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So far, April seems to be the month of accomplishing all those tasks we've been putting off indefinitely. Ethan got up early this morning and took the older Corolla to the body shop to get an estimate for replacing both bumpers (I put a softball-sized dent in the front one, Ethan ripped off half the back bumper in a disagreement with a stubborn shrub). The estimate was about half as much as I was expecting, so that's a relief. We drop it off next Monday and should get it back Wednesday, so I'll only be without wheels for 2 days.
This week I need to renew my license (expired as of 1/31) and then, once the car is fixed, take it for inspection (it's only 1 1/2 mos overdue :)). Still, that's 3 big items off our "to do" list. If we're not careful, we might just turn into--EEK!!--responsible adults! (shudder).
I have also started making a daily "to do" list to inspire me to get more things done around the house. As I knew I would, I put more items on it than I can reasonably expect to accomplish with an active toddler underfoot. Way to set myself up for failure and disappointment right off the bat! I think I'll hone it down to 3 things a day to start--then when I'm knocking those off with ease add a fourth item, etc., etc.
In Tobin news, he's starting to "parrot." He repeated the words "blue," "yellow," and "I love you" in the past 2 days. As mentioned in my Facebook status update, the "I love you" sounded more like "eye yoyo," but he was repeating after me--and he said it twice, so I know that's what he was trying to say. Thus ends the era of free-reign cursing in our household. Good god do I love to swear, but if it means not having to apologize at some point in the near future when Tobin calls the lady in front of us in the checkout line a "stupid c*nt," it's worth the sacrifice. Maybe when he's closer to 12 we can reinstate full freedom of speech. By then he'll have learned all the four-letter words Mommy and Daddy know and then some. Until such time, I will have to bottle up my cursing and let it out in little bursts when Tobin and I aren't in the same building/zip code.
Other than that, looking forward to my upcoming Girls' Night Out with my BFF, Kayly, and some other lovely ladies. Poor, poor Harrisburg won't know what hit it. You know in the cartoons where someone gets punched so hard they have a circle of little birdies flying around their head to illustrate their severe disorientation? That's what Harrisburg can expect to feel like when we're done with it. And throw in a crotch punch or three. We don't fuck around. Oops. Good thing Tobin's still illiterate.
A 13-year-old boy is attempting to become the youngest person ever to summit Mt. Everest. I'm fascinated with Mt. Everest and those who dare to climb it. One of my favorite books is Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air, his first-person account of the 1996 Everest Disaster. And I've made the poor hubby sit through at least two seasons of The Discovery Channel's Everest: Beyond The Limit. Let me hasten to say that I'm not a mountain climber--I'm barely a stair climber--but Everest has always seemed mystical and magical to me and I completely understand its allure to those far braver than myself. Whether a matter of motivation or self-preservation, I am quite content to read about and watch them rather than join them.
However, as a newly-minted mom, I can't help but question the motives of this boy's parents. Are they truly encouraging this summit attempt (and his entire mountaineering career--he's already climbed many of the world's tallest peaks) out of love and support rather than the opportunty to bask in his reflected glory? Is it worth the risk? Everest is a bitch. And mountaineers more accomplished and experienced than this young man have met their ends there. As a parent, I can't imagine that I would be willing to take that risk with my child's life, no matter how keen he was to do it.
My follow-up questions are:
- How is summiting Mt. Everest not enough of an accomplishment? Why the need to be the youngest?
- What's left for him after he conquers Mt. Everest and the peak in Antarctica? Isn't his career essentially over at 13, then? I suppose he could attempt to climb again without oxygen, as some folks do, if Everest doesn't get him the first time.
Anyhoo, best of luck to him. I hope for his parents' sakes that he's successful and makes it through unharmed. I have no idea how they'll live with themselves for the rest of their lives if he doesn't.
What happened to March going out like a lamb? Now that the rain and flooding seems to be on the wane, I'm really looking forward to Spring. Bye-bye, March. Don't let the door hit ya. The forecast looks amazing through the weekend. Looking forward to much outdoors time with the family members two- and four-legged.
I'm about to get Mr. T and myself dressed so we can go to the playground where he will undoubtedly run me ragged, after which we will come home, have a snack and pass out for a few hours. This is absolutely my favorite part of the job. I get to watch him have gobs of fun, get some exercise chasing him around, and get to pat myself on the back for being a "good mom" for making sure my kid gets plenty of fresh air and physical activity. So much better than deadlines and status meetings. And instead of yearly performance reviews, I get daily reviews (kisses, tantrums, "yummy" noises) to let me know where I excel and where there's "room for growth." I do miss raises and bonuses, however.
We have a meeting with the rabbi at B'Nai Or tomorrow morning to go over details for Tobin's naming ceremony on the 9th (it's a joint ceremony for kids who haven't yet received their Hebrew names). When I converted, I accepted that any sons Ethan and I had would have to be circumcised, but I'll be damned if I was going to watch. Luckily Ethan felt the same, so we let the doctors do the deed with the agreement that we would have a naming ceremony for him later on.
Tobin is named after his Great Uncle Teddy (real name Tobias), so we called Great Aunt Cynthia to see if she recalled Teddy's Hebrew name. She did--it's Tevye. Makes perfect sense, since Tobias (and Tobin) and Tevye mean the same thing: "God is Good." We dig it and we're going with it, but I've had "If I Were a Rich Man" stuck in my head ever since.
The rest of the weekend is wide open for Spring frolicking and gallivanting. White light and Vitamin D, how I've missed you!!!!
