We give thanks

As seen on a friend of a friend's Facebook page:

So I'm stealing this idea from my friend A (thanks) who stole it from her friend B, but it truly is a great idea. I'm going to post one thing I am thankful for each day until Thanksgiving.

OK, so far just kind of cheesy, but not terribly weird. I fired back some message about how I would do the same but was going to post things I'm extra thankful for, like California Tortilla's salad selections. But then later I read the whole message again - probably not while driving for a change - and saw wait...there's more!

Today, it is my boyfriend. I have never dated anyone with such an amazing capacity for love. His acceptance of my children, me, the situation with my ex-husband living with us, etc. is phenomenal.

I'll wait while you read that last sentence again.

Can you imagine!?

Happy Halloween!

(DVM, not MD!)

Hey look, there actually is another girl in town who didn't want to be a princess/Disney character/fairy this year!

She is not a sheep, people!

Gimme candy! Uh, I mean give her candy. That's the ticket.

Postscript

Karate kid!!!!

-- Post From My iPhone

3 hours at Chicago O'Hare

I didn't get a picture of the monks or my masseuse. But I did get -

Copy cat. (Would have been OK if he was made out of cheese or butter or something.)


Wait, I can ship my kid!? Tell me more!


I hope this isn't my aircraft.


Yep, that's popcorn.


Painted by some teenager on the window. World's coolest graffiti?


Gigantic dinosaur thing.

Still 90 minutes to kill, do I'm off to hunt down the traditional last supper - my last chance to score food I can expense.

Post From My iPhone; forgive typing errors

Field trip

The advantages of being the only parent at back to school night are many. I knew the annual pumpkin patch field trip was approaching, but my schedule in the month of October had approximately 47 minutes available. I compared calendars with the teacher and we decided on October 6 as the big day.

Each year the preschool goes to a pumpkin patch that is really more of a woman's front yard. We arrived about 15 minutes early and just sat there with a bunch of anxious kids waiting for her to move the rope and let us in the parking lot. Finally at 10:00:01, one of us removed the rope and we all hovered near her front door until she let us in.

I decided to dress Marielle in the same jacket as last year so I could compare pictures side by side. I didn't really think about the fact that the zipper might split. Luckily it was pretty warm and we ditched the jacket.

(2008)

Climbing through the entrance tunnel

This pumpkin patch is very preschooler friendly. Lots of small slides, cars, bulldozers, swings, etc. Marielle was interested in nothing but swinging. I tried to get her to visit the petting zoo, and was met with wails and much gnashing of teeth. Her teachers were shocked, saying they had never seen her so sad. That's only because they don't have a swing at school.

There was a rope swing that Marielle was incapable of using correctly. She saw the other kids using it, so decided she needed to copy them. Instead of swinging, she just held on and then ran back and forth really quickly.

"I was thinking perhaps you could use another swing?"

"What a great idea. Perhaps you should take your own advice!"

I had to pry her off when it was time to go.

"Hey, baby, how YOU doin'?"

What an agressive woman. Where does she learn such things?

No, really, we eat out A LOT

While I was sunning myself and drinking working in Miami, Barry took Mari to Red Robin. A family sat down at the next table and was discussing the menu. My excellent listener was using her auditory skills to eavesdrop, despite the background noise and roar of children. The kids wanted hot dogs or cheeseburgers or whatever, and Marielle kept yelling to them, "NO! MACARONI AND CHEESE!" She has tried most of their kids' menu; I would trust her judgment if I were them.

Tonight when Barry picked her up at daycare she said, "Daddy - go eat. Mari have macaroni and cheese. Get balloon. Daddy have hamburger." Unfortunately mommy was already on her way home with gourmet cuisine - leftovers scavenged from my meeting today. Mommy is such a killjoy.