Last week, I managed to actually get in touch with the people from Good Counsel Homes and scheduled a pick up for Friday, July 3rd. Ms. Morgan was delightful and we were delighted to be able to not only help a good cause, but clear a bit of our own clutter in the process, with nothing going to waste. Over the weekend, I whipped up way too many desserts for Barbara's backyard Fourth of July Bash. There was no baking involved, but tons of pudding, jell-o, and chocolate. Seton and I especially enjoyed the jell-o flavored popcorn and peanuts. Everyone else loved the individual trifle cups. Dad favored the Triple Berry Pie. (Note to self: make it again, just for him). We spent Saturday at the Byers' enjoying a barbecue with the family, complete with obscure singalongs and Kieran's rendition of "Don't Stop Believing". Suffice it to say, the weekend was fun and full. See? 
Of course, Sunday had Rimmy creating his best loop yet with the GeoTrax: 
Never let anyone tell you that good old fashioned playing isn't the most important form of education for toddler. Those loops get more complicated by the day and with them so do his planning and logistical skills.
Monday meant a return to the daily (summer) grind, including tennis lessons and baby swapping (where Barbara takes Rimmy to tennis and I take Johanna and Matt for whatever it is we do that day). I even switched rolls with Barbara on Tuesday and did the tennis thing (gave me a chance to work on my blanket which is still not finished) and she stayed home with the kids (including Seton, Ransom, and Hester). Mom and Stacey were huge helps as was Siobhan. On Wednesday is when the fun begins.
As I said, all were quite helpful this week, but Siobhan was especially so. She managed to wash my dishes, wipe down my stove and table, and scrub my tea kettle inside of 20 minutes while at my apartment this day. I'm not sure why, but I'm so happy she did. In fact, I was so very thrilled that my main daily "chore" of kitchen work was done for me, that I decided to go into full cleaning mode after the kids were settled into "rest time". I scrubbed the kitchen floor and cleaned up the bathroom. I worked in my bedroom and folded all of the previous Friday's clean laundry (which was a dwindled pile at this point, I admit). I put away stuff, I rearranged stuff, I swept, buffed, and polished stuff. Then, I went to work in the boys' room. I made them help. We put all the toys in the appropriate boxes. We swept the floor (even under the bed!). I put the pampers where they belonged and filled all the wipes boxes. I even managed to make an actual dinner instead of throwing some nuked chicken nuggets at them (which I have no problem doing on busy days, let me tell you). I cleaned so much in fact that I was looking forward to getting on my new treadmill for the first time the next day as I settled down for some relaxing TV viewing that evening. Sadly, this never happened.
As Ron went in to bed around 11ish, I sat on the couch with a mostly asleep Hester, attempting to nurse her once more before putting her in her bassinet with the hope that she would sleep most of the night (ha ha). As I sat there, watching Property Virgins, I heard a noise; one of a piece of paper falling to the floor. I paused the show and listened intently for a few moments. Nothing. I went on with the program. A few minutes later, I heard something else. I'm not sure what it was but it gave me pause. I listened again, and there was a scratching noise, much closer to me this time. I looked around, and there, on the floor outside my bedroom door, about 3 feet from where I sat holding my 2 month old, in the glow from the TV, was a hideous mouse. I started calmly yelling to Ron. I believe my precise words were, "Ron! Ron! Ron! RON! RON!!!" It did the trick. Within moments, he had jumped out of bed and was standing in the living room. Unfortunately, it also frightened my little visitor, as it scooted, you guessed it: right under the couch I was sitting on with the baby. After a few minutes of internal debate, I finally managed to get up off the couch and run into the bedroom, where I planted myself in the middle of our white comforter (figuring I'd be able to see the little black bugger easiest against a white background should it have the nerve to follow me). Ron moved the couch, searched the living room and kitchen and vestibule, and was still doing so when I heard a noise inside our bedroom (the room I had run to for safety with the baby). I screamed for him, and after about 10 more minutes of search, he trapped the demmed thing in a shoe box, brought it outside, and tried to pummel it to death, barely missing. It escaped back towards the bushes in front of our building.
I fell asleep, holding the baby next to me, while Ron lightly dozed nearby. About an hour later, he jumped up b/c the thing had managed to get back inside. This time, however, we found out from where it had come (the whole around the radiator pipe in the corner). It gave chase, managing to hide out somewhere for the rest of the night, despite Ron's best efforts (and he gave great effort, trust me). I spent the night sitting on the couch, with my legs tucked up under me, Hester on my lap, with Ron and the thing trapped in our bedroom. I remember thinking that it reminded me somewhat of "The Most Dangerous Game" in my sleep-deprived state and laughing b/c of the dissimilarities between the two situations.
The next morning, the kids and I headed to Barbara's as usual for tennis and baby sitting, while Ron stayed home, attempting to catch it again. After tennis, Mom and I took Rimmy and Hester out for their 4 year and 2 month pictures, respectively. (On a side note, you can see those on my facebook. They rock.) While at the mall, I received a phone call from Ron, telling me, "It's dead. No really. I killed it. With a long ruler. Love you too." Can I just say, I have the best husband ever? I do. That's right. Be jealous.
Later that evening, after a trip to Pathmark, he plugged any and all holes (regardless of size) with steel wool, which apparently is something akin to barbed wire to those little bastards. We haven't seen or heard anything since.
So why did I mention the pile in front of his dresser? Oh, because had it not been there, and therefore been in front of the radiator and in our way, he could have caught the demmed thing in half the time. Also, I wouldn't now be stuck with getting all of that extra laundry prepped to be washed today. (You had to have guessed that the real reason I'm updating relatively so soon is because I'm avoiding real work.)
We slept much better last night. But only after a rousing trip to Riverfront Stadium, where the boys got to witness, at their first ever baseball game, the home team Newark Bears get trounced by the Barnstormers. It was truly awful, like a bad accident you just can't look away from. On an up note, they loved the whole thing. The Bears, like most minor league teams, keep it very family friendly. They have a whole kids section on the promenade, which last night included a moon bounce and bouncy slide. Rimmy and Seton managed to win free tickets by "shooting" 3 hoops in a row (of course, the lovely young men running it held them directly up to the net). They enjoyed meeting Rupert and Effa, too:
Well, except for Ransom. He was kinda frightened, but couldn't look away, I think out of fear that the giant fuzzy thing would get him. The only one missing from the picture is Mary, who graciously offered to take it for us. So she and I took our own, obligatory, way too close up one:
Good times had by all.
Well, except for Ransom. He was kinda frightened, but couldn't look away, I think out of fear that the giant fuzzy thing would get him. The only one missing from the picture is Mary, who graciously offered to take it for us. So she and I took our own, obligatory, way too close up one: Good times had by all.
No comments:
Post a Comment