Monday, September 10, 2007

Transitions, and FINALLY Some Downtime for Me

Eric had a birthday party yesterday. We had over 50 people here and there were at least 20 kids running around my backyard. A lot of the people from our daycare don't really live here. They're here for a couple of years, and live in Harvard owned housing and then they move on. Or they're still living in the condo they bought before they had kids. So our house with our huge strangely shaped back yard is a bit of a surprise for them. I get a little embarrassed about it. I love my house and there isn't a day that goes by that I don't feel incredibly grateful to live in such a spacious, beautiful home. It took ten years worth of real estate finagling to get to this place. But it was oh so worth it. Sometimes I feel a little awkward when people compliment it. I don't want to sound snooty, but I am very proud of it. There is a fine line there.

The party was wonderful. I made a gluten free lemon cake that went down very well among the preschool and adult set. I also made some gluten free chocolate cupcakes that went down smooth as well. The food was more challenging than we did for similar parties in previous years. I usually made a few dishes and let the guests bring whatever they wanted. However, we had to stipulate that the party would be gluten free, so I had no idea what people would come up with. I made a couple of ziti's and a few pounds of my favorite maple balsamic grilled chicken and a couple of green salads. I also made mini pizzas with gorditas (thick corn tortillas). People brought fruit, salads and all kinds of foods that they knew would be safe. We cut it closer than usual in terms of the food. There was about a spoonful of ziti left and one mini pizza and that was about it. I had to make scrambled eggs for dinner because we were out of food.

And in other news, I am finally getting a break. Kaylee started family daycare today and I am thrilled. We went over to the woman's house, and I filled out the same contact information on about ten different forms while she played. Then I said goodbye! and walked out the door. I paused on the porch to see if there was any yelling and there was none. Technically I shouldn't need any childcare. But so many days I'm interacting with them from six in the morning until six at night. I can't do laundry, dishes or anything. In Kaylee Brain, a pile of laundry to be folded (assuming I can get it in and out of the Death Trap Basement with a completely mobile 16 month old) is a pile of laundry that would look much better strewn about the house. Dirty dishes? Mommy an open dishwasher is a Bad Thing! I don't care if the trays are open. I must close it now. Well, you get the idea.

The closest thing I got to a break was when K took her nap from 1-3 while Eric demonstrates what it is like to spend time with a non self directed four year old. He just can't entertain himself at that time of day. I can't blame him. He hasn't seen me for four hours and wants to play with ME. Rich is gone 12 hours straight most days and I was getting pretty miserable. So, she'll do 4 mornings per week and I think this will be a good thing for everybody. I'm supposed to be doing some writing during my down time. If I can't come up with a manuscript I can submit by next September, I have to get a job. That's the deal I made with myself.

So, things are basically good. Nighttimes have been tough. Kaylee wakes up crying a few times per night until we manage to force some ibuprofen into her. She used to just suck it down, and as of last week she HATES it. Her molars are gradually deciding to make an appearance, and cause her pain in the night. Plus with the change in weather Eric has been waking up at 5:30 again. He's been doing this whether he goes to bed at 7 or 8. So, I'm a little fried at the moment and am most grateful for this time alone.

The laundry pile is shrinking as I type. If you're really quiet, you can hear it melting away in a gentle whirring rhythm.

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