The Coolest Laptop Ever

I bought  a laptop about 2 weeks ago.  DisneyJunior.com simultaneously added new content to their website.  Consequently, Maddie now thinks my laptop is the coolest computer ever.

My Thanksgiving Angst

I was going to host Thanksgiving this year.  It's something I've done only once before, and I was looking forward to it.  But Angie woke this morning with a splitting headache, nausea and tummy cramps.  She spent the entire morning retching, pooping and sleeping on the couch with a pillow over her eyes to block the light.  (Tylenol didn't stay down long enough to do anything for her.)  At noon, she popped up happy and playing, but the damage is already done.  With Daddy's immune system compromised, we can't risk passing a virus along to him.  But have a Happy Thanksgiving anyway...we'll miss you all!

Power To The People

"We love you!" I shouted to the man walking down the street, long pole in hand to lift the power lines that hung too low for the big orange trucks to pass under.  He raised a hand in salute as I plunked my purse down and announced to the children, "Well, I guess we're not going to get gasoline after all."  While the children drew chalk crabs on the driveway, I watched the three giant trucks maneuver into position next to trees whose bent and broken limbs hovered over the power lines.  As if choreographed, all three buckets rose high into the air, the men inside wielding their chain saws like scalpels.  Branches dropped to the ground, some bouncing off the already beleaguered wires before landing with a familiar thud. 

Nearly five days ago, Saturday, we stood on our front stoop and at the front windows watching a heavy October snow fall steadily, piling up on the autumn leaves that had yet to fall.  And when the weight became too much to bear we heard the crack, as if from a rifle shot, and watched the limbs fall to the ground below, sometimes taking out power lines on their way down.  The branches fell steadily for nearly 4 hours.  And when all was said and done, the power lines had been ripped from more than half the houses in the neighborhood and we went to bed early, in the dark and cold.

Now I watched as the tree trucks quickly trimmed broken limbs from the trees, working their way around the block and out of sight, leaving almost as quickly as they'd come.  Ours, one of the crew had said, was the worst neighborhood he'd seen so far.  An hour later, six PSEG crews descended on the block, backing their trucks into driveways, propping ladders against the houses and pulling the lines back into place.  Though it had taken five days for them to arrive, they worked with speed and precision.  We watched the whole thing, grinning and giving thumbs up to any worker who happened to glance our way, and texting our working neighbors the good news.    Like the tree trimmers, they quickly worked their way around the block, and then vanished.   The lights were still out, and it was growing dark.  "I guess we're spending one more night without power," Miguel said.  He pulled on his boots and jacket, grabbed the keys and the gas can and headed out to procure more gas for the generator we'd managed to procure on Sunday afternoon.

I left for work as the generator roared to life; ours was the only house on the block with the steady glow of an incandescent bulb in the window.  Just as I finished my session, Miguel called.  The reception was poor and I could barely hear him, but I made out the words, "We have power!"  I grinned all the way home. 

Huh?

Angie, marching into the dining room where I am holding Maddie in my arms:  "Mommy.  I just drank some pink lemonade."  (Said with finality.)

Maddie, twirling my hair around her finger:  "I would like to drink some pink lemonade when I'm naked."

Okay, then. 

And Now We're Sick

As a result of all that busy beavering, we've got a cold.  Something's telling us to sloooooowwwww dooooooowwwwwwwwwn.  Noted.

Busy Beavers

We're on a roll with the out-of-home activities this week.  Fall is often busy for us anyway, as we usually start some kind of activity for the kids.  This year, Maddie's taking soccer classes, Angie's in gymnastics and both of them have Storytime at the library on separate days.  But this week, we've added a trip to the Children's Museum of NJ, a visit to the "local" planetarium and a pumpkin picking outing.  I'm tired just thinking about it. 

Burnt Offering

Angie: "Mommy, I think you burned the cookies.  They're so brown."

Me:  "They're chocoate cookies, Angie.  They're supposed to be brown."