Catch Up

Hey, guys, sorry I've been out... We've been hosting Anthony's mom and his Uncle Volker from Germany. Volker is one of my favorite people on this earth, and it just doesn't seem like when someone from that far away is visiting that you should spend your evenings blogging.

We've gone a little crazy in the Hybrid department, too. We got a Toyota Prius. We figured out that if Anthony turns his company car in and charges the company for miles, we actually make money on a hybrid. And we can feel better about our lack of pollutants. So, now we have 4 cars in the driveway - the Highlander, the Prius, the old van (clean and waiting to be sold), and the old company car (to be picked up next week, good riddance).

4 cars, 4 people - the American way, right? Actually, I can't believe we have 2 NEW cars! 2 Hybrids! A co-worker said to me, "The only way you could be more virtuous (cue angel music) is if you buy all your meat at Whole Foods, because they support humane slaughter."

Anthony and Volker have been working on a new compost system for our backyard. All day Sunday they worked on their project while I watched the kids. Normally, this would be something I would look forward to after a few working days except this day the kids were AWFUL! They were whining and crying, sometimes in unison all day. I had to go to the grocery store with them, a chore I usually avoid at all costs on Sundays, but I had no choice since it was our turn to buy Snack for the week for Anna's school. The store was of course crowded with grumpy people pushing hugely laden carts, while my kids whined for candy (which we never buy!) and argued about who go to hold the cracker box. There were 2 cracker boxes, and they both wanted to hold the one the other had. Finally, I put both boxes into the cart and pushed the wailing children through the aisles. Later at home, Anna and I did a neat cooking project that she'd seen on ZOOM - it was fruit smoothie popsicles. After we stacked them all in the freezer, she threw herself on the floor in full blown tantrum because she couldn't eat them NOW! Never mind my clever unbaked cake analogy - she wanted to eat her raw popsicles RIGHT AWAY! What a way to drain all the fun out of a Sunday afternoon project - just in time for all the clean up. Colin refused to nap. It was a day of nonending demands, all proceeded with, "Mommy,..."

Calgon, take me away! At the end of the day, I asked Anthony if my ears were bleeding. Concerned, he checked my lobes, asking if Anna had pulled my earring. "No," I said, "My ears hurt from listening to them WHINE and CRY all day!" If you can get a sinus headache, I had a brat earache. Anth laughed, and Volker said maybe it was the full moon.

Actually, I think it was the lack of sleep from having fun visitors all weekend. Things are better since the routine (early to bed/early to rise) has been reestablished.