Today is Friday? Sorry; I was distracted.

Back to the routine and being busy –
The running around makes me dizzy.

The job, the kids and my beloved spouse,
Not to mention keeping house.

I’m not complaining; my life is good.
And the family is healthy, knock on wood.

I’ve also put a new year’s resolution in motion –
Tossing out several empty bottles of lotion.

Still, keeping one train of thought is tough;
So, my writing today is off the cuff.

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A note about the lotion thing … I am a freak about lotion. After every shower, I put lotion all over my body. The lotion routine (addiction?) started in high school and continues in my 40s. And, as a friend of mine pointed out when we were roommates, I have dreams where I am putting lotion on my arms.

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I am so glad I did not give birth to girls. Seriously. I love girls, but there is enough sentimental and emotional representation in our house with just me. And, even though I’ve gone through my foot lockers and bins of memories, I become distracted so easily with my wanderlust mind.

Earlier this week, I found myself thinking about an old college flame of mine. He was quite an attractive flame. Did I mention he was attractive? Yes, well, we went rafting with friends one summer afternoon. And, as is typical in the summer, we experienced a pop-up thunderstorm. The lightening was pretty intense. And, as every smart person knows, when you are caught in a thunderstorm, you should immediately head for cover underneath tall trees. (I’m kidding.)

Though I might share the full story with you in the future, I’ll spare you today. (You’re welcome.) The main point I want to make is the fact that my flame looked quite nice getting caught in the rain. Did I mention he looked quite nice? He did. And, my girlfriends, also on the rafting trip, thought he looked nice getting caught in the rain, too. And, as I reflect back on that stormy summer day… Wait. I’m sorry. What?

Girls. Yes, I am glad I gave birth to boys and not girls. If I had girls, I’m afraid they would become even bigger daydreamers or sentimental saps. (Not that I consider my sentimental sappiness a bad thing, but one’s enough. Really.)

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The boys got excited this week. Their friend (and neighbor) invited them outside after supper. Their friend was going to ride his scooter. No big deal, right? The kid is just riding a scooter. BUT, his scooter shoots out sparks when he applies the brake. Say it with me, “Cooool!”

That night, the boys ate their supper quickly. They did not want to miss the scooter show. As soon as their plates were clear of food, they bolted for the door. As they bolted for the door, our phone rang. It was their friend, letting them know the show was about to start. Joe asked me to come outside with them, but I told him I’d watch the event from the window. And, it was quite a show. But the best part? Watching the spark‘le in the eyes of the boys. I love seeing the excitement through their eyes.

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I’m going to end this babbling post, bragging about my oldest. Forgive me, please. Consider this my version of a Christmas letter, though late in season (or early, depending on one’s perspective). Man, do I ever digress, eh?

We had a parent/teacher conference with Joe’s Kindergarten teacher this week. Based on the conference, I am confident Joe got his smarts from his Dad. (Thank goodness!) He is excelling in math: addition through division, as well as fractions. Interestingly enough, we were told he tends to become distracted and side-tracked. Actually, the teacher calls it ‘moving with pupose’, and Joe seems to lack it at times. A wanderlust perhaps? I haven’t a clue where that trait was generated.

Did I mention my flame looked nice getting caught in the rain?

Anyway, moving on to something completely different, Joe cracked me up one morning, while getting dressed. It was not a school day, so he did not have to wear his uniform. He said, ‘Oh by the way, I want to show you the shirts I’d prefer to wear today.’

What?! What did my 5yr old just say? ‘Oh by the way’ and  ‘I’d prefer‘? He cracks me up, and I sure love the kid.

And finally, if given a choice, Joe prefers a workbook to a Leapster.

I took him to the eye doctor this week. We love our eye doctor, but the doctors and office staff move slowly. Everyone in the office spends as much time as you need to ensure your questions are answered. Of course, because they spend as much time as you need, others tend to wait longer to get their needs met. Still, I’d prefer a long wait and thorough answers over a cattle call and mooooving quickly.

Because I was anticipating a long wait at the eye doctor, I brought Joe’s Leapster and workbook with us. When we got to the office, I asked him which one he wanted. He picked the workbook. And, he worked on the workbook the entire time. In fact, when the doctor wanted to look at Joe’s eyes, Joe asked me to make sure I didn’t lose his place in the book. Once the doctor was done looking at Joe’s eyes, he got right back to the workbook. He continued working in the workbook, while I drove him to school. Yep. Brain stimulation and fun – batteries not required.

P.S. Did I mention my flame looked good getting caught in the rain? And Cacey… you know he did!

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Be kind, and take care of yourself and each other.