Alyssa and I decided to head out to the Gilroy library after dinner/dropping Samantha at theatre. Our poor Hollister library is lacking for recent books. It's sad. I paid the equivalent of Santa Clara taxes to join the Santa Clara County Library. It's a totally different world. There is an entire floor for kids! And we can borrow e-books too.

The girls are excited about it. Samantha is devouring The American Girl series and Alyssa is in love with Biscuit, an early reader series. When I asked Alyssa if she wanted to check out more Biscuit books she gushed, "Really, Mom!"

We ran a few more errands and then took our dessert at Starbucks. We sat outside while the sun set and she drank her hot chocolate and danced. She sat facing the window so she could see her reflection. And she squiggled in her seat until she was finished. Then she got up and danced to the Starbucks music track. 

In those moments I feel so at peace. There isn't anything else in the world but my little life, my children, dancing, music and all. I sat and watched Alyssa dance on the patio while people and cars bustled around us. 

I've come to the point where my office is going to kill me with paper. I have so much work paper and home/school stuff that is piled all around my office. I've even run out of filing space in a large 4-drawer filing cabinet!

This weekend we gave my mom and dad a nightstand that we had in the office. And just taking that out, all of the crap ended up in piles on my floor. And where there is a pile there are spiders. It's probably because they go undisturbed for long stretches.

I started to clear a work drawer out of my file cabinet so that Al could take the stuff to shred at work  He was not happy as it produced 6 brown paper bags of files. Yup. I'm a work-pack-rat. But I need the space for personal files.

Part of this started with the nightstand and the other trigger was the bill I received from a radiologist for a procedure Samantha had in 2009. Yes, you read that correctly, 2009. Four years later I get a bill. I've got to go through mountains of medical bills in her folder to find any related information.

I have not been good about filing things in order. And for Samantha's file, I should. She's got enough medical history to fill two file folders in the cabinet.

So when I get a few minutes here or there I do something small, which is easier for me to manage. After four days, I was even able to eliminate the box of personal shredding stuff--it went back a year!

Confession of a telecommuter

I'm glad that Samantha is getting the theatre experience. She's been wanting to do this since she was five or six, but was never old enough to audition. And despite what Al tells you, he is really enjoying it too. He's met a lot of new people and, in some ways, finally feels like he's part of this community, which is hard to do when you work out of town.

And while I'm enjoying the break from having to rush Samantha here or there for rehearsals (ballet and the like), getting dinner ready immediately after I shut down my work computer is wearing. Not to mention that most days I don't get much, if any, adult interaction. It's one of those things about working from home/telecommuting that people don't talk about. I sit at a desk, type emails, have a few conference calls, and when the day is done, I shut the computer off and walk into the kitchen. We have a whole 30 minutes with each other to eat dinner and off they go to the theatre for the night.

When they get home they both go straight to bed and I'm left with a lot of voiceless conversation in my head.

Take tonight for instance, or is it morning? Samantha and Al came home at 11. Samantha changed, brushed her teeth, and climbed into bed. She was out within seconds. And Al did about the same. I lay next to him wide awake with a lot to say and no one to listen.

I'll be very happy when the musical is over. We'll have three weeks before schools starts and hopefully we can remain unscheduled and relaxed and maybe catch up on the three months of missed conversation.

One of those days

Today was one of those crazy Mondays where everything goes wrong. Both kids had doctor's appointments an hour apart in the morning so there was that. We ran out of cereal and I spilled coffee down my freshly-dressed self, thankfully not before the first doctor's appointment.

I wasn't able to officially start working until after appt. 2, but there were no emergency meetings scheduled so I guess that was the bright spot.

After lunch things settled and the kids played and fought and then had alone time for a while.

~

(This week is "heck" week for Shrek, so Samantha and Al have to be at the theatre at 5 like a regular night and then rehearse from 7 to whenever/done. They'll do this until opening night, which is Friday at 7. )

Today it felt overwhelming because Al was tired and I was burnt out. I didn't think it necessary to stand around the theatre for an hour so I did their makeup at home. (It's so weird to put makeup on your husband.) I sent them off at 5:50. They didn't get home until 11. Boo!

Ginger

While they were gone, after Alyssa was in bed, I thought I'd do my nails. They were almost dry when I heard a crash and went to explore. I had left the office closet open and the wire shelving exposed. I found Ginger mewing and hanging by her left paw from one of the wire shelves. She was in so much pain she was screaming and I had the hardest time getting her unstuck. I pried the wire back and got her out. My manicure was ruined--oh well.

Ginger lay on my lap for nearly an hour. I did make her walk a bit when she got up. She was ok, but still couldn't put to much weight on it. It was clearly swollen, however. Not sure what tomorrow will bring, but I have a hunch I'll be spending some more time at the doctor's.

Heat

We've had a busy week with the Saddle Horse and Rodeo Parade yesterday and Kids Rule Theatre Camp finale tonight, both in nearly 100 degree heat. 

Samantha had to wear a very heavy satin costume for Little Bo Peep and sit on a float for two hours in the hot sun. Al tried to keep her hydrated, but she's a stubborn kid and refused to drink.

I managed to keep Alyssa hydrated and cool. I ended up with a migraine, which was likely due to dehydration. And when we went to the theatre to get Samantha from Shrek rehearsal she was sobbing. She felt like vomiting, her head hurt . . . classic heat stroke symptoms. Actually a lot of the kids weren't feeling so well and one of the cast even end up in the hospital for heat exhaustion.

I brought Samantha home, gave her a cool shower, and the lone bottle of Gatorade. She was so beat up, but felt much better this morning. 

So today I bought stacks of Gatorade (not a big fan of the stuff, but I can't find salt tablets) and sent her off to camp with two bottles. 

I'm not looking forward to being locked in the house this weekend, but I'm so thankful for our air conditioner and glad we don't live in the desert. 

Thoughts of gun violence

Today I was in Mass with my two girls when everyone noticed an older man sitting in his walker, talking loudly on his cell phone. No one could hear the readings over his conversation. So a gentleman near me got up to talk to the man. He asked quietly and politely if he would please take it outside or hang up.

The older man became belligerent. And I was terrified. Thoughts of gun violence entered my mind. I even thought about how fast it would take me to shove my girls off the edge of the pew and cover them with my body. I was so anxious. I wanted to take their hands and get out to my car, but I stayed.

Thankfully an usher helped the gentleman get the older man out of the church and Mass continued per usual.

It sure rattled me, but the kids seemed unaffected by it. Samantha asked if there was a cell phone policy. Al and I told her it was called common decency or manners and left it at that.

Surprise!

Today Al and I surprised the kiddos with a trip to Happy Hollow 

On the Frogger

Park and Zoo in San Jose. They thought they were going to have to go shopping all over San Jose.

Singing to the sleeping goat

Happy Hollow was around when I was a kid, but it's changed so much since then. With the times, you could say. The rides are are their speed. And there is the zoo and petting zoo when Mom and Dad are tired of the rides.

We spent three and a half hours there until the 90+ degree heat started to get to all of us.