an experiment to see how much I can write while sitting next to Annabelle

I'm writing this while sitting next to Annabelle who is coloring. We'll see how well this goes.

I can't believe it's almost September. Time has simultaneously been going by at a snail's pace and warp speed. Whenever I mention it to Christopher he makes a comment along the lines of "That's how time goes." This is why I text my girl friends about my feelings. They always sympathize. 

"Mom! How did they write in history?"

September has always been one of my favorite months. I wanted to get married in September. I'd like a child with a September birthday but that would mean being pregnant in the summer and just the thought of it makes me want to curl up and die. September has always meant Indian summer and warm breezes which I love. I don't expect September to be much different than our current heat suffocation but I can hope. I'm so ready for it to cool down so we can play outside. Our yard is 95% in the sun and the 5% that is shaded is near the mosquito-infested woods. We go stir crazy being inside all the time. We can visit the outdoor playgrounds very early in the morning or go to the indoor playground but that gets old quickly. 

"Mom! What's that kind of rope thing that hangs high up that we used to have in New York? What's that thing called?"

Yesterday at pickup AB's teacher pulled me aside and said she hasn't been listening well during the paperwork portion of their day. I was mortified. Barely three weeks in and the teacher had something negative to say. We've never gotten complaints about her behavior from Sunday school or MDO. I'm sure it's mostly an issue of her adjusting to school and learning what's expected, but either way we had a discussion about it. Right now she's coloring apology pictures for her teacher. She asked me to write the following story on the back.

"Once upon a time, preschool had a new way to do class. It was they decided to put wings on the school. Then what happened is they put seats inside the school. Every desk had a seat inside the flying school. At the back of the school they put a trunk. Inside the trunk was a little play area so you could get your exercise in. There were beds lined up and there was a little restaurant. If someone who went to the school lived far away, this is what they did- there were little bedrooms lined up just in case. And the next room was a bathroom. There was a pilots area at the front for one of the teachers to use. If you need to use the bathroom during the flight, there was a changer area for the little babies in diapers. I think that's probably the end. There's a potty inside the bathroom too.

By Annabelle"

I'm shocked they didn't tell me she was talking too much.

"Mama!!! Where's the cover for the orange? The orange marker. That's the one I'm using. What happened to the cover?"

I have a new love that I'm almost too embarrassed to admit. I've been listening to a car/mechanic podcast. It's so unlike me. I can appreciate an old car but I could not care less about modern cars. I'm terrible at explaining things to the mechanic. I don't care about horsepower or torque but give me Click and Clack the car guys and suddenly I'm all in. ALL IN. I cannot get enough. They're from Massachusetts and I remember hearing them back in the day but I have been reeled in hook, line, and sinker. I cannot explain my current fascination. Lucky for me, they have episodes dating back to 1987 so I have literally thousands of hours to look forward to. Here's what I have to look forward to on this weeks episode:

"This week on The Best of Car Talk, our all-time favorite neurological oddity: a Massachusetts man begins speaking with a French accent following an accident. Could a whack to the noggin make Tom and Ray speak like actual mechanics? Also, three tales of things that aren’t where they’re supposed to be. John’s dipstick keeps popping out, Crystie dropped a nail into her gas tank, and Dana’s friend has a piece of the Berlin Wall lodged in his dad’s BMW’s trunk. And, Julie “backed into a car that wasn’t there” and didn’t confess to her husband. Is it time to come clean? All this and more, this week on The Best of Car Talk."

It's fuel for the commutes back and forth to school. So far it hasn't exhausted me. If I get bored I can always switch gears and listen to other podcasts. 

it's friday friday friday

It's been a rollercoaster week for my pride. Last Saturday someone at the church paint day asked if I was in the youth group. I puffed out my feathers like a peacock that someone would think I was a youth when in reality I am on the brink of a new decade that starts with a th and ends with a irty. My hair was up (there is no other way to wear your hair when it's regularly 99* degrees) and I was pleased she didn't notice the patch of grayish white hair behind my ear. And it's not white because we were using white paint and I accidentally got some on my head. 

Yesterday a nurse was getting my information and said, "You're yawning a lot. Do you have a living will?" Excuse me? First of all, I was coughing not yawning. Second of all, I fail to see how yawning and a living will are related. Turns out she had said, "You're young but do you have a living will?" It would seem my ears are aging rapidly and I need to make an appointment with an audiologist asap.

I picked up a new Hallmark dvd at the library on Tuesday. I love Hallmark movies. The cheesier the better. I could not love Hallmark Christmas movies more. The dvd has three movies which is three times the romance and predictability. Christopher watched one with me because he owes me for all the action/James Bond/boring documentaries movies I've sat through over the years. Least you think he shares my joy of Hallmark, he does not. He sat there on his phone and made comments like, "That's so cheesy they should call this movie Swiss Cheese" and "It's obvious they're going to get married." I don't need type of negativity in my life. I want someone to share my tv viewing enthusiasm!

Speaking of tv viewing, we've been watching Mr. Roger's lately. He's so calm and pleasant to watch. He was talking about how sometimes there are things we don't understand but we can ask an adult to help us. He asked if the viewers had an adult they could ask. I thought AB would answer that it's her mother because I've taught her everything she knows including, but not limited to, how to use the potty and speak. Who do you think taught her about Monet and artists of the 1800's? Who do you think sings the continents song with her? Alas, she did not say me. She looked at Mr. Roger's and without missing a beat said, "I can ask my dad. He knows everything." 

There's the mothering self-esteem boost I was looking for! 

sunday small chat

I have a goal to blog more but I don't have much to say so do I blog anyway to reach my goal? Yes. It's quantity over quality.

Let's break out the ol' bullet points.

* Annabelle is really enjoying school. Granted she's only been three times and the excitement could wear off, but she's still riding the high of her new backpack. I think it's been a bigger adjustment for me. I enjoy the alone time but I also like having her around. She has Tuesday and Thursday off so on Thursday we stayed in our pajamas late, played in the sandbox, went to Chickfila for lunch.

We tried some new hairstyles.

We even took a girls nap on the big bed. I knew she was exhausted but wouldn't want to sleep, so I told her we should pretend to be birds in a nest. A few minutes later she was snoring away. We paid for the two hour nap later that night when she didn't want to sleep but it was enjoyable while it lasted.

* I walked around the grocery store yesterday with a large piece of tape stuck to the bottom of my shorts. Neither Christopher nor AB said anything. It accented the paint smears on my legs. I'll be starting my fashion blog soon!

* A lady from church asked if I could help them repaint some of the walls in the nursery and Sunday school areas. I went with several other people all of whom were wearing the nicest paint clothes I've ever seen. Everyone showed up in crisp, clean clothes. I really questioned whether they thought they would be painting or walking around a fancy garden center. I was wearing capris smeared with four colors of paint and a shirt with a bleach stain. My old sneakers squeaked every time I took a step. I stood out like a sore thumb. The area we were painting had several long hallways and I took the walls near the people I know. It had too many corners and crevices but I made it my personal mission to do it well. I'm not great at many things but I am a good painter. I pride myself in excellent taping and straight lines. I might leave a few drips on the floor but that's what area rugs are for. I wanted to tape a sign to the wall so people would know which area I did. When we were at church this morning I made a beeline for my area. I wanted to see it in all it's finally-dry glory. Someone had the audacity to do another coat and smeared the white chair rail paint into the gray of the walls. I almost cried tears of sadness/rage. 

* Stylin Sesame even in her sleep.

Sesame goes to school- 2018

This bald little bunny started preschool yesterday.

I swear I took this picture last month. 

I didn't cry when I dropped her off but I did cry after the open house. I get so emotional about these things. She sobbed the night before but didn't shed a tear when we dropped her off.

Look at those little legs! I suggested this backpack and she agreed to it within .4 seconds. If only she'd act so quickly when it's time to pick up toys before bed. 

She's such a quiet, dainty wallflower!

If you need me I'll be over here packing a lunchbox and setting alarms to remind myself to bring her to school.

house guests, heat and homes

Our most frequent houseguests arrived early this week. To be more specific, Mom and Elizabeth are here. We went to see Christopher Robin, they babysat while I did thrilling things like going to the doctor alone and Elizabeth weeded my garden. Our home is a dream destination location.

We celebrated Mom's birthday which delighted Annabelle to no end. Any opportunity to use sprinkles, candles and flags makes her so happy. We played a few rounds of rousing party games with plastic cups, straws and jelly beans. I may not have won the jelly bean game but I did beat Christopher in the cup stacking game so I'll be adding that to my non-existant resume. 

The ant infestation is back in my car so Elizabeth offered to vacuum it for me. A few hours later she casually said, "I think I found where the ants were coming from." I assumed it was a stray hashbrown or goldfish. IT WAS A DEAD FROG. IN MY CAR. UNDER MY SEAT. My car used to be my safe spot. If I could get from my cockroach infested home, through the snake-filled yard I could find safety in the sanctuary of my car. No more, no more. Those days are gone. I will be setting the car on fire next week.

Thursday we went to the waterpark with Amy. It was the same waterpark we visited a few months ago where my bathing suit ripped and my butt was on full display. I refused to be put in such a compromising situation again so I brought a backup suit. When I went down the waterslide my bathing suit rode up and once again revealed my backside. I cannot win.

There are several people in my life who routinely know more about whatever town I currently live in than I do. Mom and Elizabeth are two of those people. They're always bringing up local attractions that I never heard of. Earlier in the week I was talking to Amy and said a specific store was one of the top three attractions in the area. She said, "There are three? That many?" That pretty much sums up what I've found around here. Elizabeth arrived with a list of things to see. One was a Habitat for Humanity discovery center. They have a cluster of rundown huts identical to what millions of people worldwide live in. Of course I know live in poverty but it was eye-opening to go from door to door seeing the tiny, dirty huts. I felt bad for being annoyed with my livingroom decor.

The next houses were replicas of Habitat homes built in 16 different countries. It was fascinating to see the styles and decor vary by the needs of the people.

The weather made things a little too accurate. Somewhere between Zimbabwe and Uganda I was sweating so much my sunglasses were sliding off and I had to peel the shirt off my back. Annabelle's face was as red as a lobster. I now understand why women in some countries go topless. Nobody has time for a bra when it's 104*. 

Today we took a day trip to Columbus. Our first stop was a little botanical garden. 

We saw a couple tour the gardens as a possible location for their wedding. I wanted to ask if they'd tell me the wedding date so I could crash it but Christopher didn't want me to. He is such a party pooper. 

The second stop of the day was a space museum. When we visited NASA we played the spaceship landing simulator. I wasn't good then but today I landed it without crashing twice. I'd apply to NASA for a part-time position but I couldn't find the radio button. 

I'll need a little music while soaring through the cosmos. 

Linking up with Cup of Tea

she comes by her love of pedicures honestly

We had an unusually relaxing weekend. We didn't have much planned and everything fell together nicely which doesn't always happen around here. 

On Friday we had friends over for lunch then we all went to the pottery painting shop. Annabelle painted a mermaid statue that will no doubt collect dust under her vanity. When I attempt to relocate it (aka donate or throw it away) after three months of ignoring it she will say it's her favorite toy on earth and be devastated I considered getting rid of it. We've been down this path before.

As we were leaving the pottery place, my friend asked if we had evening plans. I said no so she volunteered to watch Sesame while we went on a date. Letmethinkaboutit YES PLEASE. She's been so kind to us since we moved here but giving up her own quiet Friday night to watch our chatterbox made me want to kiss her feet. 

She told me about a new restaurant and said the view was worth the drive. It did not disappoint. 

I loved the date but the highlight of the weekend for me was taking AB out for her first pedicure. I've painted her nails at home but she'd never been to a spa. She loved it. She giggled at the bubbling water and changing lights. She told the nail lady 16 times that she picked orange. She talked about everything in sight. She put her hands behind her head, leaned back and said, "I'm going to relax now."

I hate that she's growing up so fast but doing things like this together are so much fun!

We won't lose these bright little toes.

brain dump

My garden is doing horribly this year. The green beans wilted, the carrots never came up and I haven't gotten one tomato. The tomato plants look full and lush but looks can be deceiving! I've had plenty of green tomatoes but the bugs eat them before they get past the palest orange stage. This has never happened in my 20+ years of gardening. No matter where I've lived I have planted a garden every summer. It's one of the few constants I cling to. I've thrown probably 30 rotten tomatoes into the woods. I had a big summer goal of making a meal of homemade bread and homegrown tomatoes. Looks like I'll be eating my bread with store bought tomatoes. 

Speaking of bugs, we had our house sprayed for roaches. I saw what I believed to be a mouse run through the kitchen twice. Both times the kitchen light was off but it was light enough to see something scurrying. We didn't see any signs of mice in the pantry so Christopher said it must be roaches. So that's great. I've killed several bugs longer than 2 inches but for me to think what I saw was a mouse means it had to be even bigger. At the Y yesterday I saw a bug on the ground larger than Annabelle's hand so that must be what it was. A man came to spray and since then I've found little piles of dead roaches around the house. When I say I want country themed decor I don't mean I want live/recently killed animals in my house.

My car has been invaded by ants. HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN. I've vacuumed it out multiple times but I keep seeing those little black ants scurrying around.

It's either 174* here or it's pouring.


On to less Debbie Downer topics!


AB has a pretty firm grasp on our country and can identify several states and who lives there. She knows where the White House is, who the president is and what the First Lady does. We've talked about the United States ever since she was old enough to have a conversation. Several weeks ago I was explaining to Annabelle the history behind the 4th of July. I went into detail about the 13 colonies, delegates, the Revolutionary War, taxes from England, the whole thing. I finished up the lesson by saying that America is a great nation and we should be thankful we live here. She pondered the information for a minute then said, "Wow. That sounds like a great place. I'd like to live there someday." I guess we'll be going back to square 1. 


"Look, Mama! I'm standing like a sunflower."

Sesame likes to use afternoon quiet time to reaccessorize. Her recent favorite is putting her bathing suit and/or her bumble bee tights on over her clothes. They don't call her stylin' Sesame for nothing!

My friend Amy came over for a visit today. Annabelle threw up during the night and she had a fever so I warned Amy she might have the stomach bug and I'd understand if she didn't want to come. She said she could get germs anywhere and she would still come. I am SO glad she did. We've been here almost the same exact amount of time and we're both having trouble adjusting. Sometimes you need to spend a few hours commiserating about how hard life is. 

I made us dentist appointments the other day. I found the dentist on the insurance website and left a message on their machine. The next day a lady called me and said "Hi, it's me. You called and left a message." ???????? Normally people identify themselves but I'm not so good on the phone myself so maybe I shouldn't talk. Finally, she clarified where she was calling from and she started to get our information. I don't have a hard name to spell. It's been on the top 100 girl names lists since 12 BC.
Her: What's your name?
Me: Sarah with an H.
Her: So that's S-h-e-
Me: S-a-r-a-h
Her: S-a....what's next?
Me: R. S long pause A long pause R
Her: S-a-r-s-r-a-h
Me: ........................................................................S.......A......R......A......H.
Her: And what's your daughter's name?

You can use your imagination on how spelling her name went.