Happy Days

On Friday we went to "A Day Out with Thomas." It was good to see him. David recognized all of Thomas' friends, but still refuses to watch the PBS show. I keep trying to make him watch it because he loves all of the engines, but the monotone British accent scares him.

Gram took us on our adventure. And it was the start to a fun filled weekend.

At halftime of David's soccer game my friend Keitha picked me up to go to Tulsa. She drives a natural gas vehicle and so finding a pump was an adventure.
But we got there. Which is a good thing because my friend Jessica was in town to turn the big 3-0. I was so happy to celebrate with her and other old friends.

I got to meet her little boy for the first time. I've seen pictures, but the real thing was so much better. After David's soccer game, Keith had taken the boys to his parents house in Broken Arrow. Then, he met me for a date and our first night away in four years!

We enjoyed a leisurely breakfast at the hotel on Sunday morning. We met Keith's parents and the boys at church afterward. They sure do know how to show two little boys a good time.

Because I knew they were in great hands, I wasn't even that worried about how they had fared. So, this is probably the most relaxed I have looked in years on a Sunday morning before church.

Should I renew?

I have several renewal notices that are piling up right now. I love getting new magazines in the mail. Primarily because they are something only for me that can be completed. I can read all of the articles in a day or two. And as every mom knows, completing any task feels good. I keep them under my couch. I'll take little breaks from time to time and wallow on the carpet reading as the boys play around me.
Except the glossy pages have been leaving me feeling guilty and frumpy. If I hadn't received last month's Parents I would never have known that the boys were sorely lacking seafood in their diets. The wheels start turning in my brain as I think about how I can make striper more palatable. I want my kids to make good grades in high school, thus the Omega 3's and DHA's are vitally essential. I should have started serving a weekly fish dish years ago. Perhaps I could just hide some shrimp in a fruit roll up.
Then, I flip the page and see a spread on how to workout in thirty minutes using your baby as resistance. I turn and see Drew lugging around a bucket of animals. Holy cow- surely they have to be kidding me. The amount of time it would take to catch Drew and talk him into being my dumb bell alone would take a good fifteen minutes. I imagine myself with mannish, bulging biceps after hoisting close to forty pounds of "baby" in the air and quickly stuff the magazine back under the sofa.
Don't even get me started on In Style. That monthly gem keeps me feeling decidedly Out Of Style. The 80's permed look would have to come back along with neon and stirrup pants, for me to ever have cool hair. I foolishly get my hopes up every time there is a Splurge/Steal page until the items under "Steal" are still all over fifty dollars. I've snuck twenty dollars worth of Old Navy in the house before. How I am I supposed to justify an eighty dollar sweater?
This next year I may just stick with Everyday Food. It's a collection of straightforward recipes sans any guilt or judgement.

Puppy goes to school and pea sandwiches

Yes, Blue Hank is still faithfully riding in David's backpack to school. Also going to school is...DREW!

He begged, they had a spot, Keith and I talked, and we tried it out on Tuesday. He has done much, much better than I had hoped. I asked them to call me if he got really upset. It's just not worth it to me if he's not going to have fun and if I have to drag him kicking and screaming. Drew did pretty well until nap time. So I got him. And he napped at home. And I did the same today. His school is five minutes away, and I consider him staying a big victory. We'll work up to the napping thing when he's more comfortable.

It just goes to show us that Drew will do most things that David does. Like eating pea sandwiches. David stumbled upon this recipe when I made meatloaf and mashed potatoes last week. He only wanted to eat the rolls and peas so he put them together and declared it "delicious." Then, when we were having peas a few nights ago, he requested bread and ketchup. Drew ate whatever we were having, glanced over, and demanded the remaining ingredients as well so he could make one.

I tried to get a good "Drew's first day of school" pic this morning. But Drew was feeling a little nervous and just wanted to get his lunch out to eat at home. Drew got out of my car happily though and although "a few tears" were reported, he told me that, "he had fun at school!"