One is enough to fill my life with ...

I'm not sure if it has do with Zoe's age or mine or other factors I am not considering, but it seems like lately a lot of people have been asking me about having another child.

Does Zoe have an older brother or sister?

Do/did you want another?

Are you going to have another?

Typically followed by...

Why don't you have another?

Will you ever have another?

Don't you think Zoe would like a little brother or sister?

And after those questions are answered, I am usually given some comment on only children that vary in degree from good to bad, but very few land in the indifferent category.

I don't mind if someone asks me about having more children because I know it is common to have more than one. I accept that as polite conversation on the playground kind of thing. It is the relentless follow-up that gets to me. I mean, I don't go around asking pregnant women why they are having another baby. I don't ask people with 3 kids if they worry about their middle child. And even though I'd like to, I haven't asked my neighbor why on Earth she is having fourth kid. Do you know why? Because it is not my life and not my business.

I know that some faction of the world believes I am denying Zoe something crucial in life by not providing her with a brother or sister, but I don't believe that. I believe I am trying to be the best mother I can be for her -- and to me that includes not having any other children.

Halloween -- a pictorial history

It's that time of year...leaves changing, pumpkins, and of course, Halloween. One of the favorite holidays in our house. What could be better than costumes and candy?

Zoe keeps asking me what she was for Halloween at every age. I wasn't sure I remembered everything so I went back and consulted my photos.

Here's the full history:

2002 First Halloween -- she had two costumes this year because really, is one enough?



She only lasted about 15 minutes in the Hershey kiss costume before breaking down into hysterical sobs, but the cow costume was worn until it didn't fit anymore.


2003 -- The First Flight of the Bumblebee
Also the first time trick-or-treating.


2004 -- The Bumblebee flies again.
The costume still fit so why not?

Next to Zoe is my niece -- that was her first Halloween.



2005 -- The Year of the Witch

This was the first year she chose her own costume. She had to have that witch hat.

2006 -- The Year of the Princesses


2007 -- Argh!
This was the only moment she was actually wearing all the pieces of this costume.

2008 -- A Friend of the Devil

I just realized that I've probably posted most of these photos over the years, but it is fun to look at them all together. I am looking forward to seeing her in this year's costume. I won't give it away so I have something to post on 11/1.

Friday's Lessons Learned: All Work and No Play Makes Me Tired

I've been suffering from work overload lately and therefore I have not been blogging at my usual rate and I seem to have completely stopped creating these lists in the last few weeks. Not good. Time to get back to the blog ... and the bullets.

• There is nothing so anti-climactic than the completion of a large project. All along I always think I am going to feel elation and relief when the project is done, but instead I tend to go into what I think of as my post-project depression. And I realize all the work that I had been neglecting and am swamped all over again. I am hoping that after this weekend I will be over the depression and magically caught up on my work (insert plea to elves here).
• Kids don't love shoes. They may love a pair of shoes, like the sneakers Zoe is currently wearing into the ground, but in general shoes are just annoying even if they are necessary.
• We are going to a family wedding on Saturday and Zoe will be wearing a DRESS. That's right, a dress. A dress that she chose and is actually excited to wear. Keep your fingers crossed that she won't be barefoot (see above).
• Speaking of shoes...I wanted to start hating Zappos because they were bought by Amazon, but I just can't. Especially since they always send me shoes the next day for free and since reading this article on their CEO in the New Yorker. I'd like to work for this guy.
• More about shoes...it is all of a sudden boots season around here. I don't know who flipped the switch, but I would have preferred something a little more gradual. The pool is closed, the heat is on. How can it be winter when we never had summer?? Oh well, I guess I better get shopping for those boots!

Have you seen this? Mad Men on Sesame Street

I love Mad Men, but I have loved Sesame Street even longer...

Alphabet History: A is for Apple Picking

I came across this idea at The Public, the Private and Everything in Between and I'm going for it. The idea is to work through the alphabet in short, memoir-like pieces. Anyone who wants to join in, should!

This time of year always makes me think about apple picking, but one of my favorite apple-picking memories is the time we went when I was pregnant. It was October 2001 -- about a month after 9/11. Some friends invited us to go apple picking and then to go back to their house for lunch. The U.S. was about to go to war with Afghanistan and that was all over the news, but we collectively agreed to turn off the news and not discuss it. It is the first post 9/11 memory I have that does not include fear and I think it may have been the day I started to relax.

I can remember so much about that day -- the perfect Fall weather, the leaves just beginning to change, the smell of the mashed apples, the apple-cider doughnuts, and the chili lunch with a choice of vegetarian and non-vegetarian chili -- just to name a few things. It felt so good to be out in the sunshine and to choose the perfect apples from the trees. As corny as it may sound now I felt like I was doing something healthy for my pregnancy too. As if the act of picking apples was somehow nourishing to the baby.

Like so many random days that end up being permanent memories, it is a day that Rob also remembers well. He keeps a picture on his desk of the two of us standing among the apple trees. You can see that my pregnancy is just starting to show. We both look so young and happy. Every time we've been apple-picking since, we compare it to that day.

Never Enough Hours in the Day

I know there's nothing new in me saying that sometimes it feels like there are never enough hours in the day, but I can't help saying it right now anyway. The days seem to just disappear lately. There are so many things I want to do, read, write, see and I never seem to get to them all. I start and get a quarter or halfway through some things and other things I never even get to look at. I bet you know the feeling. It is so frustrating, isn't it?

Have you seen this? See Jane Work

For those of you out there who, like myself, love stationery and office supplies, you must check out See Jane Work. Oh, and I know you're out there.

See Jane work has amassed a lovely collection of everything you need from mouse pads, to note pads, to tote bags. Why use plain old manila file folders when you can use these?

Why write with just any pen when you can get an entire set of Le Pens? I do love Le Pens!

They even have a nice selection of Eco-Friendly products which is always good.

Life According to Literature Meme

I've been tagged for this one by a few people in blogs and on Facebook. I am finally getting to it...

The rules: Using only books you have read this year (2009), cleverly answer these questions. Try not to repeat a book title. It’s a lot harder than you think!

Describe yourself: Another Mother's Life (Rowan Coleman)

How do you feel: A Blind Man Can See How Much I Love You (Amy Bloom)

Describe where you currently live: Netherland (Joseph O'Neill)

If you could go anywhere, where would you go? Away (Amy Bloom)

Your favorite form of transportation: Unaccustomed Earth (Jhumpa Lahiri)

Your best friend is: Coraline (Neil Gaiman)

You and your friends are: Smart Girls Like Me (Diane Vadino)

What’s the weather like: Labor Day (Joyce Maynard)

You fear: Gods Behaving Badly (Marie Phillips)

What is the best advice you have to give: There's No Place Like Here (Cecelia Ahern)

Thought for the day: Breath (Tim Winton)

How I would like to die: Slumberland (Paul Beatty)

My soul’s present condition: Dog Years (Mark Doty)

Important "meme"

I was tagged by Emily to pass this along and I gladly will. I don't often get political on my blog, but since I don't think of this as a political issue I will jump in with my two cents:

Healthcare should be available to all.

I have been very fortunate to have health insurance most of my life, but I have no idea what I would do for me and my family if I didn't.

Please watch this video and then pass it along. If you are reading this, consider yourself tagged.

... and she's off to 2nd grade!

and she's off to 2nd grade!, originally uploaded by Marcyjill.

Second grade is: Awesome!
New teacher is: Really cool!
First day was: Great!

Can't as for a better start than that, can you?

More photos from the first day here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/marcyjill/sets/72157622228522910/

The Cosmetics Counter: Korres Mango Butter Lipstick

Last weekend I made a pilgrimage to my own personal Mecca, Sephora in search of something ... new. Since I have tried just about every cosmetic out there from eyebrow pencil to lip cream and everything in between, I decided to try a new brand. I selected Korres.

The Korres brand is from Athens, Greece and they are "committed to developing natural skincare, color, and body products that provide maximum results." Sounds like a good philosophy to me. Their products have a lot of appeal in packaging, fragrance, and color pallette. I am a lipstick fanatic so I opted for sampling the Mango Butter Lipstick. Doesn't that just sound delicious?

My color choice was natural purple which is a lovely brownish purple. It is a very sheer, lightweight formula that is also surprisingly long-lasting. The first time I wore it, I thought it wouldn't last more than an hour or so, but I was pleased when it actually lasted a few hours and didn't get dry and sticky in the corners of my mouth.

I will definitely be heading back to Sephora to try more Korres products sometime soon.

Back-to-School

It is definitely that time. It is hard for me to believe it, but Zoe starts second grade on Thursday. We've bought clothes and supplies and a new backpack, we've figured out the first day outfit (of course there will be pictures!), we've examined the class list, and Zoe has even put in her request for a breakfast of French Toast on the first day. I'd say she's as ready as she's going to be.

It is a funny time of year filled with excitement and anticipation for the coming year and at the same time it is hard to let summer vacation go. As much as I may have complained about the lack of structure and schedule, there are parts of it that are really nice and can make an ordinary Tuesday, like today, feel like vacation even if it is just for an hour or so.

When I think back to what a difference a year of first grade made, I can't wait to see what this year brings for Zoe. I think I feel the same way about Zoe growing up as I do about the end of summer. I am both excited and pleased to see her blossoming into her own, independent person and at the same time I look back on the not-so-distant past with nostalgia for the little girl who needed me to wash her in the bath tub and the baby who slept right in my arms as if they were made for that purpose.

Friday's Lessons Learned: Back-to-school edition

Camp (both the Y camp and tennis camp) are over, our end of summer trip to Cape Cod is complete, so that can only mean one thing...it is time to get ready for back-to-school. So, these are my back-to-school prep bullets:

• Zoe is still at the age where going back to school is exciting. She starts second grade this year. Despite my love for summer, after a week of no camp or babysitting, I can't help feeling a bit like this:
  
  
  


• The more backpack choices there are, the harder it is to choose. We went to 3 stores and probably 5 websites before Zoe settled on what is probably one of the most boring options out there. I didn't fight too hard on this one as I was just glad I didn't have to have the same argument as last year because that L.L. Bean backpack barely made it through the summer.
• 
  



• Somehow I knew acid wash jean would be making a come back and here they are! You'll note the site called them "tie-dyed" but having just seen them (and purchased them) I can tell you they are pretty much acid wash. I did love my acid wash jeans so I couldn't blame Zoe for wanting a pair.



• Speaking of pants, I never, in one million years, would have picked out these pants for my daughter. But she picked them out for herself and insists that she is going to wear them so much that I will have to wash them at least once a week. I still have doubts.



• Buying school supplies (notebooks, folders, pens, etc.) is still so much fun. There is so much promise in those fresh supplies. Besides my laptop I only need a notebook and a pen for my own work supplies these days and I miss all the other stuff.



• The bulk of Zoe's summer reading has been done in the last couple of weeks. Do you think that is as effective as reading consistently all summer? Or is it another Bad Mommy moment?



• Every once in awhile I think that I would like to go back to school and then I try to imagine where I would find the time for homework.

Cape Cod weekend

Last weekend I had the great fortune of visiting family on Cape Cod. We had perfect weather and a really nice time on the beach, buying tacky souvenirs, exploring Provincetown, and eating ice cream. As always seems to be the case on the Cape, I got some fun photos which I, of course, am about to share:

This is Zoe with my niece and nephew. I think this shot sums each of them up pretty well.





And speaking of shots that exemplify someone's personality, I think this one is even better of Zoe. I have titled this picture "Fang" because there is something about that toothless yet maniacal grin on her face.



While we were at the beach I noticed the incredible shadows hitting the ground in front of me so I decided to try and capture them. First attempt is here:




And then my brother decided to "help" with my experiment. Brothers are good like that.





Finally a bit of inspiration struck for this shot which I like to call "Venus de Shadow":



Of course there are lots of beautiful things to take pictures of on the Cape so I have a camera full, but a few of my favorites are this:



And this:



This picture also makes me thing of that Lyle Lovett song..."If I had a boat, I'd go out on the ocean..."


And most especially this:

Have you seen this? This is why you're fat

Nope, it is not a dieting site. This is why you're fat is kind of an anti-dieting site actually because it features amazingly fattening foods. In truth a lot of these pictures really turned my stomach, but one or two looked pretty good! Incredible the food combos that people come up with. Plus you can submit your own photo.

Serious School Supplies

I took Zoe shopping for her back-to-school supplies this afternoon. When we thought we had everything on the list in our basket we were going through it to make sure. Zoe was reading the list and I was locating the items.

At the end of the list she asked, "No crayons?"

I scanned the list and confirmed, "Nope, no crayons."

"Wow, that is serious."

Dog Years

I just finished reading "Dog Years" by Mark Doty. To be honest, I bought this book from the bargain table at Barnes & Noble a couple of months ago mainly because I liked the picture of the dogs on the cover and I may have recently watched the movie of "Marley & Me" so I was susceptible to dog stories. However, my expectations weren't high and I anticipated a light, perhaps somewhat maudlin read when I picked it off my shelf last week.

On the contrary, I was completely blown away by this book. Sadly, I am not a talented enough book reviewer to explain why, but I can say that the writing is truly gorgeous and while the subject is rather sentimental it is unbelievably well handled with both tenderness and honesty. Even though you know what happens in this story throughout, the telling is so wonderful that I wished it wouldn't end. Tears fell from my eyes on more than one occasion while reading. Tears for the story, tears for Rob and Spanky, and tears for Chief -- for the love I have for him now as well as the inevitable. It is actually a beautiful love story.

Mark Doty is a poet and that skill is evident throughout this book. Much of the prose is wonderfully poetic in its styling and phrasing. There are also lots of Emily Dickinson quotes as well as others (my favorite is from "The House Dog's Grave").

Even if you prefer cats, I suggest you give this book a read.

Friday's Lessons Learned: On Monday

I seem to be having trouble getting back into the swing of my Friday bullet points, but I still like them so rather than skip them for another week, I've decided to just post them on Monday instead. It is my blog after all so it looks like I can change the rules whenever I want. It is the only place in my life where that is true, so please don't complain much.

Anyway, bullets...

• I really love summer. Now that it finally feels like summer around these parts, I have been quite happy. I like not having to worry about jackets or even sweaters. I like the beach, I like the pool, I like cook-outs and ice cream trucks. Summer is good.
• I really love fall clothes. Despite my enjoyment of the summer weather (see above) I've equally been enjoying the catalogs arriving with fall clothes and the early fall collections that have hit the stores. Unlike buying sandals in March which is just a terrible tease, I don't mind buying fall clothes early. They are probably the only good part about the weather getting cooler. OK, the leaves are nice too.
• Zoe is slowly turning back into a girl. At least a little bit. She has been wearing more of her clothes from the girls department lately. This weekend she wore French braids in her hair. The other day she asked me to help her pick out an outfit that was "cute" and this morning she asked for sneakers that weren't boy's as her current pair are. Of course the current pair are only a few weeks old, but I said yes, she could have a second pair. They are shoes, after all.
  
• I heard on the news early last week that we had just hit the mid-way point of summer. Is that really true? I guess I always think of summer ending when school starts, but really it continues until September 20. In the spirit of extending summer to its true length I've decided we're keeping our pool open until at least the last day of summer and at least once we're going to crank the heater on a day when it really is too cold to swim.
• Chief has a new habit of sleeping on my clothes or shoes. I usually put my dirty clothes on the floor by the door of my bedroom to be brought to the hamper in the morning. Now those clothes are usually covered in dog hair every morning. If I don't leave any clothes he will sleep on my shoes and worst-case scenario he goes over to Rob's side of the bed where there's always some clothes on the floor (ahem!) and sleeps on those.
• Sometimes when I buy something for Zoe that I think she will really like, she doesn't and I am disappointed so it was with trepidation that I bought her a copy of one of my favorite books from my childhood, "Little House in the Big Woods." (BTW, I bought this book on the quest you can read about here and here.) Her initial reaction was to turn her nose up a bit, but when I offered to lie in her bed and read it to her at bed time, she figured it was worth a shot. I am so happy to report that she just loves it. I've decided to read the entire book to her so we've been having lots of fun bedtimes lately. It does my heart good to see her loving this book.
• On the flip side of that, sometime last year I bought Zoe a color book called "Scribbles" which is unique because it is not just a color in the lines book. The pages have parts of drawings with directions like "Its a beautiful day today: draw a bright sunny sky," or "this is a leopard...draw its spots." Great idea, right? Zoe wouldn't touch it. Just last week we had some house guests who brought Zoe a very similar book called "The Girls Doodle Book." It is the same idea, but this time she loves it. She takes this book with her everywhere. I am happy to see her enjoying it, but do feel like telling "I told you so!"

The Summer of Cartwheels

It seems like ever since the local Memorial Day parade, Zoe has been doing non-stop cartwheels. She cartwheeled the entire parade route that day (and wondered why her arms hurt the next day) and has since gotten addicted. She cartwheels in the house, at the bus stop, off the diving board, in the pool, on the sidewalks of NYC -- just about anywhere she can find the space. Lately she's been working on one-handed an no-handed cartwheels as well.

Even though I know I did it too, I can't remember ever enjoying throwing my body around the way she does. I wasn't a cartwheel addict, but I did like rolling down hills, running races, trampoline jumping and just about any kind of jumping or diving off a diving board. These days I would be hard-pressed to do any of the above. Trampoline jumping is still fun, but you can pretty much keep the rest.

When does that change happen in our physical selves? Maybe it never happens for some people, but I think it does for most. Somewhere along the line we stop enjoying the playground and cartwheels and trampolines. Maybe it gets to dangerous or painful or maybe we get too lazy. I don't know. But I do know that I love to watch Zoe and her joy in cartwheels.

Have you seen this? Mad Men Yourself

If you're a fan of teh show Mad Men then you've got to give this a try. On the AMC site you can "Mad Men" yourself!

I had so much fun with this, but I couldn't decide if I would be one of the office girls (that's me in red) ...


Or if I was more of a stay-at-home Mom ...

Have you seen this? Etsy

I'm guessing most of you have seen this site, but I wanted to give it some love by blogging about it.

Etsy.com is a site that sells handmade products of a very wide variety. The handmade products come from around the world as do the buyers. It is a great idea when you think about it. Their mission:

Our mission is to enable people to make a living making things, and to reconnect makers with buyers.

Our vision is to build a new economy and present a better choice:

Buy, Sell, and Live Handmade.

My favorite thing on this site is the "Pounce" feature that allows you to visit "shops" (sellers) that have not yet had a sale or just sold something. It is a fun way to see a random selection of items.

And, of course, I am a big fan of the bags and purses category. I am thinking of ordering this: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=28247124&ref=sc_2

So if you haven't been to this site before, I encourage you to go for a browse.

1 Word

My blogging has been slow lately because life has been busy. I didn't want to go another week without a post so I stole this meme (I wasn't even tagged) from ModernMom.

Here’s how it works: USE ONLY ONE WORD!
It’s not as easy as you might think. Copy and change the answers to suit you and pass it on. It’s really hard to use only one-word answers.

1. Where is your cell phone? purse
2. Your hair? brown
3. Your mother? curly
4. Your father? straight
5. Your favorite food? ice cream (it is one of the 5 major food groups)
6. Your dream last night? none
7. Your favorite drink? diet coke
8. Your dream/goal? happiness
9. What room are you in? bedroom
10. Your hobby? photography
11. Your fear? ill-health
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? content
13. Where were you last night? pizza
14. Something that you aren’t? blonde
15. Muffins? blueberry
16. Wish list item? car
17. Where did you grow up? Connecticut
18. Last thing you did? dinner
19. What are you wearing? pajamas
20. Your TV? on
21. Your pets? sleeping
22. Friends? excellent
23. Your life? hectic
24. Your mood? concerned (is that a mood?)
25. Missing someone? Rob
26. Vehicle? Jeep
27. Something you’re not wearing? pants
28. Your favorite store? Sephora
29. Your favorite color? blues
30. When was the last time you laughed? today
31. Last time you cried? weeks
32. One place that I go to over and over? Loft
33. One person who emails me regularly? Becky
34. Favorite place to eat? NYC

If you feel like it, consider yourself tagged.

A kid's main goals in life

The other night over dinner Zoe shared with me that a kid has three main goals in life. They are:

1. Be happy
2. Get candy
3. Do everything possible

That's a pretty good set of goals for just about anyone, don't you think?

Swimming buddies

It's been another crazy week and tonight I am sneaking away for a long girls weekend so I don't have too much time to blog this week, but there's always time for pictures.

Here's one of Zoe and Chief enjoying the pool. The first time he saw Zoe in her goggles he barked at her like he didn't know who she was. I wonder if they make goggles for dogs??

Harry Potter Hype

I bet most people reading this know that the new Harry Potter movie, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince opened today. There is tons of media attention on this one so it would be hard to miss. A lot of my friends are quiet excited to see the movie and many have already bought tickets for showings this weekend.

I have to admit I am a little jealous over all the excitement.

I somehow missed the initial Harry Potter train and I've never really been able to catch it since. I saw the first movie, but I was kind of underwhelmed. I imagine that is because I never read the first book. I saw the second movie and had the same reaction. By that point Harry Potter had become like a religion and I was turned off so it was too late for me to turn back to book 1. I made the decision to let the train go by.

After all the hype over all these years, I am more put off than ever on reading the books or seeing any more of the movies, but there is something so delicious about a long-awaited film or book that I am envious of the anticipation that has been everywhere and gratification about to come.

So, for all the Harry Potter fans out there -- I hope the movie is great and worth the wait! Eat some popcorn for me.

Friday's Lessons Learned: Back to the Bullets

I skipped my Friday bullet points in honor of Independence Day last week. Actually, I was too busy over-dosing on Wimbledon tennis to write anything. But today we are back to regularly scheduled programming. It's been an up and down week so let's see...

• One somewhat upsetting incident can really kill my productivity for hours at a time. I was on the receiving end of some rather insulting attitude at work this week and it really killed my day yesterday until I could get myself over it and move on. Thanks to those of you who listened yesterday -- I really appreciate it.
• It is much easier to decide what to wear for "before" pictures than it is for "after." Tomorrow I have my final weigh-in for the contest I have been participating in at my gym and they are also going to take the "after" photos. I spent over an hour working out what to wear. Ridiculous! It has been a tough 8 weeks, but the results are just what I was hoping for. And after the "after" photos, I think I am going to get a cappuccino and a muffin because I deserve it!
• I am so glad summer has decided to come to Connecticut. It could be warmer as far as I'm concerned, but I am just glad to wear the shorts and flip flops and to not need an umbrella EVERY day.
• Dogs and boys are a lot alike. Think about it and you will see what I mean.
• Despite wearing sunblock with an SPF of 50 all day every day, Zoe is completely tan after only 2 weeks of camp. Her hair has gotten lighter from the sun and I think in another 2 weeks her hair and skin will be about the same shades. She is just loving camp. If there was ever a kid made for camp, she is it. It is so nice to see her go off with a smile everyday and come home with it too. Don't worry, I'll post more pictures soon.
  

Have a great weekend everyone!

Meme Award

I'm pleased and flattered to report that I've recieved a Meme/Award from a fellow blogger, ModernMom.

To accept this award, I must list 7 personality traits about myself and I must pass this award onto 7 other blogs that deserve such fine recognition for the personalities that they share with the blogging world.

7 personality traits:

1. I am a planner. I make social plans, I make sure to get driving directions, I buy travel books or read online when I am going someplace new. I generally like to think ahead about most things I do.

2. I am very loyal. Friends to the end kind of loyal. But sometimes beyond reason loyal winding me up quite hurt and disappointed.

3. I am shy. I am not quiet, but I am shy. I don't do well meeting or talking to strangers. I find it quite stressful just to call someone I don't know. I will often try to compensate by pretending to be quite confident, but inside I am all kinds of uncomfortable.

4. I try to find the bright side. I complain yes, but most of the time I try to focus on the good things and be happy for those things. I try to put the bad stuff in perspective.

5. I am not patient. When I want something or I want to know something, I want it NOW.

6. I am not serious. I would almost always rather laugh and joke around than be serious and have serious conversations. I was the kid in class with the smart remarks.

7. I am open to trying new things in just about any area except trying new foods. I have worked at being more open with food over the last several years and have come a long way, but no one would ever call me an adventurous eater.

7 Awards/Tags:
1. Emily
2. Becky
3. Tracie
4. Sara
5. Charlotte
6. Heather
7. Courtney

How I spent my July 4th by Chief the dog

Independence Day

Yesterday I was explaining to Zoe why 4th of July is also called Independence Day and it made me think of all the ways she has become independent lately. I hear "I can do it myself" a lot these days and most of the time I welcome it.

Zoe now can:

• Open the car door, get herself into the car, put on her seatbelt and close the car door without any help. Those of you who don't have kids can't imagine what a relief that is and those of you that do, I am sure you know.
  
• Go to the restroom at restaurants without me.
• Wash her own hair and body in the shower without any help.
• Clear her dishes from the table (not that she does it all the time).
• Pick out clothes and put them on -- and sometimes the clothes even match.
• Find the shows she wants to watch on TV.
• Read her own bedtime story (in truth she goes back and forth on this -- sometimes she reads and sometimes I do).

I wonder what's next?

(I had to use the bullet points because I skipped my usual Friday post.)

The 3/50 Project

I just read this post from traciedesigns and I had to share it too because I think it is a great idea.

I'm sure everyone has noticed lots of local businesses disappearing in the last 6 months to a year. I know I've lost a couple of favorite spots (including my beloved Katzenbergs). The 3/50 Project is simple: pick 3 local, independently owned businesses you really like and commit to spending $50 a month in each.

For more info, background and some great statistics, visit the 3/50 Project website.

I'm on board, how about you? If so, spread the word!

Have you seen this? Life.com

Remember Life magazine with all the awesome pictures? Well, it has been reincarnated into Life.com and it is all about the photos. They've broken the images into major categories, but they also have a pretty good search. Each image has options to email, share, rate, print, link and license. You can find images of just about any major event you can think of. Great site for browsing or searching. Very nicely done.

Summer days

Now that we've finally had a few days of actual summer weather I am starting to believe it is real. I just got back from dropping Zoe off at the camp bus and I am filled with longing for my own camper days. I went to day camp and then sleep away camp from the time I was about 6 until I was 13 or 14 and I loved it. I loved the swimming, the arts and crafts, the singing, the campfires, the bad food, the s'mores, the everything. It was all special and unique to summers. To me, that is what summer should be all about and not sitting here at my desk doing the same job like it was any other day.

Growing up kinda sucks sometimes.

Friday's Lessons Learned: It's Friday again already?

I'm not complaining that it is Friday again, I just can't believe how quickly this week went by. I only managed one post between last Friday and this. I hate when that happens. OK, on with this week's list:

• Losing weight feels really good, but having your "skinny" jeans (not as in the style, but as in the ones you can wear on your skinny feeling days) be too big feels downright amazing. I'm just about to start the 6th week of the competition at my gym and it has been a wonderfully motivating experience.
• Nothing scares me like a sick or injured Zoe. On Wednesday of this week she did something to her neck. It hurt her so much that she was crying and couldn't really lift her head. At first I thought it was a muscle strain and then when it wasn't better in the morning my mind started to jump to all kinds of worst case scenarios like meningitis or something like that. I took her to the pediatrician and luckily it turned out to mild whiplash. I have no idea what she did to herself, but I think it was either from jumping on the bed or Chief pulling too hard while she was holding the leash. She's feeling much better now. Phew!
• Saying "Calgon, take me away!" does not actually magically transport you to a luxurious bubble bath, no matter what that commercial says.
  
  
• Chief likes to carry a tennis ball in his mouth where ever he goes. And sometimes around the house he will drop it out of his mouth and let it bounce up so he can catch it. I never saw a dog do that before. Have I mentioned that he's a great dog?
  
• Meteorology is a lost art.

An ABC Meme

Got this one from Queen Emily, of course. She says is really one of those Facebook quizzes, but I like it better for the blog.

You are supposed to write a note with the ABCs of YOU. (Consider yourself tagged if you'd like to do this one.)

A - An advantage that you have: White & college-educated.

B - Blue or brown eyes: Sometimes mine are blue and sometimes they are green, but Zoe has beautiful brown eyes that look like candy drops.

C - Chore you hate: Changing the sheets. Actually I hate the entire process. I hate pulling the sheets off the bed, I hate washing the sheets, I hate folding sheets, and I hate putting new sheets on the bed. I don't mind regular making the bed though.

D - Dad's name: David. It is interesting to note that he has no middle name.

E - Essential start of your day: Brushing my teeth

F - Favorite color: I don't have a favorite, but I am not often drawn to yellow.

G - Greatest thing you've ever done that made you feel really good: Almost every year for Zoe's birthday party I ask party guests to make a donation to Save the Children instead of bringing a gift. We've raised a few thousand dollars over the years.

H - Habit you have: iPhone. Not sure if that is a habit or a way of life.

I - Issue you hate that the world tries to make you pursue: Jon and Kate Plus 8. Who really gives a crap?

J - Job title: Senior Project Manager

K - Khols or Target: Target all the way. I rarely go to Khols of my own volition.

L - Living arrangements: House in Fairfield, CT that I share with my husband, my Mom, Zoe and our newest resident, Chief.

M - Music you like: The music they play on the Sirius Satellite station, The Spectrum and classic 80's New Wave.

N - Nicknames: No one really calls me by a nickname anymore, but in the past I have been called Mertz, Marsh, Mars, and M

O - Overnight hospital stay other than birth: Hernia repair surgery

P - Pet Peeve: When people say "FYI." I don't mind it as much in an email, but when someone actually says it, I find it highly irritating. Close second to that is when people sum something up by saying "it is what it is."

Q - Quote that you like most: "Leap and the net will appear."

R - Right or left handed: Extremely right-handed

S - Siblings: One, his name is Jon.

T - Time you wake up: 5:30 AM

U - Underwear: Yes.

V - Vegetable you dislike: broccoli

W - What makes you run late: Rob

X-rays you've had: Right foot (after dropping a heavy stapler on it), pelvis (after falling down icy stairs), face (after bad fall while playing basketball), and teeth.

Y - Yummy food you make: Several different kinds of cookies including Linzer tarts, macaroons, and peanut butter.

Z- Zoo Animal- I'm partial to the giraffes.

Friday's Lessons Learned: A Week in Photos

This week I am too lazy and exhausted to write full bullet points so I am relying on pictures. We all know how many words they are worth, right?

• I was finally able to catch a photo of one half of the cardinal couple that frequent my bird feeder. This is Ruby:
  
  Her mate, Carmine, is still camera shy.


• Zoe was into crazy outfits this week. Yes those are socks on her hands, and yes that is her underwear over her pants.
  
  



• Chief likes to sleep on the floor next to my side of the bed with his "baby." He is probably the best dog, ever.
  
  



• We had another visit from the Tooth Fairy this week. Zoe lost her first top tooth and now has that jack-o-lantern look!
  
  



• Yes, you may have noticed there are no pictures of Rob this week. He's been too busy working his crazy summer schedule to participate in any of my photo shoots, but I will share that my excellent friend Heather has started a hysterical new blog called Rob hates blogs about him. Anyone out there who wants author rights, let me know.
  
  

Have you seen this? The MP3 Experiment

I read about this a couple of weeks ago on David Pogue's blog. He gives an excellent description of the day from a participants point of view. But, better still is this video:

Hail to my Chief

Chief the dog came home to us at last. He's finally all recovered from his surgery and now he's all ours. The first night was a little tough because he was quite nervous, but by midday today he seemed to start relaxing. We had a few nice walks and he spent a good deal of time sleeping under my desk while I worked. I loved that! Zoe had some fun throwing the tennis ball for him and in general just showing him off to the neighbors and enjoying having a dog. Tonight he's been following me from room to room which is pretty funny.

Only 2 things concern me. The first is that he has a tendency to nip when he's nervous and because he is a bigger dog, that is a bit scary. The second thing is that he was clearly never trained to walk on a leash. Our last walk tonight was me being taken out for a drag. I think both of those things are surmountable issues which we will begin to tackle tomorrow. And despite those issues, it is definitely a love match here in our house. I think Chief and his new family are going to be very happy together.

I wonder if this means I should change my blog to ChiefsMom?

Friday's Lessons Learned (Or who wore what this week)

• When I tell Rob he looks like a gas station attendant, he seems to think that is a good thing. I know he doesn't have a desk job, but does that mean he must always go out looking like he's going to lay down under a car all day? [Obviously, the answer is yes.]
  
• I will never be able to predict what Zoe wants to wear. I must never, ever assume. (I am still holding my breath that she will actually wear the dress tomorrow.)
• I am no longer capable of keeping all the dates I need to remember in my head. Feels like tt is getting to the point where I need calendar entries for brushing my teeth. I try very hard to put everything important into my calendar, but if I forget, oy. Not sure if I am busier or just have less room/capabilities in my brain.
• It is very hard to take a picture of birds. I am considering setting my camera up on the tripod and taking pictures on a timer. If I can figure it out.
• Turns out Rob has a broken arm! Man that Zoe is tough. He'll be fine, he just needs physical therapy -- no cast or anything.
  
• The more I think about how much Rob hates it, the more I blog about him.
  
• The promise of pizza and wine make for short blog posts.
  

Have you seen this? 2009 Webby Awards

There is a fantastic montage from the 2009 Webby Awards available on YouTube. Winners had to give a 5-word acceptance speech. There were some good ones and some lame ones, but they are short enough to check out.

Start with Seth Meyers' opening monologue to set the stage. (It is longer than 5 words, though.)

The Dress

On Saturday we have to go to a First Communion and it occurred to me this past Sunday evening that my daughter the tomboy has absolutely nothing appropriate to wear. I explained the situation to her and told her we'd have to find something.

At first I suggested one of the 3 or 4 dresses (purchased in the pre-tomboy days) already hanging in her closet, but those were categorically rejected. She did not want to wear a dress.

Then I thought of skorts. There are many adorable skorts out there and with the right top, they make a cute outfit. Plus, they are as comfortable as wearing shorts. It took a little doing, but I managed to sell Zoe on the skort idea.

Monday after school we headed right out to the stores. This was my only chance for shopping and I explained that to Zoe along with the fact that whatever we pick out she will have to wear. She made it clear to me that she was clear so into the first store we went.

There were a number of skorts in the first store, but Zoe was not overly fond of the ruffles. Then she decided that a white skort would be good, but we couldn't agree on a top. Looking back on it, I should have said OK to the purple heart t-shirt and have been done with it, but live and learn.

In store number 2 we found a really adorable aqua blue paisley printed skort with a cute aqua t-shirt which looked absolutely adorable on Zoe. I thought we were set until we were leaving the dressing room and she said she wanted to show me something else. She brought me over to a dress. A polo shirt type of dress. It was OK. Not really as cute as the aqua outfit and it was a DRESS. I had her try it on and she still wanted it.

"But you have a dress just like this at home," I told her.

"I like this one," she said admiring herself in the mirror.

Sigh.

So, I bought the dress with the stipulation that we look in one more store. The third store had absolutely nothing Zoe would even consider. We went back to the first store because I was hoping the white skort might change her mind again, but no such luck. So we're going with the dress.

Now I am just holding my breath until Saturday morning to see if she actually wears this dress without a fight. Maybe I should go get that skort and t-shirt just in case...? But what kind of message would that be sending? Oy.

Friday's Lessons Learned

I'm really enjoying these Friday bullet point posts. Hope you are too.

• Unless I get up before 6am and go directly into the bathroom, no matter what time I want to get in the shower, Rob will somehow get there first.
• Zoe has some kind of strange weekend sensor that causes her to wake up very, very early on weekend mornings, but on weekday mornings an air horn is required to wake her. (Actually I know a lot of other kids do the same thing and I think it is because we tend to let them stay up later on weekend nights, but a 6am Saturday morning wake-up is a cruel payback.)
  
• I prefer my home office to a windowless conference room even if there are live people in that conference room.
• The lilacs have come and gone already and I completely missed them. It is because of all of this damn rain. It ruined my lilacs. One of the few flowers I can actually name. Not sure, but I think this is the rainiest Spring we've had in a long time. It really needs to stop raining every other day now. Right now. Seriously.
• Keeping up with my work email is a lot like being pecked to death by a chicken. (Thanks Becky for reminding me of that perfect metaphor.) I am starting to think I may need to turn into one of those people who only checks email at set times so that I may get other work done besides answering emails. Yeah, I doubt I'll do it too.
  
• Ever since our Mother's Day night viewing of "Sound of Music" Zoe has been watching it over and over. Tonight I convinced her to branch out into some new musicals so we're trying "Annie." It is not the best of the movie musicals, but it is age-appropriate and I loved it when I was her age. I'll let you know what she thinks.
  
• You probably know how much I have been loving my bird feeder because of all the bird visits it brings, but this week I had the best visit of all. For most of Monday there were 2 baby birds sitting in the bird feeder and the mommy bird was showing them how to eat. At first she was putting the food in their mouths and then she was watching while they picked the food up themselves. I wish I had filmed it.

My final two bullets are pictures:

• Love sleeping Zoe pictures, but I especially love sleeping Rob and Zoe pictures. They look so much alike in this picture.
  

• Last, but certainly not least, I would like to introduce you to the soon-to-be newest member of my family. Ladies and gentleman, I give you Chief!
  

He's recovering from a little surgery right now, but he should be home with us by next week. We can't wait!

The All About Mememememe Meme

I was tagged by the Queen herself for this one!

Rules: Try to answer the following questions, and leave your answers in the comments section. If you feel like it (unless I've tagged you. Then you have no choice), create ten questions of your own with multiple choice answers (or use my questions and create your own answers. Or use some of my questions. Or use some of my answers. See how easy I am?) and ask people to see how well they know you. Tag five others to do the same.

1. Where was ZoesMom born and raised?
a. New York
b. Connecticut
c. Texas
d. New Jersey

2. What is ZoesMom's favorite food?
a. Vegetables
b. Hot dogs
c. Pizza
d. Candy

3. How old is Zoe?
a. 5
b. 8
c. 7
d. 9

4. What is Zoe's most beloved stuffed animal?
a. Snoopy
b. Teddy
c. Uglydoll
d. Eeyore

5. What does ZoesMom most love to shop for?
a. shoes
b. bags
c. make-up
d. all of the above

6. It's Saturday night and ZoesMom has babysitting...what is she doing?
a. going to dinner and a movie with Rob
b. going to a rock concert
c. rockclimbing
d. hanging at a sports bar

7. It's dinnertime, what is ZoesMom most likely making?
a. reservations
b. grilled chicken and veggies
c. lasagna
d. whole wheat pasta with home made pesto

8. Zoe's favorite 7th birthday present was...?
a. clothes
b. Barbies
c. SpongeBob Squarepants Operation (game)
d. Magic kit

9. What book changed the reading life of ZoesMom?
a. Pride and Prejudice
b. The Hotel New Hampshire
c. Crime and Punishment
d. The Fountainhead

10. What other blogger introduced ZoesMom to Emily of Telecommuter Talk (aka Queen O' Memes)?
a. traciedesigns
b. Charlotte's Web
c. Musings from the Sofa
d. It's Sara With No H

Extra Credit:
What does ZoesMom have on the window near her desk that provides lots of nice distraction from her work?
a. a bird feeder
b. windchimes
c. sun catcher
d. artwork from Zoe

Have you seen this? Photoshop Disasters

This one's especially for Tracie ...

Have you seen the blog Photoshop Disasters? If not, I highly recommend you check it out. It is both entertaining and educational. No one is safe from this site. Love it.

More video that will make you cry

This is a clip of a song from A Chorus Line being performed by the original cast. It's fabulous.

Friday's Lessons Learned

Another week gone by. Here's another list...

• I don't think I am actually capable of maintaining 2 blogs and 2 Twitter presences. As much as I want to keep on writing for my Make-up 101 blog, I am facing the fact that I am just too busy. I can barely post often enough on this one blog. So, I will be putting Make-up 101 on hold until some other time when I can really commit to making something out of it. In the meantime I will post any make-up reviews, etc. on this blog in case anyone's interested in them because just because I won't be blogging and tweeting about make-up doesn't mean I won't be helping to support Sephora's P&L.
• I think I really should consider a move to a warmer climate. It seems like the warmer the weather, the better I feel. Or maybe I am just feeling miserable about the fact that it is late spring and it has been 55 degrees and raining all week?
  
• Zoe has hit the age where it is fun to eat dinner at friends' houses. She ate at her friend Dominic's house last night and I'm not sure, but I think it is the highlight of her year.
• This was a short work week, but it felt really long.
• A good iPhone app can really make your day. I discovered FantasyLens last night and have been having a ball with it. Below is my creation from this morning. I call it "Rob Washington." I am sure I will be busy with this all weekend.
  

Rob Washington, originally uploaded by Marcyjill.

Images of a holiday weekend

I didn't take a lot of pictures this weekend even though I was hoping to. Even so I think I managed to capture enough to sum up the long weekend.



This is a picture of Zoe at her school's "Patriotic Day." All the grades sing songs about the U.S. and it is done every year on the Friday before Memorial Day. It is very cute, but it is also very crowded. This picture was taken at the end when the students were headed back to their classes. This was the only photo opportunity I had because it was so crowded.



Zoe and her friend Dominic. I took them to the playground on Saturday and they played for 2 hours without coming up for air. They were so darn cute I wish I'd taken video.



Rob in the ER after slamming his shoulder while playing basketball with Zoe in our driveway. Also important to note that this was taken AFTER he was given percocet for the pain.



Zoe marched in Fairfiel's Memorial Day parade on Monday morning with The Little Gym. She did cartwheels for the entire parade route. Again it was very crowded so this was the only picture I managed to get.



Zoe insisted on swimming this weekend despite the fact that the pool water was still too cold. Heater or not, sometimes there is only so much you can do. This was taken just before she jumped in for her first swim of the season. She lasted in the water for about 15 minutes before she came out with blue lips.

Friday: Lessons Learned (posted Saturday)

I actually wrote this yesterday, but I was so tired I clicked "Save" instead of "publish."

• I can go 5 days (and counting) without eating any candy. It hasn't been easy, but so far so good.
• A really great haircut only comes along once in awhile. I love the Kimberly my hairdresser and she always does a really good job, but the cut I got this week is particularly great. At least in my opinion.
• Zoe has pretty good taste in boys. This week I invited her friend Dominic over for a play date. Dominic is a frequent topic of conversation in our house and it is clear that the two of them like each other in a way that if they were 15 and not 7 I might be concerned. Up until this week I hadn't really spent time with Dominic, but it turns out he is a very sweet and adorable little boy. He and Zoe have a great time together.
• I can run on the treadmill faster than I thought. At least for a minute at a time. I tried an interval workout this week and I surprised myself. That felt good.
• I hate to brag, well no, I love to brag about Zoe. She's doing great in school. This week we got results of comprhensive math and spelling tests and on both tests she only got one wrong answer and each was due to careless mistakes. Plus she takes basketball after school and the coach told me that she is one of the best. She's the only girl in the basketball class and clearly that does not stop her.
• Insecure people will try to take credit for your work which is why it is important to put your name on everything. I was quite happy I do that this week.
• Looking forward to a 3 day weekend with very few plans is a marvelous thing.

The Sartorialist

Have you seen The Sartorialist blog?

If you love fashion or really good fashion photgraphy and you haven't seen this blog, you should.

The thing I love about this blog is that it is mostly pictures of real people. Not just models. I love to see the way some people truly rock their own style. That's how I look in my dreams. And, wow, do the Parisian women wear amazing shoes. Makes me drool!

So, seriously, if you haven't seen this blog, go now. Add it to your feeder. Look at it regularly. Enjoy.

Please, tell me how it ends

On Saturday night my mom graciously agreed to babysit for Zoe while Rob and I went to see Star Trek and then get dinner. I wasn't dying to see the movie, but Rob really was so I figured I would be a good pal and go along. About 85% into the movie (i.e. the climax) I look over and see Rob answering his phone and from the caller ID I know it is Mom. I know immediately this cannot be good news and, of course, it is not. Out of nowhere Zoe has a fever of 102. We immediately left the movie theater and headed home to take care of Zoe. Poor kid has been burning fever off and on since last night. It was kind of a rough night, but it seems like it is just a virus though because she has no other symptoms and the fever is down to 100 without Motrin.

Earlier tonight my mom suggested we should go back and see Star Trek again. Nope. The movie was OK, but I think I'll just wait for someone to tell me the ending. I definitely couldn't stay awake for it tonight and I'm not giving up another $10.50 and another 120 minutes to Captain Kirk or Spock. Maybe for Bones. He was kind of cute, but, nah, not worth it. So, if anyone out there can tell me how it ends once Kirk is beamed back to the Enterprise from the ice planet, I would appreciate it.

Friday Lessons Learned

• Do not tell your husband you don't want to make a "big deal" out of Mother's Day because he will translate this to mean "I don't have to do anything at all."
• The moment I put away my winter sweaters, I will have to take one out again because of the sudden drop in temperature.
• I am a sucker for every new flavor of sugarless gum that comes out. I try them all.
• I own a lifetime supply of cosmetics bags -- most of which I got free as some kind of "bonus." Even though I clearly don't need all these bags and haven't even used most of them, every time I try to throw some out I can't be parted from them.
  
• No amount of age-appropriate explaining can make a 7 year-old understand what was so bad about the Nazis and why Captain Von Trapp did not want to become one. This doesn't, however, stop said 7 year-old from asking about the Nazis constantly. (Was watching Sound of Music a good idea? Yes, I still think so.)
• Finding a pair of dirty socks in the bed when changing the sheets is yucky.
  
• My house averages 2 computers per resident.
• A husband in the "dog house" for neglecting Mother's Day is temporarily very helpful around the house and with the child.
• Any given morning that I want to sleep late, is the morning that Zoe will get up unusually early thereby making it impossible for me to sleep late.
• An evening with intelligent women friends is the perfect antidote to boy problems, hectic work weeks, and generally any other annoyance.
  

Nuns

Last night I introduced Zoe to one of the greatest musical movies of all time, "Sound of Music." She was hesitant about watching it, reluctant to give up iCarly for something Mom said is good, but I pulled out the old bribe card and told that if she liked it, she could stay up past her bedtime to watch.

I knew she was going to love it and I was right. She was hooked before the Reverend Mother finished singing "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?" and didn't tear herself from the TV until the Von Trapps had fled the Nazis.

You know the scene when the Von Trapp children go to the abbey to look for Maria after she ran away because the Baroness says all that nasty stuff to her? While we were watching that scene Zoe said to me, "Why do the call them nuns?"

"I don't actually know," I replied. "But I am sure we can find out."

"They should be call hundreds," Zoe said.

"Hundreds?"

"Yes, because of how much they love God. Hundreds. Not none."

I couldn't answer because I was holding back the laughter. Luckily the Reverend Mother started singing "Climb Every Mountain."

Friday list of things learned

• I should never leave an open bag of those soft peppermint candies next to me on my desk while I am working because then I will eat way to many of them and get a stomach ache.


• Cardinals seem to eat a lot more birdseed than the chickadees were eating.


• I can actually name 4 species of birds without having to look them up in my Birds of North America book. (Cardinals, Blue Jays, Chickadees, Starlings)
  


• Zoe thinks chess (as in the game of) which she has been learning to play all school year in her school's chess club is pronounced "chest." As in, "I have a chest club tournament tomorrow." It is giggle inducing.


• Figured out how to create my own ringtone for my iPhone. My ring is now Zoe saying "ring, ring, ring! pick up the phone already (repeat)"
  


• I can conduct a conference call with my entire work team from my car while parked in the Stop & Shop parking lot.


• Telling a 7 year old that she is being a cry baby is actually not an effective way to get her to stop crying. (Bad Mommy moment #437)
  

Magic

A magic kit was high on Zoe's birthday wish list this year and she ended up getting 2 very nice kits with lots of different magic tricks. Luckily she did not expect the magic wand that came with kits to actually "do" the magic. That actually happened to my brother when he was a bit younger than Zoe is now. He was completely devastated when he realized there was no actual "magic" in his magic kit or his wand and that he had produce it all himself. I don't have many memories of my brother crying, but that one stands out. As a matter of fact I made sure Zoe did not believe this before I told anyone she wanted a magic kit. I didn't want to witness that heartbreak twice.

The tricks, are the same tricks that were in the magic kits when I was kid -- the red ball in the egg cup, the magic quarter in the box, the string that splits in half, many variations on card guessing, etc. It is still really fun stuff that is pretty simple. It is all in the presentation.

A couple of weeks ago my father spent an entire afternoon helping her learn how to do the tricks and about the performance aspects of magic tricks. Zoe loved it. My father is now her number one assistant and she is practicing these tricks all of the time. So, this week when she had to bring in something for "sharing" (why can't they call it "show-and-tell" anymore??) I suggested she do one of her magic tricks. At first she wasn't sure, but finally she decided to bring in the quarter in the box trick and apparently it was a very big hit at school. It is one of those moments that I wish I could have been there to see, but I know my presence would have affected her ability to perform the trick. Luckily, I can get my own magic show anytime I want. Perhaps I will consider Zoe for entertainment at my next birthday party...

Mother of the Year

Besides my handmade cards from Zoe, this is the best mother's day card ever.

Watch this (updated link).

Then, send one to all the moms you know.

Thank you momsrising.org for making my day!

Time

There's never enough time. I feel it all of the time. Days just disappear. So often I feel like one minute I am pushing Zoe to get up, get dressed, eat breakfast, get to the bus stop and then five minutes later I am pushing her to finish her homework, eat her dinner, get in her pajamas, and go to bed. It can be an exhausting treadmill. (Actually, time on the treadmill goes very slowly, so that's not really the right metaphor.)

I don't know what my point is except to say I wish I could feel like I had some more time sometimes.

What I have learned this week

After having fun with last week's post, I've decided to create a new Friday feature of bullet points of what I've learned for the week.

• Any discussion of head lice will cause my own head to itch -- one hour for every minute of conversation.
• Some people will just always be late. Always.
  
• Traveling with GPS is good because you don't have to think too much about where you are going. It is also occasionally eerie when you realize you don't really know where you are and you are just driving on this particular road in this particular direction because the little box on the dashboard said so.
• It is impossible to feel normal in any way while in a room with a dead body. (I attended a wake this week.)
• If you are not sure what to write in a card, the internet can be surprisingly helpful.
• iTunes is awesome -- except when you want to move your library from one computer to another, then it is not so awesome.
• Hamburgers just taste better when someone else makes them.
  
• Mother's Day cards only seem to fall into two categories -- overly floral and sappy (i.e. "you are the greatest mother that ever lived and deserve to have rose petals strewn at your feet") or juvenile cartoons that feature sentiments about laundry and cooking (i.e. we'd have starved and gone naked without you Mom, why don't you lie down today? -- but just today.)
• Repair men who cannot move their eyes above chest level while talking to me should be run over with their own trucks.
• I am generally a neat and tidy person, but I have trouble keeping certain drawers in a state other than a complete jumble. It is my secret sloppy shame.
  
• A gray and rainy Friday is still a Friday and therefore a good thing.