-conversation each time. And Average Jane has been in a band for so long now yet, I have not been to see a single gig.

Sigh. I could write paragraph after paragraph of excuses, but it is what it is.

What the flagnog?

Ah, I have myself a new Progeny-Proofed Profanity. I mean, sure, "frock" is pretty fucking good, but "flagnog"? Even fucking better.

Yes, we went to see Monsters vs. Aliens this afternoon, which was utterly delightful and provided today's post title. I arrived at the theatre with my obligatory Token Child in tow at 2:40pm only to find out the earliest showing available was 3:30pm. Oof. Fortunately, Arun was a real trooper and it was nothing that some parmesan fries could not fix (we caught a viewing at AMCs Fork & Screen thingie which has really yummy, utterly over-priced food.)

So, those of you following me on Twitter and Facebook may have noticed my ranting on about my Disney Disgust. No, this Disgust is nothing new and oh my, how I despise the whole Disney Princess thing, but I was irked today when my grandma gave me grief about my firm anti-Disney stance. See, it rankles me that there is this implication that one's childhood will not be perfect unless Disney is a part of it. Bah. I have never seen Lady and the Tramp and yet? I managed to go to college, get married, have children and somehow remain a productive member of society.

I did not dutifully move my Trixie Belden and Nancy Drew collections from house to house to apartment to apartment from Oskaloosa KS to Tonganoxie KS to Lawrence KS to Kansas City to St. Louis and then BACK TO Kansas City so that my daughter could worship some frocking Disney-themed two-bit whore, flagnog, it.

Or something like that. Issues, much?

Not me.


Jackson Pollack, Eat Your Heart Out

This is one is for Mojavi and Marathon Mom (my sister). They both would not believe that my uptight ass would let Arun make such a mess unless I have the snappage to prove otherwise.

Fashionista In the Making

Brother's pajamas, Diego backpack and a hat from the Target Dollar Section. If you like it, put a ring on it. SNAP.

Waiting at the Airport

Team Chaos

What's in the bag?

Handbag Thursday [hānd'bāg' thûrz'dā]
-noun
1. A Canal Street knockoff of Jodifur's Shoe Friday.
2. A lame attempt at regular blog fodder by invoking my own accessorized day o' the week.
3. A frivolous little feature that allows me to talk about handbags every week. What's not to love about that?
---------------------------------------------

Erin sent this one in - what a fun, floral bag! Thanks, Erin!

What if you are happy and you don't know it?

A friend of mine lost her dad yesterday. Then, last night, Anjali kept spiking fevers, which always freaks me out because her head gets so hot while her hands and feet feel like hot bricks pressing into my stomach. So, I did not sleep much last night..... worried for my friend, constantly checking Anjali....... then, even after Anju's fever broke at 3am, ye olde friend Insomnia reared his ugly head. Which left me loads of time to ponder and mentally meander.

My blog has a been a spate of negativity lately, so I want this post to be a positive one. Feel free to steal this Meme of Gratitude and repeat. At a bare minimum, I am asking everyone to do something kind to someone today. An extra pat on the back.....a thoughtful word......... a quarter in a parking meter ....... a smile of acknowlegement at a cashier who is just trying to do his/her job.

10 Things That Made Me Happy In The Past Week

1. I returned some items at the library before their due date. Before! This is pretty much catamount to a minor miracle in these here parts. I am suprised the return slot did not spew fire back at me.
   
2. My industrious husband is picking up projects left and right and left. He is pretty darned busy which we are so grateful for in this economy.
   
3. BOTH of my tarantulas finally molted. They are still recovering, but thus far, all is well. And they both look gorgeous in their new sets of threads.
   
4. Speaking of threads, my generous friend Rita passed along some luscious girl clothes to me. Seriously, folks, latch onto a friend with a child who is a mere few years older than yours. Then, sit back and let the good times roll on in - in the form of hand-me-downs.
5. The other day while on our walk in the stroller, Arun taught Anjali how to blow kisses. Watching the two of them count birds and blow kisses to them is a memory I will forever treasure.
6. I received the Sherpani backpack that I had been waiting for from Zappos (my early birthday present.) I am still unsure about using a backpack, although I suspect my life will be easier with it instead of a fancy handbag.
   
7. I finished one awesome book - Vinegar Hill by A. Manette Ansay and immediately picked up another book, Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, that is promising to be a juicy read (I hear it has S-E-X in it. Woot!)
   
8. On Sunday, I had a fabulous book club meeting with a great group of gals. It was a thoughtful discussion and I enjoy hanging out with a non-stressful, non-gossipy group that simply relishes reading as much as I do.
9. I finished a long due knitting project for Brit and am very pleased with the results. I do not want to give away the surprise, but I think her son will particularly like it, with him being a Wizard of Oz fan and all.
   
10. We had a cool thunderstorm earlier this week. Arun and I sat by an open window and watched the rain the together - I love, love rainstorms, so sharing this with Arun was particularly poignant for me. We had a sweet conversation about all of his friends at school. At one point, he said "Mama, I love everybody and everybody loves me." Wait until Junior High, babycakes. Just wait.