Archive for October, 2004
October 31, 2004 at 11:28 pm · Filed under family
Well, Halloween 2004 is history. Moon announced that she probably won’t trick-or-treat next year, as the party she went to last night was much more fun that walking from house to house asking for candy. Of course, she was up all night and didn’t have so much energy today.
Turbo and his friend threw together last-minute ensembles just so they could do the candy thing. Pete also bought way more candy than we needed for the trick-or-treaters. I baked cutout cookies and oatmeal peanut butter chocolate chip cookies, so we have a scarily abundant supply of sugary goodness in our kitchen right now.
I managed to work out this evening, but I’m not sure it’ll make up for all the Tootsie Rolls the kids gave to me. (They know TRs are my favorite. Aren’t they generous?)
October 31, 2004 at 1:01 am · Filed under moon (rachel)
Yeah, I’m still up, but hey… I’m gaining an hour tonight. Woo! Moon is staying over at Nicole’s house. (Birthday/Halloween party.) She wore her costume, which was completed this afternoon when we pushed our way through the throngs at Party City and purchased a pair of vampire teeth. Yesterday we went to the Homestead to pick up her black trenchcoat. Thank goodness for grammas who can sew and are willing to hem things for their grandkids.
While we were there, we talked knitting. I left with two pounds of dark green yarn and lots of encouragement. Pete’s mom is a needlework whiz. Now that I’ve made some feeble attempts of my own, I’m even more awestruck.
On the way home, we stopped at Hot Topic to look at boots. Moon ended up with a pair of chunky black boots with silver skulls on the buckles. “They’re kinda dressy,” she said. “Hey, I can wear them for graduation.” She’ll be all ready for those high school dances next year.
October 29, 2004 at 12:05 am · Filed under moon (rachel)
I had to work this morning, so I missed out on the chance to see John Kerry and Bruce Springsteen when they were in town. But Moon, she was the lucky recipient of a last-minute call from Vicki, who was taking Nicole and Aimee downtown for the big rally.
Of course, Moon was still in bed (because the kids are off school for the state teachers’ convention). I shook her and asked if she was interested. Her eyes flew open. “How many people are going to be there?” she asked. “Thousands,” I answered. She jumped out of bed. “Cool!”
I think she likes crowds.
Anyway, she was totally thrilled with the experience (she and Nicole were able to get pretty close to the stage!) and I’m glad she was able to go. It was almost as good as being able to go there myself.
October 27, 2004 at 10:58 pm · Filed under blather
Yeesh, where has the week gone? Time for a quick update:
October 27, 2004 at 10:36 pm · Filed under blythe
I was so excited on this cloudy day because a package arrived on my doorstep at lunchtime. It was from LittleEgg (of the TIB forum) and contained three petites and assorted Blythe-sized food items.
The food is made by Re-Ment, and it’s super detailed. I can’t wait to get a Blythe house started so I can set up their kitchen. My favorite item is a birthday cake that Blythe can put together. Guess I’ll be taking some more pictures.
About the petites… first we have a mermaid with lovely blue hair. In the center is Madamoiselle Rose Bud, who is one of the cutest petites I’ve ever seen. I’ve wanted her for a while! Finally we have a green-haired cutie in a cat outfit.
Ginny is delighted not to be the only mini girl anymore.
October 24, 2004 at 10:31 pm · Filed under friends
I wish I could say that the view from our front door was this gorgeous. But this picture was taken at the home of a couple in Pete’s choir. We had a “choir babes” party there this afternoon.
This was the first time I had seen their new house, and it was love at first sight. If we ever were to leave our beloved home, I would want a house exactly like theirs. Simple, open, natural, energy-efficient. A great place to spend a gorgeous Sunday afternoon laughing and catching up with friends.
October 21, 2004 at 10:25 pm · Filed under animals
I left Foxxi at the vet’s this morning to have x-rays. They gave her a sedative, and she was a bit groggy when we went to pick her up before dinner. The good news is that there are no obvious fractures. The bad news is that we need to prevent Foxxi from jumping around or getting agitated. Which, of course, is something she does every time the phone rings, someone walks by the house, etc.
We now have the baby gate back up at the top of the stairs, after a hiatus of about 8 years or so. (It’s the one piece of equipment we kept.)
In other news, Moon is getting her braces off next week.
October 20, 2004 at 11:39 pm · Filed under animals
I was lying on the sofa this evening, with Foxxi on my lap, and she suddenly jumped off. I heard a *yelp!* that went on and on… Foxxi was crumpled over, holding up one of her front paws. Turbo screamed and rushed over. Finally, SpiritMan was able to hold the injured paw, and Foxxi quieted down.
I called the vet, and they said to keep an eye on the paw. If it’s swollen tomorrow, and Foxxi still favors it, I’ll need to bring her in for an x-ray.
In the meantime, she’s limping and pretty pitiful. We had to carry her outside to do her bidness, and she’s actually quite cheerful despite her obvious discomfort. Must be a dog thing. The kids got out a beanbag chair for her and moved her water dish so she wouldn’t have to exert herself getting a drink.
October 19, 2004 at 6:02 pm · Filed under blythe
Wendy (honeymonkey) from Dublin sent me a surprise package yesterday, and the Blythes had a great time with it. As you can see, the goodies included a keyboard and camera–their rock band is underway! Of course I had to take a few pictures.
October 17, 2004 at 9:26 pm · Filed under moon (rachel)
Michael Moore came to Madison last night, for a rally outdoors at the UW Memorial Union. Moon begged me to take her to see him. “He’s one of my heroes!” she implored. Sure, I was hacking up a lung, but what kind of mom would I be if mere cold and crowds prevented me from offering her this once-in-a-lifetime experience?
Peter insisted on coming along, because it sounded like an adventure. Of course, after parking, then walking several blocks against the icy wind, he had second thoughts. (Pete was too slow getting ready and was left behind at home.) Somehow we found Moon’s best friend Nicole in the crowd of more than 5,000. (Our view was pretty good, too. See dark, blurry photo here.)
It was an awesome experience, and I’m glad we went. But I’m still coughing.
October 16, 2004 at 3:03 pm · Filed under blather
Today I’m making a double batch of the chocolate chip cookies everyone liked so much two weeks ago. And yes, I’m washing my hands practically every time I walk across the kitchen. Although I’m feeling way better (thanks to my first really good night of sleep all week) I’m still not 100% yet. So I’m wearing cozy clothes and not demanding much from myself.
In other news, I have a burning urge to learn to knit.
October 15, 2004 at 1:02 pm · Filed under blather
I’m filling in at work this morning (I usually have Fridays off) and it’s unbelieveably quiet. The great thing, though, is that I had an unscheduled massage because a client didn’t show. I really needed it, too. For some reason (maybe I’m feeling weather changes in my joints now?) my right hip was aching all morning. A half hour of heat application and vigorous prodding did wonders.
Now I just wish I could curl up with a heating pad and watch Buffy.
October 14, 2004 at 11:40 pm · Filed under moon (rachel)
Well, I made it through a whole day at work (9-6!) but Pete ended up at home. So although I was dragging, I picked up our final produce box of the season and stopped at the grocery store for a few provisions.
Tonight was fairly uneventful until about an hour ago, when Moon was trying to write supporting information for her persuasive paper defending gay marriage. She asked for help and became frustrated with our attempts at giving advice, which made us frustrated. She left the room, and I found her on her bed, in tears. Basically, the homework closing in on her in all directions is becoming quite overwhelming.
My challenge as her mom is to be supportive and yet resist rushing in with too much advice. She’s an extremely capable person, and does not need me to spring into action. But ohhhhh I wish I could just take the stress away and make everything the way it should be. Meaning: perfect, with all bowing down before my princess’ beauty, intellect and integrity.
I haven’t even gone into the whole boy thing, and suffice to say that if it were up to me, they’d all be following her around in awestruck wonder. (Or maybe that would just be asking for trouble. Never mind.)
Enjoy the picture of my groceries.
October 13, 2004 at 11:10 pm · Filed under blythe
Being home with a cold isn’t enough to keep me away from my Blythes. I finally decided to remove Audrey’s painted-on lips (which I had done myself, and were started to flake a bit) and use the lipsticker that stellaluna from TIB had sent me.
It was a different shape — the retro, Kenner shape — but I love the way it looks on Audrey. The color is perfect for her.
And here is a close-up of her lips. Pretty, aren’t they?
October 13, 2004 at 10:36 pm · Filed under fitness
Last night was a restless exercise in trying to keep my nose clear and my head comfortable. The good news is that most of my used tissues made it into the wastebasket. The bad news is that not much sleep was to be had.
My co-workers pretty much sent me home after a few hours yesterday, because every time I spoke I started hacking as if I was about to produce a massive hairball. That’s not especially convincing to the prospective students, who are probably equally unimpressed to hear the boss call me “Typhoid Mary.”
Anyway. I decided to save some trouble by just staying home today.
Of course, I have to ask myself why my body would choose sickness and make itself vulnerable to a virus at this particular time. (‘Cause I’m all new-agey and stuff.) The obvious answer is that I need to slow down and pay attention to my life, and my body, and my surroundings.
One thing that’s been going on is that our home will be undergoing a transformation. We’ve decided to finish our basement, and our contractor friend came over to do an estimate on Sunday. I’m sure it’s going to stir the chi up (not to mention the dog hair), and our intention is to use the space to achieve a few of our dreams. Not literal ones–although I’ve been having those, too. For instance, I had a vivid, realistic dream about moving into a small apartment. At first we thought it was awesome, and then we realized the kitchen had a separate entrance. We’d need to go out the front door and back into the kitchen door to get there. Pretty inconvenient, especially with the winters we get around here, no? Anyway, why the kitchen? Is that related to my weight, or what? I could go into the body image revelations I’ve had lately, but that’s a whole ‘nother post, which I’ll probably do over on the other side.
I just hope I’m ready to choose work tomorrow.
October 12, 2004 at 5:18 pm · Filed under blythe
Xanthe finally has some clothes that fit her personality (or at least that’s what MoonChild tells me). The dress came from Blythe Dressing Room, and the shoes from MyRapture on eBay. I *lurve* getting packages! (See other pictures here… plus a snapshot of what’s in my purse today.)
October 12, 2004 at 3:20 pm · Filed under mememe!
I’m not as organized as Chase, but I’m going to follow his lead anyway.
15 years ago today, I would have been…
1. living (with Pete) in the bottom of a duplex in Evansville, Wisconsin.
2. playing tennis, because that’s what I did almost every day after work this time of year.
3. bringing my employer into the ’80s with desktop publishing.
10 years ago today, I would have been…
1. mother of a 3-year-old and a 6-month-old.
2. working part-time for one of the nicest bosses ever.
3. heavily into planning for Halloween. (I believe I had a panther and a dalmatian.)
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October 11, 2004 at 9:27 pm · Filed under family
One of the highlights of yesterday’s trip to the in-laws’ was getting to see the neighbors’ kittens. Peter has always had a special love for cats, and he was in his element with the babies.
I even came out from under the blankets on the sofa to see this. (See more kitty pictures here.)
October 11, 2004 at 11:54 am · Filed under blather
Saturday night I felt it coming on. I chain-consumed cough drops during the Madison Symphony Orchestra concert. Then on Sunday, I couldn’t sing and didn’t think I’d last through the service–so I went home to prepare for our trip to the Homestead for October birthdays.
Although I did my best to have fun (more about that later), I spent a good deal of the afternoon curled up under an afghan, trying to get warm. The chills continued after we went home, so I hit the sack at a record 7:30 p.m.
Somehow I made it to work this morning, albeit a half hour late. I went for a chai tea latte rather than my usual coffee, thinking it would help my throat. I may leave early this afternoon, because I feel a little guilty shaking hands with the people who come in. (I’ve been coughing into Kleenex. Does that help?)
October 8, 2004 at 11:02 pm · Filed under peter
Peter didn’t want me riding the bus with him to school. I compromised by getting on at a different bus stop, and not sitting with him (he was hunched under his sweatshirt hood, and I couldn’t see him anyway). As we waited to get in the school, I saw a little boy with a nosebleed, which had gone all over his face and hands–I took him into school and found a teacher who could get him into the nurse’s office.
And that was before the field trip even started.
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