Many and Varied Things

We had a long-anticipated visit from the cousins on Sunday, and then we followed it up with a Memorial Day spent wandering about together as a family--first to the wetlands nature trails (which proved, as we had hoped, less pollinated than other parks so that DOB did not spend the entire time dripping), then the "castle park" and winding up at the mall for Orange Julius and the mall playground. Then we went home and everybody played outside until supper time. And after all that, everyone was tired enough that it was almost calm when we read the first chapter of The Hobbit to great acclaim.

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Our internet connection has been spotty for a few weeks, and at some point we realized that the phone line was down, too. We called the company, but were concerned that it might be the phone (which we got for $2 at Goodwill because we don't use the landline, it's just for emergencies and babysitters). It wasn't. Apparently some previous owner had cut the phone line and decided to splice it himself. It's a wonder it had worked for so long.

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I've started making strength training a priority, more for my own sanity than anything else. The trouble is, the only time I'm likely to do it is first thing in the morning. That is also the time when everything is crazy anyways. However, the kids are now mostly able to survive for a short while and I just do the next step in cooking breakfast in between each exercise. On mornings when DOB goes to the gym I do the strength training at home and on mornings when he leaves a little later I go for a walk/jog. I am feeling dedicated enough that I even got workout clothes so I could stop running about town in his old pajamas.

Anyway, after over a month of trying, I can finally do this exercise:

My workout gear is not that fancy. And I am never going to be that thin again. But I am amazed that I can do it at all.

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Dash has an invisible parrot on a stick.

Dot is planning a "Mermaid and Tarantula Show."

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Yesterday we swung by the grocery store to pick up a gallon of milk. And I saw bananas on the way in. But still, I didn't need a cart for that, did I? Then I got to the back of the store, beside the milk, and saw that, after months of absence, they had the $1 ground turkey back in stock. I wanted to get eight packages. My hands were full. It would take too long to get a cart and come back. So I piled them up on top of my purse and held them in place with my chin. It was cold. Very, very cold.