Spring Break- Topless in Cabo

Or not. 

Today was the first day back to work after a 9 days off for spring break. Ouch. There was something about the 5 am alarm or parting with my happy baby at the sitter this morning that made things a little tough. Also hard was the fact that I'm still not completely sure about where the time went. What have I been up to, exactly? There were no papers graded, no books finished, and a house only slightly more clean (or maybe just not made more dirty?). Sawyer's birthday party remains fairly unplanned, no documentaries or TED Talks were viewed, and the fans still have a thick layer of dust on them.

But it wasn't a waste. We just.... hung out. We visited with a few friends, I got some boring appointments out of the way, the two of us napped often, and we got in a lot of time playing and being outside in the awesome weather. It's not often I don't overextend myself, and while it was a little unsettling at times, it was also really nice. It also made me even more anxious for summer. 

[I finally went back to yoga, at the studio one morning when I took Sawyer to the sitter. I was very sloppy, but it was great. I also got in some PiYo]

[I found a new place to keep my kid while getting ready. He found my pajamas and a new love for the lint roller. I'm hoping this lasts longer than he did in the Exersaucer]

[We got new patio furniture and had friends over for a BBQ. I love eating outside and it was nice keeping some of the highchair mess outside ]

[We went on at least one walk a day, and even saw the Yellow Brick Road. I even learned that Sawyer will keep on his hat for extended periods of time with Cheerios. Cheerios solve most Sawyer crises]

[There were lots of errands ran. Including this little guy's new favorite stop. In all honestly, though, errands with an eleven-month-old are a huge pain in the ass. ]

[Sawyer had decided to show some interest in pulling himself up... on everything he shouldn't. See also: stairs, crib, bath tub.]

[We did the Easter thing; a pretty uneventful day at home, with just the three of us and then my brother for a bit.]

So yes, part of me does wish I had been able to take an exciting vacation or that I was ridiculously productive, I did really, really appreciate all the time I had with my kid (in my yoga pants, with my hair piled on top of my head, drinking Diet Coke like there was no tomorrow). 

Bookish (and not so Bookish) Thoughts

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1. How the hell is it already Wednesday night? Spring break is vanishing right before my eyes. I took Sunday "off" but have been on the go the last three days with no end in sight (friends... baby stuff... work stuff... house stuff....).

2. We had three of our favorite couples over for dinner Saturday and it went really well. Everyone had at least met one of the other couples, and between teacher-talk, sports, and general weird shit, everyone had something to contribute (which is a concern, at least for me, when you bring together people who barely know each other). You know you have great friends when at the end of the night you're sober and still love them.

3. I need to read Huck Finn and The Scarlett Letter in the next four days. Obligation makes things so painful....

4. While out walking the dogs this morning, I saw these guys racing:

5. There has been a definite increase in seismic activity in Southern California lately (increase after years of decrease, though) and I really, really hate it. My husband thinks I'm crazy, but considering that I grew up in the very flat, very still Central Valley I'm not used to the earth moving underneath you. A 5.1 hit last weekend (in the same town where my grandparents live, about thirty or so miles away) and we got shook up little a bit (for like five seconds), coincidentally when we were on ladders and benches painting the nursery. Oh, and then everyone starts talking about the "big one." You know what? They can all go fuck themselves.

6. I highly recommend making these peanut butter cookies. The combination of the corn syrup (only a teaspoon or two, relax) and the cornstarch make for a smooth, soft texture. This is definitely in my top 10 cookies recipes.

7. Speaking of food, I feel like I've been talking to people about one of my greatest loves, cereal, a lot lately. In fact, I "joked" with my husband last night that I was going to start a new blog dedicated to cereal- reviews, recipes, interviews with cereal makers, odes, etc... Then maybe companies would start sending me free boxes? What more do you need in life besides books from publishers and cereal from food manufacturers? 

8. House is on Netflix, finally. I'm putting Nip/Tuck on hold and hopping aboard that train. I've watched the first season, a long time ago, and have been waiting not-so-patiently for this today.

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9. As I listen to students and parents talk about college I've grown increasingly irritated at all the bitching and moaning about student loan debt. If you choose a viable degree and career path, taking out federal loans is fine. In fact, I think it can be incredibly motivating for graduates to enter the job market and for some it's the only tax deduction they'll get for awhile. I know all families do it differently, but eighteen-year-olds are adults and accepting at least some fiscal responsibility for their education is important. 

10. I started listening to Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential yesterday and am so far amused and intrigued. I love his unapologetic asshole-ness and brutal honesty about the restaurant business. He does the reading, which is always nice too.