The Nelson Narrative

Back in the mid-90s Elton John came out with a song called "Blessed".  It refers to an as-yet-unconceived but much anticipated child.  At the time I was about 26 or 27, single and very concerned for my own ability to marry and have children by, say, my early 30s, which at the time was my "deadline".  I had recently moved to a new city and didn't know many people, and the people I did know were guys that I worked with (no girls to go out with to meet men).  Years later I would discover several social clubs/organizations through which I would meet lots of people but at the time I didn't know of them and had a hard time meeting potential dates.  The 50 or so extra pounds that I would eventually lose 35ish of probably didn't help, either.  Anyway, while I did really enjoy being single, especially later when the above-mentioned people-meeting improvements were made, as the years ticked by I grew more and more worried that by the tim...

The girls' birthday party is this Saturday.  Here's what we're giving them, among other things: I can't wait to play with it!  It's looks totally fun!  And I will be baking their cake from scratch using this cake pan that a friend lent me: I think the girls will absolutely love it!  I just hope it turns out ok.  I have to use 4 different colors of frosting:  red for the face, orange for the nose, white eyes and black pupils.  I wanted to bake a practice cake but ran out of time so I'm going to just be winging it.  Plus I have to make some cupcakes as well because I don't think the cake is going to be big enough to serve everyone.  Kayley better take a nap on Friday.  Mommy's going to be busy!

Yesterday we took the girls in for their first haircuts.  They did SO good!  I was amazed.  I thought for sure they'd squirm and fuss and not sit still but they were perfect angels.  Obviously, having video screens right in front of them might have had something to do with it but still. Olivia got the airplane chair Kayley got Thomas the Train Almost done.  Hey, I can see!

There are actually people in this world who wake up an hour or so before they otherwise would have to in order to work out.  Crazy psychos.  I guess they like to get it over with so they have their evening free for other things or something.  Needless to say, I am not one of these people.  I was definitely an after work exerciser when I was working and now I'm a whenever-I-can-fit-it-in-during-the-day exerciser.  But today, as I lay in bed at 5:30 having been awakened by Paul getting up and ready for work, I made the very unusual decision to get up, work out and shower before the girls woke up.  And it was great!  It was so nice to go about our morning routine leisurely without worrying about getting that workout in and still making it to Target (today's errand) and back before lunch.  I was thinking I might start getting up with Paul and doing my workout early a few days a week!  We'll see.  No promises.

I used to work with a guy who had 4 kids, including a set of twin boys, and whose wife was a stay-at-home mom.  At the time, the youngest was 1 or 2, the twins were 3 or 4 and the oldest (hers from a previous marriage) was in grade school.  He (my co-worker) worked a 6:00 to 2:30 schedule, and had about a 45- or 50-minute commute, so he got up pretty darn early in the morning.  He hardly ever brought a lunch but didn't go out, either.  Instead, he would buy chips, pepperoni sticks, etc. from the vending machine or the guy who had his own "store" set up in his cubicle (and no, he wasn't fat). I liked his wife and all, but I couldn't understand why she couldn't be bothered to make her husband a decent lunch while he got ready for work in the morning.  I remember thinking to myself that if I was a stay-at-home wife or mom (I was still single at the time) I would totally make my husband's lunch every morning and see him off to work with a kiss, a la June Cle...

I finally took the time to construct pigtails out of Olivia's mop.  So cute!  Unfotunately, they didn't last long.  I've also decided it's time to take her in for her first haircut.  That sould be interetsting.

Make that 23 months, one week and 2 days.  This is the last month that we'll refer to their age in months.  Well, sort of.  Actually, if people ask how old they are these days I just say that they'll be 2 at the end of the month but otherwise I consider them to be 23 months.  I'm not going to rattle off a bunch of stuff that they're doing, other than to say that they are talking a ton and saying new words pretty much daily, I just wanted to have one last "month" post before they turn 2.

This weekend, like most, I had a whole list of projects I wanted to complete: Install curtain rod for the vallance in the girls' bedroom (the same vallance I've had since before they were born and, two years later, still isn't hung). Put up the new lamps for our bedroom (take cellophane off shades, install lightbulbs, put it all together and place on nightstands). Hang new wall sconce in our bedroom. Put up shelves (ledges) in bathroom. Put up shelf (ledge) in girls' room. Put together the shoe rack I bought a month ago and arrange shoes on it. Wash and put away wine glasses that I bought at Crate and Barrel a month ago. So far I've managed to do the lamps and wine glasses.  The girls are napping so I can't do the shelf, vallance or the wall sconce (Kayley naps in our room so as not to wake up Olivia) until they get up, and then it'll be too close to when I need to start dinner (and Paul will have to entertain them so he can't do it either).  An...

The other day I was in the kitchen doing something and Olivia was in there with me.  She had gotten a hold of the cheese grater unbeknownest to me and was looking it over, repeating the phrase, "how cute".  Apparently, she has noticed me in stores look at something and say, "how cute", or say it after one of them does something adorable (such as saying "how cute" while examining a cheese grater, of all things).  It was so cute.