I Will Survive II

Well, it's been another week without S as he attends the Society of American Archivists Conference in Washington D.C. Sorry I didn't get to post on that earlier. Well, as this last day of his absence winds down to a close, I thought I'd post a description of one of the week's adventures for your reading enjoyment. Note: It does at times reveal my darker side, so this may come as a disappointment to all you out there who think Mrs. S is really of Mrs. Super Mom in disguise. ;)

While still on a I'm-actually-getting-something-done! high after having a girl lend me a hand with things Thu morning, I was actually brave enough to cook Fri night. You should have seen me, though. First I had to nurse while browning the ground beef, which resulted in it being overdone on one side since I was too tired to think to turn it off/down, and then as I was stirring it, I made the mistake of trying to have H help with watering the plants out front when she was overtired, which means it takes 3 requests and 2 threats and 1 attempt to help her get out the door, at which point I realized I'd made another one of those little mistakes--this time leaving the garbage sitting inside the side door instead of getting it out last night--that results in a whole lot more work than you'd ever expect: 200 ants streaming out of the garbage bag that H moved onto the (just cleaned last week) family room carpet and 200 more ants streaming through a hidden tunnel under our door's threshold, scampering about for that lost golden bag of garbage. Let's just say I'm grateful I was making my stand-by taco soup. And as I'd pureed in some fresh tomatoes from our yard, it was more than just comfort food, it was AMAZING. You'd never know the ground beef had sat overcooking for 30 minutes because, as before, I didn't even think to turn it down--and that's after it was initially overcooked while nursing--while I chased around H and then 532 ants and then argued with Hannah and tried to get to a fussy Lil'S. During that time I seriously left the vacuum hose sitting over that hole the ants were crawling thru for a good half hour--and yet they kept on streaming in! I finally removed it and let them be, hoping that even though they obviously hadn't figured out not to keep going into that hole where all their friends were being sucked away, perhaps they would somehow figure out that their golden bag of garbage was now sitting on the deck, patiently awaiting the arrival of some pillaging animal that visited us during the night after I forgot to get back outside and get it in the garbage can.

Well, gratefully, the ants found the booty awaiting them out on the deck, rather than that which sparkled on my kitchen shelves, the taco soup somehow did get made, and my darling nap-deprived daughter did actually fall asleep by 8 p.m. I think it was God giving me a littlle respite before the adventures began all over again, starting at 1:30 a.m. with a little girl who just couldn't sleep. . . . for the next four hours.

:)

I will survive!!!