wildflowersoul

I took West to a Hillary Clinton rally (and Elizabeth Warren was there, too! Their first joint appearance since June!) on Monday. I figured I'd give the run-down of the day here for posterity's sake.

We got there around 8:30, "doors" were at 10:30 ("doors" being security check started then, because it was outside), and it was supposed to start at 12:30. It didn't start until 1:00 (if not after that, I didn't check the actual time, but it started super late).

It was a gorgeous day, and the couple of hours of waiting before we went through security were not bad at all. The guy in front of us in line eventually had his daughter join him, she was four, so she and West goofed around and played together in line. They ended up standing next to us at the actual rally, too, and West and the girl drew pictures together during that long wait, too.

We were so close to the stage! We were right up at the barrier, and were in front of where everyone walked up onto the stage. I'm going to append a couple of pictures I found online of the rally that show us!

It ended around 2:15. I didn't want us to have to pee during the rally, so we ended up being completely parched and hungry by the end. I gave West a peanut butter sandwich at 10:15, because I wasn't sure if they'd let any food in (turned out they did, but we were so squished in that there wasn't enough room to attempt to eat anything), and we shared a bottle of water before going through security, because they didn't let any liquids in. It was surprisingly hot in the sun, so by the end we were so hot and thirsty, and West was losing it. He was great for so much of the day, but he became a total bummer exactly when the event actually started, and he was pouting and flopping all over me and trying to sleep through the speeches. He perked up after it was done and I got some food and water into his face, and he said it was awesome.

Anyway, it was pretty exciting. There was such a happy excited air about the whole event, and everyone was so psyched to be there, it was awesome. Totally worth it, totally worth pulling him out of school. How many times are you going to be that up close to the next President of the United States?

Pictures if you click 'em. I drew crazy conspiracy theorist arrows on them to point out where we are- West wore my hoodie on his head to block the sun.

I have just learned that there is an Institute for Mummies and Icemen, and I feel just a little like I have wasted my life on librarianship when I could be working in an institute for mummies. Oh well. I'm sure that requires more work and effort than I ever wanted to put into my education. Librarianing is perfect for the lazy scholar, learn just enough about everything to get by but not having to actually do terrible things like writing dissertations. I kind of also wish I had been a spy, but not like a danger-spy, more like a working-from-the-safety-of-a-computer spy. Those exist, right? Guess I'd better get working on that novel I'm never going to write!

Anyway, it's been forever since I've written here. We're having a lovely summer full of enrichment and adventure (read: we are not home very often and are very overbooked). Last weekend we went up to Storyland in NH. The mountains are so gorgeous, I love going up there for a little weekend getaway in the summer. West was delightful most of the time and was filled with whimsy at the park.

Finally, this blog about making food in books (with a heavy Harry Potter focus) is awesome and totally relevant to the interests of the... five people? who might be reading this. Come back to LJ, everyone! Facebook isn't the same and LJ is so lonely!

This morning my train sat unmoving just outside of North Station for literally one hour due to signal problems. FML I hate commuting in the winter.

Blissing out right now on an actual quiet Saturday afternoon. I freaking love that West still naps in the afternoons. Had time to eat lunch while watching an episode of The Americans, and even managed to get a mostly-healthy mango snack cake whipped up and into the oven. It is quiet but for the hum of the dishwasher running. These moments are the best. West had swimming class this morning, I managed to get a grocery shopping trip squeezed in after swimming, and the sun is finally out for the walk we'll take once West is up. I know I kind of whinge and freak out a lot, but trust me, I totally appreciate days like this all the more because of said whinging and freaking out.

What am awesome day off! Kitchen counter remodel: finished. Laundry: done. Outgrown clothes & toys: put away. Lunch spent at Gulu Gulu getting some writing done: achieved. Haircut: done (OMG, I love our Aveda salon! They give free mini-facials while your hair conditions, it's non-tipping, and their products smell amaaaazing... which is why I end up walking out spending more on products than on the actual haircut). Elizabeth Warren lawn sign: ordered. I feel all accomplished, and I still have a little time left before West pick up. Also need to grab our October parking pass, because holy crap, it's almost October in Salem!

Got my eyebrows professionally whipped into shape at an actual salon today. 15 minutes during my lunch break! How did it take me this long to figure out to do this?

I am also taking care of business like a BOSS lately. Planning stuff, trying to get our house refinanced... it's actually kind of fun.

Daycare's been sending home notes lately that West isn't eating his lunch and generally just having a hard time at lunch time. They keep saying that he wants what the other kids have, but then they don't give us concrete examples of what the other kids bring for lunch. Drew finally got them to be specific, and it turns out the other kids bring cookies and chewy granola bars (the kind that might as well be candy bars). Ugh. I so am not a paragon of healthy food supplying for West. He's so picky I rotate through the same 5 or so meals he's willing to eat, and trust me, it's not like they are that great. But I also give him fruit every day, I usually throw in a string cheese or crackers with some cheese spread, and a whole wheat Goldfish bread or mini pita. I'm trying the best I can to give him good food that's within the small limits of what he's willing to eat. So now I think I'll be making up some batches of cookies with hidden veggies or something, if I have to send cookies to make him not fussy at lunch I'll do it, but I feel guilty sending something that's a total sugar bomb.

So in an effort to solve our dinner time struggles, I've been reading a couple of Ellyn Satter's books, and I have to say they are blowing my mind. One of her key points is that parents need to let go of their own baggage and control issues. We're not responsible for whether our kids turn out fat or not (I suppose that's within the reasonable parameters of not stuffing your kids with oreos and fried food). We're not responsible for our kids' happiness. I... kind of have a lot of baggage that needs to be unpacked. Type A, perfectionist, control freak? Yup. I need to settle the hell down. I'm not going to get an A in parenting. No one even hands out As in parenting. I think there's a lot of good that can come from some degree of mindfulness in parenting, but I also wonder if there's a limit, and if being too mindful just makes the entire experience a dreary slog of shoulds and shouldn'ts. I'd like to be more present in the moment, and I'd like to enjoy this experience more than I have been (not to say that it's been miserable, but I think I've been putting too much pressure on myself to be perfect).

Anyway. I am pretty seriously considering doing NaNoWriMo this year. Logged into my NaNo account today to get things ready to go. Thought of a potential novel idea. Kind of excited to see if I can do it. Besides, I guess I need a project I can channel my perfectionism into.

On sticky humid days like today I am super grateful for one thing: being Not Pregnant. Yay!

Things I totally love right now:

Trader Joe's Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzels

Klean Spa lotion (discovered at Salem's Scrub, the store lived up to my hopes!)

Adele's Rolling in the Deep

Archer and Modern Family (and Vampire Diaries, when it comes back from break next week)

Bill Bryson's At Home- It has a brief history of the toilet, something I've been dying to know more about since writing my time travel "novel." Also, I think I actually wouldn't enjoy time travel so much, the past was hella stinky and people were kinda gross.

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Also, I just discovered family swordsmanship lessons exist. Awesome!

We are finally getting a tax refund this year (thanks, Tax Exemption West!). Sweet! Even more sweet, I am going to do something crazy indulgent with the small bit I'm taking as fun money (since most of the money is going to pay off our roof)- I got in on a living social deal for a brazilian blowout. Which is not nearly as dirty as it sounds- it's a fancy hair treatment to relax curls and defrizz. So I'm gonna get myself my annual haircut and then I'm getting it treated. Decadent! The deal also includes a makeup application and manicure at the salon, so I'm going to have one fancy lady day sometime, and then I'm going to need an excuse to go out on the town all fancified.

Listened to the Sarah Silverman episode of The Nerdist this morning on the [aggravatingly late] train- she actually seems like a really nice person. Her comic persona seems a little bit too "I'm a pretty girl who says naughty things, tee hee," though I do enjoy her and find her funny, but I was surprised by how down to earth she sounds. They were talking about Joan Rivers and how hilarious her twitter feed is, so I will check that out.