Smattering

Another month has gone by and it's time for a catch-up post...

When it's Yellow and Green
My daughter has had a head cold for some time.   She's sounded terribly stuffy, only nothing came out when she blew her nose and she could fine.   Two days ago things started draining...unpleasant colored things.  I was telling my neighbor about it and the first thing she said was the thing I was about to say, "that means it's almost over."  With children, when the congestion has changed color and  gets viscous, you know you're nearing the end.  The darker and thicker, the less time you have to go.

The Clean Flip
I love clean sheets on the bed.   I love even more every six months when the calendar alert pops up it's time to flip the mattress.   My husband dutifully helps me strip the sheets and mattress pad.   We carefully remove the dust mite cover, set it aside and flip the mattress.   Then we put it all back on in reverse with clean everything on the top.   The bed feels extra comfortable the first night after we flip the mattress.

The Long Hair Unexpectancy 
I've been growing my hair out for what seems like eons now.  It's getting longer, but it's slow going.   I realized it was longer than I had thought recently because we're in warmer weather now and I'm wearing tank tops and sleeveless shirts.  I can feel my hair on my shoulders in a way I hadn't noticed wearing long shirts, sweaters and jackets.

The Seven Pound Dumbbell
My neighbor running buddy and I are on a swimming pool countdown.   We've put on, coincidentally, seven pounds from our ideal weight.   Dang those pounds for sneaking up on us slowly over the winter as we pretended not to notice.    And none of those "thinsults" out there, please.   We're not drastically overweight, we just want to fit comfortably back into the summer clothes we wore all last year.   Saying things like, "you don't need to lose weight, you're thin" is insulting to everyone trying to maintain a reasonable weight and working hard to do so.    But I digress and rant about one of my pet peeves.   I brought out to the car the other morning a seven pound dumbbell.   Seven pounds when you heft it in your hand is heavy when it's what you want to lose.    That was two weeks ago.   This week I brought out a five pound dumbbell.   Let's hope we can stay on track for four more weeks.

The Coffee House Delightfulness
I go to Starbucks a lot.  It's delicious, there's a drive-through and I know just what to order.   I had a bit of time while waiting for my car to be cleaned the other day, so I walked over to a coffee house.   I ordered their "traditional latte" and was totally impressed with the flavor and depth of the coffee.   I know there are many wonderful coffees out there.   I think I'm going to have to broaden my coffee horizons in the future based on that one sampling alone.

Yogurt Parfaits
I'm always looking for ways to get the children to eat healthy.   My neighbor suggested make-your-own yogurt parfaits.   Her children love to decide what to put in theirs.   I made one with my son yesterday and he loved the process and the result.  I didn't think I'd get him to eat granola in yogurt (which he should like, if only he'd taste it) but lo, he loved it all.   I'm going to make yogurt parfaits for breakfast in the future for both of them.

The Big Boy Update:  My son complained loudly today, "I want to do what I want!"  My husband and I decided he'd just summed up life pretty well in that single sentence.

The Tiny Girl Chronicles:  My daughter can do backflips (back walkovers) over the armrest of the sofa.   It's scary to watch, but she's under control the whole time.   I have got to get her into a serious gymnastics class if this keeps up.

Fitness Update:  Twelve miles biking.  It was Bike to School day today so my husband and I biked the children to school on the back of our bikes.   People still don't believe you've, "biked all the way from your house" even when you explain it's only five-and-a-half miles via the greenway and park.