See? I am fine.

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I woke up with a stiff, sore jaw because I’d slept immobile half the night after my four-year old daughter insisted (with tears) that she needed to sleep with me.  I scooted over to the middle of the king-sized bed and she curled up against my back and everyone slept soundly.  Except me.  I inhabited that space between deep sleep and consciousness and didn’t jostle anyone until morning. 

We didn’t get out of bed until after 8:30 a.m. which was such a luxury.  The days of a baby shrieking at dawn are behind me and I say that with a complete absence of longing or nostalgia.  I am so happy to sleep past dawn on a regular basis.

I would have stayed in bed longer, but my free time lasted only until 2:30 p.m.  Saturday is my day off, on normal weeks, and I relish walking out the front door and climbing into my disco van (really, all this “golf conversion” van lacks is a disco ball–it has mini blinds and a seat that converts into a bed in the back) and driving away from my home.  Today I forgot my cell phone, so I was truly disconnected from my family.  It was refreshing.

I went to the following places, in this order:

1)  Gas station.

2)  Bank.

3)  Camera shop to drop off random roll of black and white film.

4)  Game store to ask about Nintendo Wii.  (No promise of anything before Christmas.)

5)  GI Joe’s Sporting Goods to gaze at slippers on sale for $17.  Left with nothing.  Slipper sole seemed too stiff.

6)  Target.  Picked up rain ticket items:  a vacuum for $10 and a digital camera card for $7.97.  And a few more things.

7)  Marshall’s to shop the clearance racks.  Will now be capable of dressing for various holiday events.

8)  Taco Time.  Soft taco. 

9)  Value Village.  Bought two big stacks of books: 

The Moral Intelligence of Children by Robert Coles;

The Ultimate Weight Loss Solution by Dr. Phil McGraw (for giveaway on other blog);

French Women Don’t Get Fat by Mireille Guiliano;

What Should I Do With My Life?  by Po Bronson (I read an article about him or saw him on a talk show once);

When You Look Like Your Passport Photo, It’s Time To Go Home by Erma Bombeck;

The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory;

And Then I Had Teenagers by Susan Alexander Yates;

Personal History by Katharine Graham;

Parenting Teens with Love and Logic by Foster Cline, M.D. and Jim Fay;

And One More Thing Before You Go by Maria Shriver;

Before the Change:  Taking Charge of Your Perimenopause by Ann Louise Gittleman, Ph.D.;

Our Greatest Gift (A Meditation on Dying and Caring) by Henri J.M. Nouwen;

A Million Little Pieces by (the Liar) James Frey;

All this, plus a bag of bouncy balls and a stuffed snowman (which I paid the exorbitant price of $4.99!) for $36 total, including tax.  I also hatched a plan to send you, my readers, my cast-off books as I finish each one.  It’ll be fun.

Then I went home.  Half an hour passed, then I left again, this time taking the boys with me.  We went to see The Nativity Story.  (The boys said they liked it.  I thought it was beautifully done, though not entirely realistic nor with a fabulous screenplay.  It was family-friendly (for instance, Baby Jesus was born without an umbilical cord attached, oddly enough), though, and an adequate portrayal of the Christmas story.

Anyway, then we went through the Wendy’s drive-thru and took dinner home.  My husband went to work for a couple of hours, I exercised, read another chapter of Pat Conroy’s The Losing Season and put my daughter to bed. 

Then I read most of an Oprah magazine while waiting (impatiently) for the boys to go to bed, too.

Now, blessed silence fills the house.  I’m only sorry that all too soon I’ll have to sleep, too, and waste this quietness.

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Published by Mel

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16 thoughts on “See? I am fine.”

  1. What a beautiful day! That silence when they all sleep is so golden. The books you got sound great–I’m looking forward to the great book pass along.

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  4. I just finished “The Other Boleyn Girl.” It was interesting, but with historical novels I keep wondering if what I’m reading has any truth to it at all, and I wind up being distracted.

    I’m glad you are indeed fine.

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  5. I knew you were fine (I think) because I read your earlier post first for a change.

    I used to stay up far too late just to get that quiet time. Now I’m trying for moderation.

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  6. Ah sleep, the ultimate waste of time…

    I love stories about the Boleyns and Henry VIII. I’d be interested in what you think of “The Other Boleyn Girl.” When I was in London I read “The Autobiography of Henry VIII: With Notes by His Fool, Will Somers” and another by Margaret George. Really fascinating, but I too got caught up wondering how much is fabricated.

    Does Jesus really need an umbilical cord?

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  8. Glad you are feeling better!! Sounds like you had one busy, yet good day. I’ll have to check out some of those books. Only one I’ve read is “French Women Don’t Get Fat”. It was a fast and fun read. I still use some of her recipes. I think I need to re-read it. It’s all common sense stuff, but apparently I have no common sense lately and can’t keep from putting food in my mouth. Hope you have a terrific Sunday:)

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  11. I’m glad to know you’re really, really fine. And that you had such a productive day.

    I have the bad habit too of staying up too late just to get some peace and quiet. Actually, I’m a night owl at heart, so my most productive times come between about 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. Not good for someone who has to be at work at 8 a.m.!

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  12. Well, do I feel dumb – I saw The Nativity Story this weekend – thought of you as I ate my “kiddie” sized popcorn. I didn’t even notice that baby Jesus didn’t have an umbilical cord. (I was busy remembering my daughters’ births and being grateful for modern medicine).

    Laura

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  13. I wish I had words of encourgement for you, but I don’t. Moods come and go. I’m sure you are doing fine with the kids, after all God did pick you for them. He knows what he is doing.
    Hang in there & its ok to cry and not know why.
    {hugs}

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  16. I read a whole bunch of the Elizabeth/Henry period series… really loved them. Once you get started, it’s hard to stop. I’ve started a new series by Diana Gabaldon – all about travelling back in time 200 years through an ancient rock setting at Craig na dun in Scotland. Fantastic writing. If you ever come across any of her books, pick them up! So far there’s five in the series. I’m on the third one, Voyager.

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