7 Quick Takes

1. I've been doing a load of laundry a day, per Flylady's recommendations, and I have to say I'm liking it. The only problem is that I can feel my productivity levels reaching critical mass,which means I'll crash and burn and do absolutely nothing around the house and the whole damn thing will fall apart.

2. Currently, when Dominic wants to nurse, he says, "Mawk,  peeeeeese!!" which is a) a vast improvement over his previous caveman-like gropings down the front of my shirt and b) ridiculously cute...even in the middle of the night it does not get old.

3. We finally did some landscaping (and by landscaping I mean, a hydrangea and a butterfly bush and some hanging baskets) and the front of our house looks so much better. I have plans to add some boxwoods to cover up the concrete foundation and call it a successful gardening season. Easy game.

4. I looked at the calendar and realized.....oh, crap, school starts very soon. This is a problem because I'm supposed to be in charge of the parent group and I am so not ready to continue my façade of organization.

5. Ina May Gaskin was interviewed about her new book on the Diane Rehm show this week. Was it good? I have NO IDEA because every.time I try to play the audio, the noise level of the kids instantly increases and I cannot hear it. Then I get really, really annoyed with them, then I snap at them to "be quiet!" then I realize....wait a minute. This is my job. I should be reading them stories and crap, not freaking out because I can't hear Ina May.

6. I had an acting professor my freshman year of college who would announce, "Acting is HARD!" as a means of....encouragement? Motivation? Engendering fear? Promoting the seriousness of the craft? I'm still not really sure, but I do know this: Acting may be hard, but parenting is a heck of a lot harder. So now, we like to walk around booming, "Parenting is HARD!" to alleviate the tension when Dominic throws a train at Gianna for the millionth time and the place is a mess and dinner is still not ready. It kind of works.

7. After pontification widely the other day about bringing children in public, I made the decision to bring my own lovely offspring to the pool. It took us, no joke, over an hour to get ready and arrive at the pool. Then I almost passed out trying to blow up all the inflatable toys we brought. But we had a good time and only had one small meltdown when it was time to leave. Parenting success!!