Where did she go???

_{I truly did not intend for so} much time to pass by before I updated the blog so for the few people who still check in to see if I am alive, I apologize!  The truth of the matter is that I refuse to use my work computer for blogging and at night I usually hang out with my iPhone which makes blogging impossible as I can barely get a good FB status out of my super awkward all thumbs attempts to write approach.  I need a real keyboard to blog and I could and should make a concerted effort to dust off the home laptop or kick B off of the desktop machine he is glued to and I promise I shall do a better job of it in the future!

But now so much time has gone by!  Alas, what to write about?!  I know!  I can do a montage style thing with bullet points!

• I got all bummed by my friend's status that she has lost 50 lbs instead of being all happy for her.  You see, we started dieting at the same time and I am only down 22 lbs and she has more than doubled this!  She did Medifast and I am afraid of a) the chemicals and b) the cost but now I find myself looking at the Medifast website a little too longingly.  I wanted to be down 43 lbs by my 43rd birthday but that isn't happening seeing as I have like 6 weeks to go.  My goal is now to be down 30 but losing weight is not something I am great at.  I am trying to do the low carb route but guess who shoved two croissoints in her mouth last weekend after being bread free for 2 weeks?
• I got alarmingly obsessed with the hantavirus which is spread by mice and has a 40% fatality rate.  We have a problem with mice where we live, old homes with loads of cracks and ways for those bastards to get in.  Last year we killed about 20 before resorting to poison and although we haven't seen one yet this year, we know it is just time.  It isn't just us, as our neighbor put it, "In TX (where she is from), everyone has cockroaches and you are considered really dirty if you have mice.  Here it is the opposite."  My obsession got so bad I started panicking and sending alarming instant messages to B.  Things like, "Most people who are exposed to the virus have come in contact with rodent droppings in their own homes" which you imagine might be upsetting if you, the recipient, had no idea what the hell was going on.  B finally talked me off a ledge by sending me stats from CDC wherein there was only 1 case of hantavirus in the whole state of MA ever and a promise to buy and strategically place more poisons.
• I got alarmingly sick (not hantavirus) with a really bad cold/flu thing (maybe hantavirus?) but wrapped in blankets and covered with crushed kleenex I discovered a gem on streaming netflix.  It is British miniseries called North and South (not to be confused with an American miniseries of the same name).  Now that I am older, I don't often swoon over some actor or celebrity like I did when I was younger and writing embarassing fan fiction about Colin Firth.  I can't recall the last time I obsessively google imaged pictures of some lothario.  But now, my friends, Richard Armitage with his dark dark hair and his ice blue eyes and razor thin lipped smile.... Perhaps the less said the better.
• B's parents are all moved in to their new home in Vegas and some of her old caretakers moved into the house in Bakersfield so we have a reprieve on having to do things like cleaning it out and selling it.  In an effort to make my sister in law's life easier, I took over crafting the rental agreement, thanks to online templates for legal leases in the state of CA.  The funny thing is that when you work with technology all day every day, you take for granted the types of things other people might understand.  For instance, one of the ladies does not own a cell phone or computer and the other had no idea what I meant by "scan."  Keep in mind, they are both in their mid 20s and both attend a community college.  I know things cost money, and not owning a cell phone is admirable, but the school should offer basic technology, no?  Anyhow, I resorted to the good old postal service.
• B's parent's health continues to deteriorate but at least they are being cared for and B's sister can take them to appointments, etc.
• I am starting to have to think about birthday parties for the kids.  Up until now we have had A's parties in our home, little brunch affairs since she is a New Year's Eve baby.  But this past year she has been exposed to so many parties she now has very definite ideas of what she wants and it is not a home party.  Part of me is happy to oblige because the cooking and cleaning involved with a home party....well bleh!  But, the expense of having it somewhere else is....double bleh!  Anyhow she wants to do a repeat of a friend's party in which we go to this place that has an option for a "candy party."  The kids paint and decorate and fill their own gumball machines, they frost and decorate cookies, they string their own candy necklaces, and fill a bottle with colorful colored sugars.  Exactly how crappy of a parent would I appear to invite a bunch of 4 year olds to a "candy party?"

Anyway, yesterday was the Smithsonian Magazine Free Museum Day wherein you can get passes to specific museums and we opted for the Boston Museum of Fine Arts because a) it is super expensive otherwise and b) it is one of my son's favorite places despite the fact that it is a "look not touch" experience.  He really enyoys the ancient Egypt and Chinese furniture exhibits the most if you can believe it. He is always cautioning his sister not to get too close or touch the art, it is super cute watching him police her.

Anyway, outside the museum there are these two sculptures of baby faces and well, my daughter and I got silly.  Here we are picking its nose.

Some might say it is gross encouraging such behavior, others might just admit that my kids are doomed because B and I find such things hilarious.  They don't stand a chance.

Comments

[dina]

I didn't give up on you - though I wondered if you were doing okay. And now all I can say is "Wow Meredith! You look amazing! Seriously! Now I'm jealous of you!"

[Megan]

Glad you're back, and I second the above comment -- that photo is great! Stop obsessing over Medi****!

[Michaela]

OK lady, I will point out that someone *else* clearly already had a candy party and invited your 4-year-old, so why are you a bad person if you do that when it was OK for the other person to do that? I think that sounds like fun...assuming your kid isn't friends with a buncha vegan no-refined-sugar types.

Also, Medifast is not a sustainable lifestyle choice. *ahem*

[Shannon-from-old-job]

You look amazing - keep up the great work! Glad to hear you don't have a deadly virus. Perhaps less statue-nose-picking will keep the germs away? ;) teehee.

I SO WANT A CANDY PARTY! Do I have to wait until my kid is 4? ;)

Yay for things overall going well for you :)

[Meredith]

Thanks Ladies - although I see there is a 2 week Medifast pack for $162! I just might try it, 2 weeks can't do permanent damage, right?

Michaela - well, they didn't actually have the candy party. They had a "paint a wooden jewelry box and then fill it with colorful rocks" party but the place offers lots of different party options, including the candy one. I was the loser who read the options out loud in front of her kids and now A is obsessed with having a candy party.

[Anne]

22 pounds the natural way is something to be totally proud of. Good for you! And, yes, you look fabulous in that photo. The birthday party venue is totally evil for even providing a candy party option! Not to say I don't want one for my next birthday. . .

[elizasmom]

Eliza's best friend-from-school's mom made her OWN candy party. The year before she made tie-dye cupcakes. I would feel inferior if I hadn't already given up. I say give them what they want. Make the after-party at your local high school track, though.

And yep, 22 pounds is great! Especially when you factor in parenting and working, and dealing with heavy emotional crap.

[elizasmom]

Oh! I completely forgot to add that I support fine-art nose-picking!

[Mama]

Yes, where did she go? And where is she now? She must have gotten lost. She has never disappeared this long before. Hope she is ok. Hope she'll come back!

;-)