Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Ponderings

Why is it I have to leave on Jupiter's night light AND the light in the hallway, so she can fall asleep wearing eyeshades?

Garden 2011

It's begun. I started seeds on Saturday. Eggplant, tomato, and sweet pepper. I can't start the rest of the seeds until I get up to Pinetree Garden Seeds on Thursday to purchase the rest of my seeds. I used to stop in on my way home from work, until my hours changed from leaving work at 2pm to leaving work at 4pm. Which is when PTG closes for the day. So I'm going on Thurday, after the orthodontist (goodbye palate expander which I haven't even finished paying for) and before the IEP (do I want the administrator to stay awake during the meeting, or fall asleep, which I hear, has happened before) meeting. Now I keep peeking under the lid of the seed starting tray, checking for germination. Nothing yet. Watched seeds never grow. Oh yeah, I also ordered some seeds from a catalog but I have an email that indicates they are enroute. Now I'm just missing the pumpkins. The type I like to grow in my small garden is available from one catalog this year. The seeds are about $2.50. But they want $7 for shipping. I.Don't.Think.So. So I'm trying to pick out a different one to grow. Although maybe I should just skip them. Last summer the pumpkins ripened the second week of August, and turned mushy the week BEFORE Halloween. Needless to say, the garden in my imagination is much more beautiful and productive than my IRL garden. Then just for fun, (and really, who needs groceries?) I ordered some cherries and citrus and a kiwi plant from another catalog. Jupiter loves cherries and kiwi (hardy to zone 5)...if I can make them grow and protect them from the Abundant Maine Wildlife surrounding my house. /The citrus will have to live in a pot like the bay tree (which I've managed to keep alive for a decade. So that's something). We've already had a groundhog sighting, btw. We also have daffodil sightings though. Forecast for Friday, April 1st....snow. 6+ inches possible. Too bad I have an oil change and 37 other errands scheduled between 9am and 2:30. Spring in Maine.

Thursday, March 17, 2011

I love Mommy

I think Jupiter said this at least ten times this afternoon. Honestly, I lost count.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Too Many Plants

Jupiter was mad tonight.

She's been trending towards mad since the time change, when after her homework meltdown on Monday night I ended homework time and began bedtime; and had the audacity to do that while it was still light outside. Fortunately she is in the process of learning to tell time, and I directed her to the clock with hands and told her it was, in fact, time to get ready for bed. Or close to it.

Last night she had dance class, so we didn't do homework. No meltdown. However, her body didn't appreciate the fact that I was trying to wake it up at 5am. Which the clock said was 6am. Mad words.

Tonight she got almost through a whole homework page. Then she asked me what the date was. I got the year wrong, tried to fix it, and was suddenly on the receiving end of a barrage of physical anger.

So I ended homework time.

More anger.

Finally she calmed down enough to go to bed. After a couple songs, I went in to put some Littlest Pet Shops and some shoes in their boxes. Really just to have an excuse to go in there and see if she was calmer.

And it turns out she's mad at me because I don't have time to play with her. I'm always working. If not at work, than at home. (trying to keep us from being trapped inside the house full of dust and dirt. I don't know why I'm always working at it, because I turned away from the computer just now and looked at my living room and it is quite apparent I am failing at that quest).

And, by the way, we have too many plants. It takes too much time to water all those plants. That must be why every single one of them is dry as a bone, and the cat is in the process of eating my entire lemon grass plant. She doesn't want to get rid of all the plants, but some of them.

I should not do so much work. And I should play with her more. And going swimming at the pool does not count. That is not playing.

Then, after she told me all those things, she was done being angry about it.

If only we could skip the barrage part and go right to the rational verbalization part.

She is right though. We don't have enough time to play. And admittedly, I am lousy at unstructured play. Jupiter is unfortunately blessed with a Capricorn mother. Capricorns are the workhorse of the zodiac, in case you were not aware. And, boy am I good at that. I see work EVERYWHERE. My boss thinks its terrific. For her it is. Even if I try to play, I get distracted by all the work everywhere.

Sigh.

I wish I were better at playing. More fun. Stuff like that.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Dear Mailbox Owner:

I fully expect to get a letter from the mail delivery person any time now. Yesterday, Jupiter made a very nice card and letter for her new best friend whose initials are JB. Then I found her an envelope which she addressed to her new best friend JB, and ran out and put it in the mailbox and put up the little red flag so the mailperson would stop and pick it up. Not stamped.

I meant to go out and retrieve it, but I forgot. It was gone this afternoon, so I assume the envelope will be finding its way to JB postage due. I'm sure he's got extra to cover a little postage though.

It's not the first time. The last time was to Troy. Both times, she wanted them to come visit our house. Before Troy, it was Greg from the Wiggles. But for Greg she wasn't quite up to writing a whole letter, and just bounced away on her rocking horse to Australia to chase Greg. I never understood the Greg thing until I saw him on a tv interview during which he was not wearing his Greg suit from the show. He looks much better in regular clothes.

She's been known to mail rocks. She plastered the outside of the mailbox with Hello Kitty stickers one day.

I think the mail person probably approaches the box with anticipation; wondering what's in store for today.

I am glad for the opportunity to promote non boredom in my mail carrier's day.

Thursday, March 3, 2011

The Siren Call of Mating Feral Cats

That's what I heard out my bedroom window at approximately 1:10am. One has been sheltering under my bushes in the front of the house next to the foundation (since we have four feet of snow everywhere). Apparently last night she had a visitor.

That's loud. Then Autum Leaf had to come running in and jump on my bed because of all the racket.

It took me two hours to go back to sleep. For part of those two hours, I had to go lay down with Jupiter. Maybe the racket woke her up too.

It was really hard to stay awake during the long boring conference call today.

High of 22 degrees today. I sincerely hope this is the last really cold snap we have. Tomorrow we're supposed to have a high of 29. Then, we're supposed to have highs above freezing.

My standards are low for March. Highs above freezing, and rain instead of snow. That's pretty much all I ask.