Some Thoughts, Mostly About Shopping

#1: M. is away right now, out of the country in fact. He's in Vienna, Austria - he's been gone since Sunday afternoon and won't return until late Thursday evening. I've been dealing with the typical "solo parenting" challenges that always seem to pop up when one of us is traveling. Finn was home sick today from daycare, Lucy has woken up at night the last two nights, etc. I was a little panicky yesterday afternoon when Finn was sobbing in the car that his arm and head hurt (while he was clearly feverish) and it was a mere 30 minutes before the pediatrician's office closed. I was a bit worried that he would turn out to have some sort of acute, needs-medical-attention-STAT disease, and my only option would be to truck him down to the emergency room with Lucy in tow. But sanity prevailed, I opted not to call the pediatrician and dosed him with Ibuprofen instead, and we've been mustering along OK ever since. In fact, with M. out of the country, I've still managed to take the kids to the library and neighborhood pool by myself, do the dinner/bathtime/bedtime thing three times, fold three loads of laundry, pick up the entire house in preparation for the cleaning lady, run a 5K on the treadmill last night, be (mostly) faithful to my weightwatchers' diet, and blog twice.

And you should know that I am not writing these boastful things for YOUR benefit. It is actually to make sure M. brings me some REALLY nice chocolate from Vienna.

#2: I am not a big scented candle fan, but I have come around to the utility of keeping one in the kitchen for those nights when the post-cooking dinner smells are a bit too pungent (I blame our wall-to-wall carpeting for those lingering odors, but then again, I hate our wall-to-wall carpeting, and try to blame it for just about everything). I discovered the Village Candle scent "Lemon Pound Cake" at my local grocery store, and instantly named it my favorite scented candle of all. It runs circles around Yankee Candle scents. And if I could diverge for a moment here, what is UP with Yankee Candle? Some of their scents? I just don't GET. What the heck is a "Hometown Days" candle supposed to smell like? Or "Over the River"? Come on, they are really reaching on some of these. Also, I wonder what their employee retention rates are. Personally, I need to switch to the other side of the mall whenever I near one if I want to avoid passing out from the smell. It always mystifies me that people can actually spend a full work shift in one of their stores.

But clearly, I digress. Back to the Lemon Pound Cake candle of delight. It is, sadly, gone. I burned the last of it while M.'s parents were here. But I did manage to stumble upon the free, forgotten car freshener that came with the candle back when I purchased it. And promptly installed it in my car. Now whenever I open my car door in this insane summer heat, I am enveloped in the warm, strong scent of lemon pound cake (it seriously smells EXACTLY like lemon pound cake). It is both quite pleasant and frustrating, because I wind up craving lemon cake several times a day. I may need to start keeping snacks in the car.

#3: I was sucked in by a coupon from Kohl's the other day, and went shopping (actually twice in one weekend, but I'm not sure I should cop to that much of a shopping addiction). Among other things, I purchased a new dress for Lucy. I couldn't resist, as it seemed like the perfect summery/nautical/lakeside dress. And we WILL be lakeside, shortly. We are traveling up to Maine to stay at my parents' lakeside house in early August. So really, justifiable purchase, no? Anyway, I really wanted to take a picture of Lucy in the dress to show you all how adorable she looks in it. Unfortunately, girlfriend just

would

not

stay

still

What, you gotta problem wit' that?

#4: Also while at Kohl's, I perused the "lady underthings" section (I believe the technical term might be "intimates"). I am making an effort to eradicate all traces of "maternity" underwear (and by maternity, I just mean REALLY BIG, because I never bought any ACTUAL maternity underwear), even the crappy stuff I've kept around for (whispered) that time of the month. Not only because of my progress over the last few months with Weightwatchers', but also because (the obvious) I haven't been pregnant in over two years. There is no reason for my rear end to be sporty saggy, stretched out Hanes briefs anymore.

I'm not sure why I felt the need to tell you WHY I was looking at the Kohl's lady underthings section, but now you know. And you should also know that I did not buy anything, because the only underwear I found remotely cute was in the Junior's section. Either my tastes are not all that mature, or Kohl's idea of stylish "Misses" underwear is more matronly than stylish. What is up with all the stretchy satin yuckiness that they pass of as underwear? I mean, I'm all for decent butt coverage, but there is a limit. And Kohl's has crossed it.

[I had much better luck at Target, where I absolutely LOVE their Gilligan and O'Malley line. Even though it never fails to make me think of the Professor, the Howells, the Skipper, et all.]

#5: Finally, in other shopping news, I went bathing suit shopping online for the first time ever. I was more than distressed by the bathing suit sections at both Target and Kohl's (And before you ask, yes, I occasionally shop elsewhere, but no, not frequently). Why is it that one-piece suits are nowhere to be found? Because I? Prefer one-piece suits. I don't care what size you are, a two-piece suit has a waistband, and that waistband WILL find any little lump that you have, and highlight it. But apparently we are no longer allowed to wear one-piece swim suits, according to the fashion industry, unless we are 50, cougar-ish, and heavily into animal prints.

Which left me with two-piece suits, fine, whatever, I'll give them a shot if I must. But these two-piece suits are not sold as an actually set, OH NO. You need to hunt down a top that looks remotely flattering/appropriately sized/decently patterned/not patterned, etc. And then you need to pray that you find some kind of bottom that, if it doesn't exactly match, is at least somewhat coordinating (and also flattering/appropriately sized/decently patterned/not patterned, etc). And what I am telling you is that THIS? Cannot actually be done. Perhaps it's the lateness of the season, but it's all bottoms and no tops, or vice versa, and never a pair can be matched.

So I gave up, and ordered two suits from Landsend.com. Two different styles (a one-piece - hurrah! - and a two-piece), two different sizes, two different colors/patterns. I took all my measurements, which differed wildly from the ones in the sizing charts (apparently my proportions are not what one might call "standard"), and had no idea which measurement I was supposed to size to. I am praying that at least one of the suits work out, because my current swim suits are butt-saggy (seems to be a pattern with me lately) and have enough room in the chest region to squeeze some small watermelons in with my breasts. There have been some close calls with what one might call "indecent exposure" at the pool already.

I'm a bit nervous about how it will turn out - here's hoping they have a generous, hassle-free return policy!

Enough rambling, I need to get myself to bed so I am ready for Lucy's middle-of-the-night wake up call tonight!