cancelled

nyc = cancelled (for Avery and me)
D is still heading to NYC for his business trip, but we decided to the family portion of the trip. There's another storm that might hit and strain the already strained infrastructure. I imagine getting around will be somewhat to quite difficult. With Avery in tow and with it being cold, it's a recipe for disaster.

Fortunately I was able to get a full refund on Lion King tickets. At least, I should. I'll know tomorrow, but the guy on the phone said it'll happen, it's just a longer process than usual and they are offering refunds for the show to which we bought tickets. A refund for those tickets was my biggest concern considering the crazy cost of them ($430 for three tickets! and it's not like I splurged on the best seats or anything like that.) I knew I'd be able to cancel our various dinner reservations without a snag.

And I just heard back from D. Due to the lack of flight options and excessive change fees and flight cost differences, as well as the fact we can't get a refund on the hotel, D is just going to stay for the whole weekend. I told him to book as many fancy restaurants as he can. No use in missing out on fine dining just because he's alone.

satisfaction
Things from which I get a ridiculous amount of satisfaction:

• easy accessibility of tv. I messed up a month or two ago and scheduled a recording of The Crimson Petal and the White (a BBC production airing on Encore; it's one of my favorite books) to TiVo on Mom's TiVo rather than mine (her's is still hooked to our account since it's one of our old TiVos, so I can still scheduled recordings onto it via the TiVo website). They are no reruns of it that I can find. It seems they aired the four-part series only once. It occurred to me the other day to check the xfinity on demand stuff. This is new to us because, while we were entitled to access it based on what we paid for, we couldn't do so because of our choice to use TiVo vs. their DVR. When we upgraded our TiVo in the living room, it gave us access to xfinity on demand. Anyway, all this is to say that I was able to watch, for free via xfinity, the entire miniseries. It's ridiculous how satisfying it felt to have the luxury of this so easily at my fingertips. 
• calendar updating. I actually love scheduling stuff on my calendar. And my main partner in crime, RHG, is faithfully committed to her calendaring. I don't know that she loves it or gets satisfaction from it, but she needs it and so is committed to it. I find that after I've sat down and finished all my scheduling and juggling when something has changed, I feel a ridiculous amount of satisfaction. 
• garage, recycling, compositing sorting. I was so happy to dig through the garbage after the party on Friday night. I love sorting things in general, but I also love when things don't go to waste. While no use is better than use, and reuse is better than recycling, I still feel satisfaction that I reduced our trash by such a large amount by putting forth that effort. I just have to put out of my mind that any environmental good I do with this stuff is so minimal compared to the choice I make to fly all over the place. Every little bit counts, right? 

Repurpose

Tale of a repurposed diaper pail
Overall, the switch in our kitchen to composting food scraps has been an easy one. The only slight snag has been that Avery can't reach the compost bin until she takes it all the way off the counter, which is both fraught with risk and a pain in her adorable little buttocks. However, I may have just found a solution that allows me to repurpose the diaper pail.

We bought the motion detector diaper pail. The one you wave your hand over and it opens up automatically. Of course, we couldn't use that feature because every time the dogs would stand in front of it  and wag their tails, that sucker would pop open, which just meant the house was stinky if the dogs were happy. Anyway, I've had a hard time getting rid of it because I just felt like we could use it for something. I am not one to hold onto stuff for "just in case." But I do hold onto things that I just have a feeling about. I went out to the garage this morning and saw the diaper pail and it hit me! Diapers are smelly and food scraps can be smelly; diapers need a bin and so do food scraps; Avery needs to be able to reach the compost bin and the diaper pail is the perfect height! I've lined it with a paper bag for the moment. If this bin works well, I'll look into getting compostable plastic bags that are large enough for it. Or maybe the paper bag will work just fine. I haven't been bothered or annoyed at all with washing out the small plastic bin that I know lots of people line with the compostable bags.

Pick it up or lose it
I'm attempting to institute a new policy in an effort to keep the clutter to a minimum. Avery loves little toys and little pieces of crap treasure. I find them everywhere. It's driving me batty. Last night I explained to her that she would have five minutes to tidy up any toys laying around or out of place in three locations: downstairs, upstairs, her room. For each location, she gets five minutes to tidy up, then I come in and sweep through and pick up anything she's missed or didn't pick up because she got distracted playing. Those things go in a box. She cannot have anything in the box back until she puts away ALL things in the box. I'm quite sure it's going to be a very full box.

It's so hard for me to come up with a system to get her to follow because I'm terrible about leaving things laying around. I'm neat in the sense that, when I clean up, I clean up completely. Everything must have a place, however, I'm terrible at keeping things in their places on a regular basis. But I'm determined not to pass this trait down to Avery. Or at least to maybe make her a little more likely to not leave a trail of stuff behind in her wake as I do.

We'll see how well it goes. We'll see if I can stick to it. Most importantly, we'll see if I can find a box large enough.

Walking & Food Logging
I'm still doing very well with my daily walking. Go me! I'm also sticking to my food logging. While I do go over my calorie goal maybe 25-30% of the time, it's usually not by much, and it definitely decrease how much I'd go over if I weren't tracking. My weight loss has plateaued for the moment, but I'm not discouraged by it. I think because I feel better overall. The 8 lb I've lost since my high were some uncomfortable ones.

Updates

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Minor Updates
It seems I've fallen to a weekly blogging schedule.  Let's see, what's happened?

• Mom left yesterday.  
• Avery started school on Tuesday and is loving it.  
• I'm getting started on projects around the house after my hiatus while Mom was visiting.  Right now I'm working on getting all the data from my old computer transferred to my new one.  I've been patiently waiting to get this done until Avery started school.  
• We're dog sitting Princess Beans.  I'm not quite comfortable with super small dogs. They just seem like they're going to break.  I also tend to think they won't obey the same way a big dog will.  Like when I call her, I think, "Well, she's not going to come.  She's a small dog."  Fortunately, she's not annoying at all.  She is jumpy when you first meet her or when people first come in, but it takes her no time to settle down and she's not a yippee or jumpy dog at all.  That's nice.  She's also not a barker.  So, I think this will be an easy little dog sitting stint.  

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Realization
I have a little theory going about myself: that I like to make "rules" for myself just so I can get a thrill out of breaking them.  For example, my attempt to start working out after I dropped Avery off at summer camp in July and August.  I did it for the first few days, then I just started to skip it. The first time I skipped, I had a thrilling morning for myself.  I think I just sat around that morning and watched TV or did something else useless.  I do remember how thrilled I was.

I seem to do this a lot, that is, set a goal for myself only to quit early and be thrilled about it. It's like my own little drug.

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No crash ... could I be - dare I say it? - just happy?
It seems pertinent to blog that I've not (yet?) crashed.  I'm doing just dandy.  I'm still as fidgety as ever, and I had to wear my night guard to prevent clenching for about a week, but no crash.  So maybe this is a state to stay with me for a while.  That would be so nice because I'm very, very happy with things right now. I have also had a few off days, but they're very much in the scope of normal off days that we all have.  Not an off day that leads to another and then another and then just becomes the norm.

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Avery's new school
Avery, so far, seems to love her new school.  There is considerably more chaos in dropping off and picking up than there was for summer camp, but we're getting the swing of things.   I'm dropping all three kids off everyday and picking up 4 days/week.  RHG picks up on the 5th day.

Gluten

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Reintroduction of Gluten

I decided that despite the fact I'm still sick, I would reintroduce gluten today as planned.  I felt like waiting to get better is just pointless as it seems my destiny is to be sick for the rest of my life.  I've been on the elimination diet for 26 days, which means I've been sick for 24 days since I was only well for day 1 and day 2 of the diet.  Anyway, this morning, I decided I would eat as I normally have been, but add a sandwich.  That way I know that it's not just because I didn't eat a balanced breakfast.  So I had my usual brown rice cereal (oh how I love thee), chicken for protein, and then an almond butter and jelly sandwich.  I guess I usually have some fruit, but I forgot that part.

I started getting a headache around noon.  Since I'm still so sick with other crap, I realized this is the error of reintroducing when not feeling 100%.  However, now I have a sign I haven't had the whole time I've been on the diet and sick with one ailment or another: I'm so nauseated.  And I'm also feeling that oh-so-familiar pull to take a nap.  So, I think gluten is out for the moment.  The naturopath said it's entirely possible I might be sensitive/reactive to gluten (or something else) now, but be able to resume eating it in six months or so. The next step is to not eat any more gluten, wait for these symptoms to clear up, then introduce dairy.

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Doctors

Tomorrow I have appointments with both my naturopathic doctor and my Western doctor.  I'm thinking of going to a witch doctor also, you know, just to cover all the bases (ba-dum-dum).  I'm going to the Western doc because I'm pretty sure I have a sinus infection.  I know that my mucus glands are in overtime at the moment.  Despite having bought a good 20 boxes of Kleenex on Superbowl Sunday, we're out of fresh boxes.  And I'm out in my car, too.  So I had to take a tp roll when I took Avery to school today.  Here's a picture of what the roll looked like when I returned home just 3 hours later.  I didn't use this for anything other than blowing my nose.  Notice the better-than-usual picture quality, though granted it's the usual poor photography skills as evidenced by the shadow in the bottom of the picture.  Avery seems to have hidden my camera.  Since I was planning to buy a new point-and-shoot camera soon anyway, I did that this weekend.

After on the left; right, size of roll before Mucus Fest 2011

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Guilt

Avery will be in school for four days this week. Count them: FOUR! I feel really guilty about this, particularly since I'll be leaving on Friday.  However, it's just the way it worked out given she missed school due to weather last week, needs to go on Friday since I'm gone, and then typically goes on Tuesday and Thursday.  I'm picking her up early so we can still go to swim lessons tonight.

I don't know why I feel guilty since Avery loves going to school.  She couldn't wait to get there and join in on the walk the kids were doing on the fifth floor.  Odd activity if you ask me - walking around the office building floors - but I guess that is just what you do when the weather is crappier than usual and the school/daycare is in an office building.  

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Problem solver

I am a problem solver.  Never mind I've had this problem for three years, I have solved it and that is what matters most.  I have never been able to find a trash bag that works for my car.  I don't like hanging things off the knobs in the front of my car.  For a long time I hung a little bag off the divider thingy in the center console. However, that bag was never big enough since I go through a lot of Kleenexes (thanks for those genes, Mom).  Finally, I decided to make myself a trash receptacle out of a shoe box, then fasten the Kleenex box to the top. That way I wouldn't lose the spot where I keep my Kleenex box, and would have a larger, more easily accessible bin for trash.   It's working perfectly.  It's easy to empty, easy to access, and the Kleenex box stays in place.  Of course, since I'm out of Kleenex boxes at the moment, I doesn't look nearly as impressive as a show box with a hole in it should look, but trust me, it's impressive.  Well, it's functional.

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Post-it Folders

There's nothing too fancy about this, but it's darn handy.  Did you know you can get these holders that you fasten to the wall using the same type of sticky stuff as is used on Post-It Notes?  That means you don't have to worry about damaging a cabinet.  And you can move it if necessary.  Such a great idea for temporary things that you don't want to have fastened to the wall.

I am definitely going to use one for receipts around the holidays.  Before, I've always found an old shoe box that then gets moved around.  Everyone is supposed to put their holiday receipts into that so we at least know where all receipts are for any necessary returns.  That works well enough, but this will work much better. 

HUP

Hair and Urine and Poop (aka HUP)

I wonder how many of you readers will just skip to the next section given the title of this one?  Yet I have to complain here because where else would I complain?

Before Avery and I left for our lunch date with Amber & Josie, I walked into the garage and saw Eddie had pooped in there overnight.  I get Avery loaded into the car and proceed to clean up the poop.  This is HUP encounter number one. 

After Avery and I returned from lunch, I decided it was time to get back to daily dog walks.  So we take Eddie and Turtle out for a walk.  About half way through the walk - which keep in mind is relatively short compared to the old days because Eddie can't handle much of a walk - Avery announces she has to go potty.  A quick calculation in my head tells me she's consumed at least 20 oz of liquids since the last time she went potty about 2.5 - 3 hours prior, so I figure I have to head back home with her quickly.  She dawdles her way back home with no urgency whatsoever and goes potty at home.  This is HUP encounter number two. 

I felt badly that the dogs' already short walk was cut even shorter, so we headed back out with the dogs.  We make it through that walk at an excruciatingly slow pace given Avery's need to examine each and every tree, leaf, and stone.  Upon return home, I decide to brush the dogs.  This is HUP encounter number three.

Then I decide to sweep the entire garage because I already have to sweep up all the dog hair just brushed from the dogs anyway.  Sweep, sweep, sweep ... uh oh, I missed a turd.  I have to clean that one up. HUP encounter number four.

As I'm sweeping, I realize I have to clean out Eddie indoor dog crate.  On Friday, while moving it out to the garage because of the party we had on Friday night,  I realized there was a small turd in the back of the crate.  I don't think it was very old, but it was hard to spot because the mat in the crate is poop colored anyway.  So I did what anyone with little time and desire to clean out a dog crate would do: closed it and left in the garage.  Anyway, I can't very well leave that turd in there much longer, so I clean out the turd and wipe down the crate with bleach water.  HUP encounter number five.

Next, I realize I haven't picked up the poop in the dog run for several days. I glove up and head out.  I pick up an insane amount of dog poop considering Eddie poops in the house or garage half the time anyway.  HUP encounter number six. 

As I'm taking the bag of poop away, I realize I've stepped in a big pile of poop whilst cleaning up.  Great.  HUP encounter number seven.

Exhausted from so much HUP, I head upstairs to get some laundry done.  This is when I see a large pool of urine on the floor of our bedroom.  Please, oh please, let this be a fluke!  If I have to deal with fecal *and* urinary incontinence from Eddie, I don't know how long I'm going to last.  I immediately took it out on Avery by snapping at her when she asked me to read her a book.  She wasn't bothered, but I apologized and explained I was frustrated.  HUP encounter number eight.

I decide that I need a break, so I tell Avery it's time for quiet time in her room for 45 minutes.  About half way through, she asks me to come upstairs to put the blanket on her.  I oblige.  When I enter her room, my nose tells me she's peed and pooped in the potty in her room, so I clean up that and ensure she's properly wiped and washed.  HUP number nine.  

A change will do you good

I have made a few small changes in my routine that are currently working out for the better.  First, I have started to shower at night rather than in the morning.  I'm a rare breed of person who doesn't love a shower (I do when I'm really dirty or quite smelly, but not as a way to wake up).  For me, showering is a functional activity rather than a pleasurable one.  As such, I tend to put off showering in the morning as long as I can.  The result of that habit is that I tend to lounge around until I talk myself into getting going, but then I still have 30-45 minutes of time before I can actually go.  Showering at night, after dinner, means that I can let my hair air dry (no blow drying - woohoo!), completely wash my face and get all ready for bed, brush my teeth, get into jammies, etc, then head downstairs to watch our evening TV.  The benefit in the morning is that I get dressed and ready to go immediately upon waking up because I'm not putting off the shower.  Plus, my hair oddly looks better in the morning.

My second minor change is the part of my hair.  You see, I choose the side I would part my hair on based on my ears.  I have one ear that sticks out more than the other one.  Logic-based Megan decided that, in order to minimize the chance my ear would stick out through my hair, I should have the part of the other side of my head, so there would be more hair covering the ear that sticks out more.  See?  Totally logical.  Except for one thing.  My hair looks significantly better if I part on the other side.  I considered chopping off all my hair before Mexico.  I decided to at least wait until Spring if I do it, but it got me to thinking: if I'm ready to chop off all my hair and display my uneven ears, then screw the part.  So I flipped it.  And damn it, why didn't I do it years ago? 

Orgasm

Orgasm in a brown package

I very nearly had an orgasm when I got the mail today.  That's right, I ordered a little something just for me.  I ordered it off the Internet.  It arrived wrapped in a plain, brown package.  I waited until I was alone so I could really enjoy opening it up and imagining how wonderful it's going to make my life.  That's right, you guessed it, I got my first ... pair of sand socks!  Did you know that beach volleyball players sometimes wear sand socks?  They are special socks designed to, wait for it ... this is good ... designed to keep sand OFF YOUR FEET!  Jackpot!  I bought the nude color and the split toe, so I can wear flip flops with them. 

I also bought myself a swim skort.  Yeah, you heard me right. A swim skort.  Between my sun hat, my long sleeved zip-up jacket, my new swim skorts, and my water-friendly sand socks, Avery has only a couple more years of obliviousness before she insists that only Dad should take her to the beach.  We bumped into a fellow homeowner at the airport whom we met for drinks once while in Vegas, but don't know all that well.  As we were chit chatting in line, I said something about how I just try to keep covered up from the sun.  She said, "Yes, you wear that long sleeved yellow jacket in the water, right?"  Good to know I make a lasting impression.

I do find it a bit amusing that I have absolutely no issue walking around our community in Mexico looking like what can only be described as the ultimate dork, complete with not one piece of attire matching another and all of it picked only for functionality and none for attractiveness, yet I grew up mortified by the fact that my father walked around in red sweats held up with rainbow suspenders.  It was functional, Dad, I'll give you that.  Hey, at least Avery only has to put up with my "functional" outfits while we're in Mexico! 

Recycler class

I have been wanting to take this master recycler class for several years now.  It's being offered again in January and February.  There's not a guarantee I'll get in even if I apply since they do a lottery and only let 30 people in.  It's a popular class.  My hesitation to apply comes from the fact that you have to commit to attending all classes, both field trips, and to doing 30 hours of volunteer work. What if it's like the woodworking class and I have to stand the whole time?  I've truly gotten spoiled by my SAHM flexibility where I choose exactly what I want to do and rarely have to make solid commitments that can't be juggled.  I'm leaning towards applying and letting fate decide if I am meant to do it.

Heartburn

Heartburn has become a daily occurrence in the past week.  I'm not even sure it's heartburn.  It's like my stomach is on fire.  It happens when I eat healthfully (salmon, peas, brown rice) and it happens when I eat horribly.  It sometimes doesn't hit until a few hours after eating; other times, it's almost immediate.  Of course, the coughing makes it worse.  Much, much worse.  I will go back to the doctor the moment my antibiotic prescription is finished if this doesn't clear up.  It was so bad tonight that I threw up.  Threw up, people!

My cough is somewhat better, but in a way worse.  It's much less of a constant throat clearing type cough.  Now I can hear and feel it in my lungs and my breathing until I get it cleared out.  Like a sort of wheezing, but only once in a while when it catches.

The good part of all this is that I think all this sickness has made me realize that I need to not take my health for granted.  Hopefully I'll start to make changes towards healthier eating and a more active lifestyle.  No drastic changes since those rarely stick, but making better choices bit by bit.  That's the goal. 

Mixed Feelings

Surely any of my FB friends will have seen someone post a link to this blog post about this 5-year-old boy who dressed up as Daphne for Halloween.  It's spreading like wildfire.  It seems the type of post that I would normally cheer.  But for some reason I can't quite get there.  D even commented on the post (there are currently 38,000+ comments since this post has gone viral) defending the mother.  He basically said that what the mother did was show her son that she's got his back, no matter what.  Granted, D said it much more thoughtfully.  I would link to D's comment, but I'd have to sort through over 600 pages of comments to find it and I'm not up for that.

Anyway, I've been trying to put my finger on the reason I'm not jumping on the bandwagon.  I think it's that the post doesn't feel genuine to me.  To be clear, I have no problem whatsoever with letting a boy dress as a girl.  I have no problem with a parent letting a boy do this.  I have no problem if this kid is gay.  Basically, insert all typical liberal positions here and that's me.  However, ...

Problem #1 - Sensational, misleading headline
She posted a picture of her son, labeled him gay, stuck it out there for all to see.  Yet the post had absolutely nothing to do with him being gay.  It's just about him wanting to wear a Daphne costume, then not wanting to wear it, then about how the other mothers had a problem with the author. 

Problem #2 - Implausible lack of insight
She didn't think that anyone would make fun of a 5-year-old boy dressed as a girl?  Seriously?  Kids start talking about boy colors and girl colors at 2 and 3.  I find it very hard to believe that any woman raised in this country under average circumstances (i.e. not in some commune or something like that) wouldn't know that her son would probably get some guff for showing up at school wearing that costume.  It doesn't make it right that he'd get guff, but come on, you've got to know it's probably going to happen.

Problem #3 - Identifying his school as Christian
Far be it from me to defend religion, but, well damn it, here it goes.  The outcome of this would have been no different, in my opinion, had this been a non-religious school.  If she is trying to make a point of the lack of tolerance at a Christian school, then why is her son going there?  And I also can't buy that she might have thought that because it is a Christian school, all kids and parents would be so very accepting of a boy wearing a Daphne costume.  Christians, from my observations, know there are tolerant Christians and there are intolerant Christians.

Problem #4 - She convinced him to do it
So on this point, I'm a little wishy washy.  I could probably be persuaded to be OK with this, but then I'd flop back.  In fact, I was momentarily swayed this afternoon when D wrote his comment on the matter.  However, ultimately, it seems the kid decided he didn't want to be Daphne because he was afraid kids would make fun of him.  On the one hand, talking him through it and then supporting him is great.  He does, in that instance, get to see that his mother has his back no matter what.  However, she didn't talk him through it.  According to her, she blew off his concern, his instinct, and said people would like it because it was "cute and clever."  Um, did she never interact with other kids when she was that age?  Kids make fun of kids for any little thing that makes them different.  And I don't think the majority of kids that age recognize clever as a quality in a Halloween costume. 

All of this doesn't mean her son should change who he is just because others might laugh, but blowing off his concerns as if they're not plausible doesn't seem the ideal move to me.

Problem #5 - This post is really about her, not her son
It's not a problem that she did a post that is about her (yes, I do know my blog is all about me, me, me), but rather that she used her son to sensationalize the situation and her rant.  It feels like she is using this child and his costume choice to get on her soapbox. 

Of course, I doubt she knew this post would go viral.  Once that happened, she obviously had the choice to either leave it up and stand her ground, or back down.  It's a good lesson to show her children she will stand her ground ... but it's still her kid she posted online, with a giant label that may or may not be true, and that label shouldn't be a bad thing, but damn, it's kind of setting him up for all kids of shit for years to come.  And, of course, she probably didn't think people were going to analyze her post line by line.  Perhaps this is ultimately a lesson in sharing too much online.  Or maybe the power of sharing online?  I don't know.  Like I said, I've got mixed feelings on this one.

Lots

Dylan!
The newest member of our family has arrived. A huge welcome to Dylan! Avery's cousin is the son of my brother and his wife. He was born via c-section yesterday around 9 PM and weighed in at 8 lb 12 oz and is 21" long. I still haven't seen a picture yet, but I understand he has a little bit of dark hair. I just added Dylan's BD to my Google calendar and set it to repeat yearly as I do with all BD's. There's something so satisfying about adding a new birthday.


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Livestrong Challenge
In other news, D will be running in the 2008 LIVESTRONG Challenge this weekend. He is hoping to raise money for a good cause, so if you are able to spare a few bucks, please donate! Here's the message he sent out via Facebook:

Partly as a result of my new found passion for running as a result of the fat loss competition at work, and partly because it’s a great cause, I have signed up at the last minute to run in the Livestrong Challenge 5K at the Nike campus this weekend. Apart from being another great run, this event is designed to raise awareness and funds to help fight cancer and support the people undergoing treatment.

As many of you know, when I was 18 I was diagnosed with cancer and spent 9 months of my life enduring surgery, in-patient chemotherapy, out-patient chemotherapy, incredible nausea, hair loss, weight loss and yet more surgery. Needless to say, it was not a fun time, especially at a point in my life when I was supposed to be partying hard…don’t worry, I made up for it later. The good news is that I survived and have been cancer free for over 20 years. As the doctors kept telling me at the time, if I’d been diagnosed even 10 years earlier I would have died because the treatments that saved me didn’t exist back then. Since I got sick, treatments have improved even more, but still far too many people die from cancer and endure some fairly horrendous and invasive procedures, including way too many children.

So, if you have a few extra bucks this month and are looking for a good cause, please click on the link below to sponsor me in the run and donate to the Lance Armstrong Livestrong Foundation.

Donate

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Meme
I have been tagged for my first meme! I have done many a meme in my time, but I have never been tagged for it via my blog. I am officially part of the blogosphere! Thanks, Christie! So, without further ado, I present to you 6 random things about me:

1. I am particular about my feet. I absolutely cannot wear socks to bed, but I must wear socks in my house at all other times. I cannot stand to have dirty feet. If I get them dirty, I spend the entire time thinking about how and when I will be able to clean them. I don't like to have long toenails. In fact, I prefer to have very short toenails. This presents a problem during the summer months and/or vacations in hot climates as I try to look a bit more presentable in terms of my feet and paint my toenails, however, stubby toenails are not attractive. So I actually have to work at growing out my toenails. I also cannot walk barefoot or in just socks for any period of time. I need arch supports and they must be good. Even my slippers have arch supports. I have been known to wash my feet several times a day during the summer sandal wearing season.
   
2. When I was in second grade, I decided that my book collection was too disorderly. Not aware yet that the Dewey Decimal system existed, I set about numbering my books. I took pieces of paper and, with my grandmother's help, numbered my 100+ books. I taped the number to the side of each book and then lined them up in my bookcase. A few years later, not yet aware of the Readers' Guide to Periodicals, I set about writing down and cross-referencing each topic listed on the side of each of our National Geographic magazines. We had about 10 feet of these magazines if you lined them, so I'm not sure how many years worth that was. I thought this was a perfectly dandy summer activity, but I do remember my friend asking if we could do something else and me just sitting at my little table writing down each of the topics for each magazine on the proper index cards.
   
3. It was around the time I was in fifth grade when the Lebanon Hostage Crisis was going on. I clearly remember thinking how difficult it must be to be a hostage because I was sure that it was quite dry in the Middle East and I was also quite sure that the hostage takers wouldn't give their hostages lotion. That they could be tortured was of little concern to me, but that they might not be given lotion in such a dry climate was absolutely unbearable for me to think about. Obviously, growing up in dry, dry Colorado took its toll on me.
   
4. I almost never watch the local TV news. My life rocks as a result.
   
5. I have gotten better sleep in the past six months with Avery than I did for the previous 2-4 years before her. I also have more energy since having her, and I'm much neater in the house. It's like being a parent has had the opposite effect on me.
   
6. I'm almost always cold. I need a sweater in 70 degree weather. The thought of going into a movie theater at any time of year in shorts or a short-sleeved shirt is absurd to me. I also get very cold immediately after I start eating (which is likely due to the blood rushing to my stomach). I rarely go into a restaurant without a sweater. The only time I am ever hot is when I am lying in bed and then I'm roasting. There is something that happens to my body temperature when I lay down to go to sleep, but if I'm just laying down, I'm cold. It has to be to sleep.
   

Clearly, I am a very complicated person. As I tell D when he's just about had it with my quirks, "If you think you're annoyed listening to my quirks, just trying BEING me!" That usually shuts him up, though mostly just so he can stew about what a weirdo he married.

Since I don't know that many people who blog, I am not going to tag anyone. That must be #7 - I make up my own rules!

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Passport
So, if you're wondering whether a court order and an official adoption certificate can get a passport for a baby, the answer would be a big fat no. After waiting in line for about 30 minutes, and reading carefully all the instructions, it turns out we cannot get Avery a passport until we have her birth certificate. When you adopt a child, the state reissues a new birth certificate once the adoption is finalized, so we have never had a birth certificate for her. We thought the court order granting us permission to get a passport was sufficient, but apparently judges and lawyers know nothing and the postal clerk knows all. We also thought that since we have a court order granting us permission, and it just says you need a birth certificate OR proof of citizenship, that proving she was born in the US would be enough. Nope. You need a birth certificate.

Anyway, this could very well put a damper on our England trip. So, in summary here's the status:

• We cannot apply for her passport until we have her birth certificate
• We got a letter with her adoption finalization papers that said the birth certificate would be sent in about three months, but I recall them telling me the state was backlogged by five months - if it's five months, we'll have to cancel our trip to England I will be a seething ball of rage at the stupidity of this situation
  
• Then there's the delay in getting the passport, so regardless of when we get the birth certificate, we'll have to pay for the expedited service