Have you ever seen that episode of Seinfeld with The Soup Nazi? The soup stand has phenomenal soup but you need to order it in just such a way otherwise you're thrown out ("no soup for you!"). This is how I describe the place where I get my eyebrows threaded. The woman does such an awesome job but you have to jump through hoops to get to her. There are like 15 haircut stations at this place and you tell the "receptionist" what you want (haircut, coloring, waxing, threading) and he sends you to a specific station. Lord help you if you didn't hear the number when he initially mumbled it because he will chastise you in front of everyone. My actual eyebrow lady never smiles. In fact I can't confirm if she even has any teeth. The only things she says are "hold here" "thank you" and my personal favorite "mustache too?" Bitch. That one comment sent me on a tailspin which caused me to ask my husband 10 times an hour if I had a mustache.

I would be more upset if my eyebrows didn't look freaking awesome right now.

My husband's back (thunderous applause). There are so many reason why I'm glad he's back but among my favorite is the way he always brings me a glass of ice cold water before he goes to bed. The way to my heart includes but is not limited to tall glasses of ice cold water. I noticed that I watch way more TV when D isn't around. Maybe it's because when he's here I have a partner to help with the kids and just get stuff done in general. When he's not here I feel exhausted by being the only person trying to keep the general momentum of life moving. Luckily the Boy is a great help when the Girl is having a diva tantrum moment. For the past 2 weeks she now insists on holding hands with the Boy during car rides and will want me to look at how lovely it is. (It is really cute but I'm a bit bias). The other night after I put the kids down I made popcorn and watched 2 of my all-time favorites; Amelie and Rushmore. Bliss.

All my other free time in D's absence has been spent rearranging my house. The other night I was talking to my friend Sara and I mentioned that I wanted to move my sofa along the other wall. Famous last words as that simple furniture move turned into a major spring cleaning and room makeover extravaganza. Here are some pictures (click to enlarge):




We spend a good deal of our free time in the basement so I wanted it to look comfy without looking like a ...er...basement. AT the end of the day it's still a basement and there's only so many things you can do.



Family pics including a pic of my mom when she was in nursing school. Is it weird to say that my mom was hot?

Today Sara and I moved the chest from the bedroom into the living room by the entry way.

This is what was there this morning. This is now at the entry of our basement.

I'll take a picture tomorrow after I fix it up.

I think D thinks I'm on crack or something because there's a whole room rearranged every time he turns around.

D flew to Washington today on business. The kids are in bed and Chicago is definitely living up to its nickname The Windy City. I hate being a chicken but the wind is pounding against the trees which in turn cause the branches to hit against the side of the house. It's well after midnight in D.C. which means D is fast asleep. My MSN has been acting up which means no IMs. I'm this close (fingers 2 mm apart) to calling my sister and having her sleep over tomorrow.

By the way, if your screen name for MSN or skype doesn't match your blogger name, how the heck do I know who you are? To the person who keeps trying to add me to skype, I don't think I know you hence I refuse to add you.

My friend has a dog that she carries around like a handbag. She buys it little sweaters because "she's cold". She leaves the TV on Animal Planet when she's gone for long periods of time.

Dude, it's a rat disguising itself as a domesticated animal. I'm pretty sure that Chutney has had bowel movements bigger than this thing.

Now THIS is a dog.

Tom Cruise and Kate-don't-call-me-Katie Holmes had a baby girl yesterday. I understand differences of opinion based on spiritual beliefs however, this whole Scientology "silent birth" thing makes my ovaries hurt.

"Maintain silence in the presence of birth to save both the sanity of the mother and the child and safeguard the home to which they will go. And the maintaining of silence does not mean a volley of 'Sh's', for those make stammerers." ~ L. Ron Hubbard (Founder of Scientology)

During my 16+ hour labor, I had a volley of 'Sh's' but there were a few more letters that followed.

I reselected my template. Thanks Seashells!

I found an old love letter. Well it wasn't exactly a love letter because we weren't even dating but it was one of those letters that when you read again after 13 years you feel that perhaps you missed a few signals. He clearly talks about his unrequited love for another girl but the feel of it... The "I'll miss you more than you'll know..." feel. Sigh. Perhaps the read was heightened by the shriek of The Girl's high-pitched "Maaa! Chutney no tail face-face owie" (translation: Mother, tell Chutney to stop hitting me in the face with his tail).

I used to be a hoarder. I used to keep little mementos and knick-knacks. When I hit 30, something snapped and I realized that I hated clutter. I've purged so much in the past few years but something about these letters makes me feel like I want to keep them. It's not a romantic, still pining away for him feeling They make me feel like a different me, not necessarily a better or worse me, just different. I like that. F.K., if you ever read this, thanks. Thanks for making me feel special despite never being in a room alone with me. Last I heard, your wife was finishing her teaching courses in Chennai. I hope one day you can meet D because I know you'd like him a lot.

My week in review:

This week was Spring Break so I took a few days off to hang with the Boy. Unfortunately I never checked his social calendar which turned out to booked. Between my parents and D's parents the Boy has hardly been home.

This is the 6-foot Easter basket that my dad bought for him.


The dilemma is we don't let the kids play with toy guns at home yet there is now a basket full of projectiles and weapons.

To celebrate our wedding anniversary this past week D took my out for raspberry martinis.


Wednesday, the Boy and I took a road trip to Wisconsin where I dropped him off at D's parent's place.



Grandma Mary sent back cookies.
Pastel M&Ms
Peanut Butter Drops



We took the Girl out for sushi. Earlier in the week when we went out for dinner she was an angel. Our waiter gushed every time she said "Tank you" and "Mo bed peeze". This time she was grumpy and spilled a bowel of miso soup all over herself during a tantrum over wanting more tomatoes.


Here she is mastering chop sticks (before she used them as a weapon.)

This afternoon D, the Girl and I took a road trip back to Wisconsin to pick up the Boy. Grandma Mary lives in the Mecca of outlet malls. It is the promised land for shopping with everything from The Gap to Nine West to Versace. I'm not much of a shopper but there's something about being there that makes me enjoy the experience.

Grandma Mary, just like my parents, spoil the kids to death. I think that's what I'm missing in my life. Someone to periodically cater to all my whims and needs, in addition to plying me with donuts for breakfast.





We were all exhausted by the time we got home. We had dinner and took a little walk before bathtime. My friends called and wanted to know if I wanted to go out to dinner and drinks with them but I declined. Maybe it was the day's activity or maybe it's my age but nothing sounded better then a bubble bath and a good book. I think I used to shy away from admitting stuff like that but I don't care anymore. I'm 33 and I'd rather stay home and read. Deal with it.

Anybody know how to fix it so my sidebar goes back where it belongs???

You'll be my newest best friend (this week).

Thanks so much for all the good thoughts for my mom. She's doing well.

*****

There are a lot of theories why Daylight Savings Time was created. Some say it's so you aren't going to work in the pitch dark of winter. Some say it's because of farmers and milk production. While I'm not sure of the exact genesis of Daylight Savings I can tell you one thing about its originators; they sure as hell didn't have little kids. Don't get me wrong. *I* love the bright sunshine at 6:30 am and the bright sunshine at 7pm. However, the kids want proof of night before they submit to slumber. I feel like I'm in an old Dracula movie when I cover every inch of window in the girl's room with curtains and blankets lest a sliver of light comes in.

*****

D and I saw Thank You For Smoking and we LOVED it. Aaron Eckhardt is wonderful as a Big Tobacco lobbyist whose job requires "a certain moral flexibility." The screenplay was written and directed by Jason Reitman and it is wonderful.

*****

The weekend's been fairly low-key because I have an awful cold. Between the change in weather and the germs the kids bring home I haven't been able to shake it. My voice would sound really sexy were it not for the hacking cough punctuating each sentence.

The Boy started Little League (baseball) and D is one of the coaches. If the Boy continues to play in this league he will eventually be on a team called The Indians. Alanis Morrisette would have a field day with that one.

D and I met with a financial planner this week and he said one of the priorities is for us to make a Will and decide on custody of the kids if something horrible were to happen to both of us. We are lucky that have so many family members on both sides that would be happy to take them. Our parents are both older so I don't think that would be a good long-term solution. I have an an aunt and uncle who adore them and were never able to have kids of their own but they are SO overprotective. Also, they are unable to ever say "no" to the kids. Now that J is married, she may be a good choice although being a parent would mean she would have to do dishes more often than once a week. Something to think about.

Ugh. The Girl just woke up from her nap. She only slept for 20 minutes. DAMN YOU SUN!