July 4 update

Today is July 4 so I am not working and the kids are home.  Right now they are in their beds, both not napping, singing songs at the tops of their lungs. 

I know I don't blog as much as I used to.  My day simply doesn't leave a whole lot of room for it.  I'm thinking about that.

But here's a glimpse into our lives right now.  Mostly my life since the blog is about me.

Reading: Scrumptious Treats for Vintage Housekeepers by Alison May.  It's just a list of "treats" to be good to yourself throughout the day.  Mostly obvious things like take a teatime break or light candles.  Also some things that I don't relate to, like, take 2 hours to polish your silver.  This is a treat, I guess, because it is meditative.  But I'm like, 2 hours? and what is this silver word you are referring to?  Alison May doesn't have a real job. She's a blogger.  But the list is fun to read and this led me to look for more list books on Kindle, because my brain is just too tired to read real books right now.  So I got 81 Overlooked and Undervalued Money Saving Tips which is a good book, 365 Journal Writing Ideas which is also good although badly edited, which makes it kind of funny, and 925 Ideas to Help You Save Money which I haven't started reading yet.  I also got Alison May's first e-book which was kind of lousy since it turned out not to be about housekeeping at all but rather was a print of her blog and sort of pathetic life.  I read half and then archived it.  Also for some reason I can not figure out, almost everyone I've read this year has been British.  Alison May, the journal writing kid, and several other books I read earlier this year.  I think Amazon thinks I am British and somehow British writers are now all they recommend to me.  So if I start telling you stuff your A4 paper in a bin liner, you'll know why.

Eating/Drinking: Thrive freeze dried products. And lots of ice water.  And lots of coffee.  Ginseng capsules.  Frozen meals that I picked up at Grocery Outlet Bargain Market (and will never do that again).

Watching: Just finished season 10 of History Detectives, and now re-watching Parks and Recreation because it's just that funny.  Wish I were a history detective.  But I kind of am.  I expect the 2nd edition of my great-grandmother's diary transcription will be done by Christmas.  I've made great progress on it.

Listening: 2 things.  (British again) Mumford and Sons Babel, but only because it's in my laptop and not because it's not lame, which it is, lyrically, not musically.  Musically good, lyrically awful, Mr Mumford needs to see a therapist and he really should not have gotten married if he feels so insecure about monogamy.  Also listening to The Clutter Guys podcast which is kind of amusing but not recommended, as it's really just a commercial for a professional organizing service and they tell you you can't possibly do anything yourself.

Wearing: Bombay Bling! perfume which is a sample I got in my subscription service and retails for $250 a bottle so I won't be getting more anytime soon.  It's awesome, though.  Citrus perfumes for the month of June.

Mike: diagnosed with gallstones and needs surgery.  Had a 2nd interview yesterday and we expect it will result in a job offer.

Libby: We converted her crib to a toddler bed and then insisted that she stop wearing diapers and start using the potty.   This just happened today.  We chose today because she has a 4-day weekend from her school.  So far she has not successfully used the potty.  Not once, in her entire life.  She is thrilled with her toddler bed.

Mae: Likes to put a blanket on her head and then run until she crashes into a wall.  Refers to Winnie-the-pooh as Winnie-the-poop.

House: We bought a baby/dog gate to install outside to block off most of our wraparound deck, to keep the kids from falling off.  We haven't installed it yet.