These kids, they are a superstitious lot

Yesterday, I felt sorry for the elementary school teachers. The electricity in the air was palpable. Kids were going beserk. They all had theories. They all were hatching plans. Everyone was claiming to be an expert.

Why the non-Halloween-candy-induced-mania, you ask?

Because we were supposed to get 6 to 10 inches of snow yesterday.

And every child within ten miles of our city was fervently praying for a snow day.

My three became fast believers; born-again Snow Dayers. They decided to adopt any and all good luck charms they heard throughout the day. They believed in any theory that anyone said would guarantee no school. Joined all the religions, so to speak. In covering all their bases, they did some very strange rituals last night.

For instance, each of my children went to bed with a spoon under their pillow:

They put an orange in the fridge:

They slept with their pajamas inside out and backwards:

And just to make sure, they even resorted to a little bit of this:

When we woke up this morning, [much to my dismay] their voodoo spells and good luck charms had worked.

School was cancelled. [You could almost hear parents everywhere crying. At least, the bad parents like me].

And by seven a.m., they were found doing this:

While I won't lie, I was found doing this:

And who says there's no religion in the schools anymore?

Gearing up for the Super Bowl

In not too many days, there will be a monumental event. A glorious, once-a-year tradition in which friends gather around the television set and worship for hours. There will most definitely be a lot of food involved. Probably some cheering. And some shouting. Maybe even some throwing of things AT the television.

And it's entirely possible that someone will get up and kiss the television screen at least once.

What is it that I speak of, sports fans?

It is the Super Bowl.

But not the Super Bowl in the traditional football sense, you see.

It is the Super Bowl for women. The Super Bowl of movies:

Oh yes, the original Pride and Prejudice that dreams are made of.

I am counting the days until I can attend a P&P Party at a friend's house this weekend. Darcy and Elizabeth in all their glory, just waiting to guide us through five hours of bliss which will culminate with Darcy jumping into the pond half-nekkid.

Delicious.

Oh yeah, and I think there might be some other type of Super Bowl thingie this weekend. Can't really say that I'm caring at all to watch it. Is that wrong? We did live in the kingdom that belongs to the Patriots for six years, so this means that I'm pretty much committing blasphemy.

But still. I just can't seem to bring myself to care about the football.

And I don't really care that I don't care about the football.

Maybe if Tom Brady were to don an 1800s riding suit and stare longingly into the camera my way, THEN I might care. Unless that happens, come Sunday night, you will find me doing this:

Go team Sunday nap!

Doing our best to do our duty

Over the Christmas holidays, I realized with a panic that my big boy was almost ten. No, the fear did not strike my heart because he is growing up way too fast (which it does, and he is), but every mother of boys knows that with each birthday comes the mad dash to complete and earn that year's cub scout rank. And the fear struck hard because I knew he wasn't even close.

So we've spent many a day with our Bear Scout book open on the counter - working our way through knots, safety, religion, and even a little cooking. Our diligence paid off, and soon he had completed every requirement in the entire book - except for one, which involved speaking with a police officer about crime prevention.

Knowing his den would not likely get this field trip in before his birthday, I scheduled a mini-tour of the police station myself.

The great day came last week, and we brought along Chase and our little neighbor friend, David. The boys were giddy with excitement at seeing the jail and were absolutely positive they'd be able to use the weapons (oh, the unharnessed dreams of little boys).

The tour itself was really quite cool. Being a small group, (they told me the cub scout tours are usually like 20-30 boys at a time) we were able to do so much more than a normal group. We met the chief of police. We pretended to get fingerprinted. We got locked in a jail cell. We took pictures in the line-up room. We met all the officers.

We did not get to use the weapons, however.

But we finished our tour, thanked the kind officers, and headed home to proudly sign off the last item in McKay's book.

Funny thing, that.

When I got home and started looking, I realized that you don't have to do everything in the book. It's like, "Pick two in this section. Pick three in this one."

Duh.

We did EVERY. SINGLE. THING in that blasted Bear Book.

[What makes this more shameful is that I am currently serving as the Wolf Den Leader. You'd think I'd have known.]

Wasn't a total waste of time, I suppose. Got to meet and hang out with the handsome boys in blue that patrol our neighborhood.

And now I'm wondering, do you think they'd let me borrow a uniform for the Husband? I'm afraid I really could get into this whole man-in-a-uniform-thing.

January thaw and schizophrenic computers

I've been playing blog-hookie the last few days for several reasons. Have you missed me? Have you? I've missed you, my pretend internet friends.

Our internet service has been schizophrenic, and has been somewhat unreliable for the last several months. This last bout was perfect timing, what with our own personal computer guru literally in the air, on his way here to spend quality time with his nephews and niece help us fix it.

Nothing says welcome like, "Here's our computer. Fix it and we'll feed you."

Don't you just want to come visit us? Come only if you have skills.

But the other reason for not being in the virtual world that I love is because it got up to the 50s today (from 10 degrees to 56 in one day, go figure). It's been miserable here the last few weeks, so today we had to get out and play in it.

We had ourselves a game of this:


Which included this:

And a critical team huddle like this:


Although some of us spent our time doing this (Newlyweds, blech):

We all did a little bit of trail walking like this:

And even some brave and adventurous walking like this:

But right now (thanks to Pete), I am happily back doing this:

[No, I am not that tan. This was a cheater photo from last year in San Diego when I WAS that tan.]

Let's hear it for beautiful weather, a computer genius, blogging at the end of a happy Saturday, and the promise of 60 degree temperatures tomorrow.

Sometimes, the morning gods smile upon me

The alarm clock goes off, rousing me from a disturbingly-realistic dream in which I own two pet tigers that I am terrified will eat me (thank you, Celia and Paige. I blame you for all the tiger talk). I look around and remember that I don't really have any tigers. I lay my head back on the pillow and sigh in relief.

I stumble for my glasses and peek to see if the sun is out. It is starting to rise over the rooftops and slant across the yard in sharp angles. The frost on the grass glitters like diamonds. It looks beautiful. It looks cold.

I struggle to remember what day the Husband gets back this week. I don't think it's today.

I put my hair in a ponytail and stand on the scale. I curse. I sigh.

I move on.

I stretch and try to rub the sleep out of my eyes. I walk down the dark and silent hall to start rousing the troops. Two of the three are tired and cranky, and do not want to get out of bed. Chase wants desperately to be sick today. I refuse to allow this. The princess has 80s rock star hair. I remind her that she needs a bath before school, and silently pray there is enough time for it.

I go downstairs, heat up the leftover pancakes and smile, knowing how happy it will make Chase. Boy, that kid loves the pancakes. Within minutes, they are all seated in front of steaming pancakes that are dripping with maple syrup. Poor things, they all look half asleep.

A quick prayer is said. Pancakes are eaten. Spirits are lifted. Someone even tells a joke or two. I try to permanently stamp this moment in my memory.

Showers get taken. Lunches are made. Backpacks are packed. Coats and layers get put on. I hug and kiss each one, and promise to wave when the bus goes by. I smile inside, knowing they won't want want me to wave in a year or two. I am glad for it today.

Sixty-two minutes after my alarm clock went off, they walk out the door. I thank god for this alone time. I put on some good music. I workout hard. I sweat. I drink a lot of water. I sweat some more.

I sit down and read this blog and this blog, both of which inspire me to count my blessings.

And I think to myself, what a wonderful world.

Wishing and hoping

Things I need right now:

• A new purse
• Another diet coke
• Cookie dough
• AN END TO THE FRICKIN' WRITER'S STRIKE
• Warm weather
• A billion dollars
• New carpet in my basement
• More camera toys
• World peace
• A dog
• Lisa Marie's salsa chicken burritos
• A cleaning lady
• Cookie dough
• Lower taxes (or no taxes at all, really)
• A pedicure
• Britney Spears to get her crap together so I don't have to hear about her every time the TV is on
• Having The Husband in town for more than two days in a row
• A new windshield
• Girl's night out
• One date with Colin Firth dressed as Mr. Darcy (wherein he stares at me longingly just like he did in The Movie)
• Five hours to watch The Movie wherein he stares longingly
• A private jet
• More shoes
• Internet access that is not schizophrenic and actually works when you go to use it
• Condos in both New York City and Hawaii
• Skin without freckles
• Something with peanut butter and chocolate in it
• Cookie dough with peanut butter and chocolate in it
• For Bono to write a song about me
• All my BFFs to come to Blogapalooza
• A magic pill that will change my thighs from lard to hard
• A private concert by Frank Sinatra (yes, I realize he'd have to come back from the dead. I still want it)
• Photography classes from the great Nicole Hill
• A good haircut
• Unlimited access to the White House files on Kennedy and Area 51
• Temperatures above 20 degrees.

Things I will actually get right now:

• Another diet coke
• Cookie dough with peanut butter and chocolate in it

Two out of 36 ain't bad.