The return of Menu Mondays!

Monday: Penne a la Betsy
Tuesday: Meatloaf burgers
Wednesday: chicken enchiladas
Thursday: Jalapeno poppers and salad
Friday: bacon-wrapped shrimp skewers w/ risotto
Saturday: steak and balsamic potatoes


I know it probably won't all get done, but it's worth a shot!

Won't you be my neighbor?

I never knew my neighbors growing up. We moved a lot (9 times in 18 years) and I continued that trend into college and adulthood (12 times in 12 years). But now that I've bought a house, I've always wanted to know my neighbors. I wanted to live in the kind of neighborhood that had block parties, and where everyone know each other. Where you'd often have neighbors over to watch the game, or be over their house for a BBQ ... like something you'd see on any 50s sit-com.

Unfortunately, sometime between being in college and being in the real world, I lost my nerve to actually meet new people. You know, make friends. How does an adult make friends?

About 2 months ago, we got new neighbors. They seem to be very nice people, around our age, with A BOAT and are possibly sports-minded (this is a plus). Also, I think the wife might be pregnant (I can't tell yet, but Hubby says that the husband mentioned something along those lines when they were both out in the yards). But I can't figure out how to befriend these people. When they moved in, I often waited for them to be in the yard sprucing things up and I went out to get the mail (even if I had already gotten it for the day) so that I could make small talk. But now the yard is done and they are rarely outside so it's hard for me -- should I walk over and knock? What do I say?

I have no idea when she's due, so I can't just go over and bring food when she has the baby. And I'm terrified of going over there without a reason. What should I do? What would you do?

Thoughts on a pedicure

I had a pretty bad trip to the dental hygienist yesterday I was poked and prodded and told that I don't brush enough and I don't floss enough and I have three new cavities ... THREE!

So afterward I went to get a pedicure. The salon seemed nice enough, and the tools seemed clean enough. The lady? No good.

An hour later, my toes look like this:




Ouch! Here goes the Neosporin so that hopefully I don't almost lose an appendage like Paula Abdul.

Scenes from a marriage -format borrowed from Slynnro

Me (on the way across the bridge into St Pete to drop off dry cleaning because Hubby is partial to the dry cleaner near my work): oh look, the exits changed. This wasn't like this before while I was working (pointing across the bridge to the lanes going the other way)

15 minutes later, on the way back across the bridge:

Me: traffic's backing up. People must not know what lane to be in because of the lanes

Him: ...

Me (as we pass the exit) we should have been in that lane

Him: Shit. That wasn't like that before

Me: ...

Him: That must have been what the back up was.

Me: ...

Him They should put up signs earlier.

Me: They did

Him: ...



Note to self: add "find new, closer dry cleaner" to my to-do list

To-dos for the next nine weeks

My husband has been home for the last 2 1/2 weeks.

This would normally be a wonderful thing, except that while he's here I feel like we're on vacation and so I haven't been doing much of anything. I don't think I'm supposed to do anything for a few weeks while I'm recovering, but I hate sitting around being idle. One or two days - lovely. Three weeks makes me feel like a slovenly sloth.

While I'm home, I'd like to:

• clean both bathrooms well


• finish the boys' room (and take pictures)


• take The Boy to the playground or to do something fun at least once a week


• attempt to potty-train The Boy


• take good pictures of Turtle and Turtle and The Boy


• find a place that sells the Kindle and can give me a demonstration so I can think hard about whether I want one


• read one book a week (average - I usually read more than that in a week, but then I'll go a week without reading at all)


• watch five movies total that I want to see that Hubby doesn't


• start working out on the Wii Fit a few times a week (and maybe see if The Boy wants to join in)


• go for a walk at least three times a week

This list might be a little overboard, but I'd rather have it out there and hopefully finish than just sit around for the next two months aimlessly.

Parenting woes

I suppose everyone worries about being a good parent.

I'm laying in bed tonight frantic because I worry that The Boy isn't eating enough. We've never pushed food on him, letting him eat as much as he wants, and if he doesn't want a meal we don't make him eat it. He doesn't get substitute food, unless I haven't made dinner and the adults aren't really hungry - then I'll let him decide what he wants. But if I make dinner, he can eat it or not, as well as with any other meal. We don't really do snacks. He doesn't ask for food, ever, so I don't know if he's hungry and not asking, or if he's just not hungry. Lately, he hasn't really been eating much and I worry that he's not eating enough and if that is contributing to his toddler attitude problem.

I'm pretty sure I'm over-doing it on that front, but now I can't stop worrying about it.

Likewise, I'm also worrying that I'm not teaching him enough. Should he know how to draw his shapes by now? He can identify them, but he can't draw them. He doesn't attempt to color in the lines, or draw anything in particular. He can remember all kinds of songs (especially Beatles songs) and has an amazing vocabulary, but should he be reading sight words at all? What should I be teaching him that he's ready to learn?

I think all this is because I'm home on maternity leave so I feel more like a SAHM (which I am not cut out for, BTW), and I'm afraid I'm not being attentive to his needs enough because I'm worried about counting hours on when Turtle should eat, and trying to get him to sleep, and having some serious lethargy and lack-of-hunger problems of my own.

More reading and shopping, and child issues

Yesterday I read Graceling, by Kristin Cashore - an excellent YA fantasy read. I don't really like fantasy, but it was well written and immediately drew me into the story. I was sad when it ended. Kristin Cashore, write more!

We did some hard-core Labor Day shopping yesterday while The Boy was at daycare. I didn't do well with pants or dresses because of that dreaded belly flab from having Turtle two weeks ago, but I did find a plethora of new blouses and A BATHING SUIT. I wasn't looking for one, but I found a pretty aqua one-piece number which is flattering and hides the belly. I also got one dress which is very similar to all my other dresses, but what can I say? I have a style. It just happens to be a 1950s-style-off-white-with-large-black-flowers style.

The Boy has cradle cap. I guess I shouldn't be surprised as he has eczema which requires the occasional prescription ointment for flare-ups, but I didn't know that toddlers got cradle cap. he kept itching his head, and I thought that it was lice (thankfully, no). This week I noticed the scales on his scalp, so this morning we started on a baby oil/fine-toothed comb and scrubbing head bath regiment, and it already looks better.

Turtle has decided that sleeping at night is for losers, so the past couple nights have been a little rough. The silver lining is that I haven't needed my alarm to wake up, right?