Holy moly

Today is a suprise day at home. Maggie is the best kid a mom could ask for. Re-do playdate with a new friend and daughter Maggie's age at storytime. Babbling and eating snacks in the car. A calm lunch, no drama. Naptime for the kiddo. Relaxation for mom (reading, internet time, and listening to bluegrass).

Sunday was a blur. We headed out early in the morning to Half Moon Bay to visit the ocean and the pumpkin festival but I think about 10,000 other Northern Californian's had similar ideas. We made it within 3 miles of the seaside town and then turned around. Crazy it seems but it was going to be another hour in the car just to get there and park. We were hungry, had blown through the car snacks, and it was 1 pm. We thought we were going to be there by 11. I felt so many things in those moments before turning around...sorryness for Maggie being stuck in her seat so long, sorryness for myself because I was going nuts and felt like I had taken crazy pills, and sadness that I wasn't going to see the ocean because I really needed that mental release. I hated California in that moment for being so populated the City. We were in gridlock traffic much of our all-day drive. I think we made the best of it though and stopped for burgers and a run at the park in San Bruno. Large SF airport planes flew low and over our heads, Maggie excited by the noise and signing "airplane". The airplanes quickly became lost in the clouds. It was an unintentional road trip with no destination.

Once we hit home in the late afternoon, we picked up where we left off. A little dinner, playing and gardening outside in the damp grass with coats on. I was happy to see the rain arrive. The night before we enjoyed a fall dinner - pork chops with apple cider gravy, apples, and onions, spinach salad, mashed sweet potatoes with orange marmalade, and garlic bread. Red wine. Then apple crisp and ice cream for dessert using apples from my yearly trek to Apple Hill. Our neighbors enjoyed dinner with us and I was filled with joy being around good people and watching our kids love on eachother.

Last week Maggie kicked it up a notch. She had the biggest meltdown after leaving the park but it was delayed and caught me by suprise. It took me a few days to sort that out. As my sister puts it, another bunsen burner has been turned on inside dear little Maggie. Boy is this girl full of strong-willed personality and determination. It's awesome really. 

Maggie is now repeating any words or short phrases you throw at her. She is a ham and often cracks people up with her antics. We went to a wedding and she thankfully slept on my back in the ergo around dinner time after holding out all afternoon to nap, which then gave us the chance to stick around and see her dance.

Maggie has been falling a lot and is still putting things in her mouth that we don't want her to. It's just now she knows she isn't supposed to put that stuff in her mouth and makes a show of it. Michael thought she ate a little mushroom from the lawn. It was around bedtime. He looked for the mushroom cap and couldn't find it. I swear, those incidents happen so quickly, they never make sense in the end. We weren't sure if she ate it or what so after I put her to bed, I called poison control and had a nice chat. She never got sick but they gave us good advice and called us back twice to check on her. Amazing service, I was awed.

My parents have always told my sister and I the story of how I once collected lawn mushrooms in the backyard and gave them to my sister. She was a toddler and was cruising around the backyard in a walker with a tray. Mom was gone, dad was in charge. My dad assumed my sister ate one since they were on her tray and tried/or did make her throw up. Turns out, she didn't eat any mushrooms but I think that memory is seared in my dad's brain.

And last but not least, Michael and I went to a friend's bachelorette/bachelor party and played the best made up game ever. It was "internet speed dating" (since the couple met online) where each of us were given a secret persona to imitate and we speed dated with all of the party goers of the opposite sex. I was a "cougar". Not too far off from real life (ha ha). Not that I'm a cougar in real life, but I am a couple years older than hubby and I can't say I haven't been called that before. Hubby was a "pot smoker". I found that to be pretty funny because he is the opposite of one. I think he had fun with it and the party drinks helped. I found myself saying to the male speed daters: "Hey there, I've been watching you from across the room. Oh, you're retired? I'm not sure this is going to work, you're too old for me." I loved hearing all the aftermath once we were done, priceless. I can understand the draw to being an actress/actor, it's exciting to act like someone you're not.

Life is happening quickly. I don't have time to blog about all of it. I'm barely keeping my house clean, meals cooked, the laundry washed, the bank accounts balanced. Loving my family is my top priority. Knitting has taken a backseat temporarily I think. Reading and watching good shows has not. Anyone else in love with The Fabulous Beekman Boys and The Bucolic Plague?