Mother's Day
As I'm sure you'll recall from past blog entries, my husband is not a "how shall I pamper my wife? let me count the ways" sort of guy. He's not thoughtless, but I wouldn't really put him in the category of thoughtful, either. He's well-meaning, though, and that counts. Because I know that Mother's Day causes him some anxiety, I decided to give him a list of things I would enjoy receiving. (I took a Facebook poll first and was assured that supplying a list was the way to go.) That way, he could choose a couple of items from the list and it would be sort of like a surprise. I gave him the list two weeks ago. I thought I'd better give him ample time in case he wanted to order anything online.
On Saturday, I did indeed receive a gift that the boy had ordered. Yay! I had asked for a Happy Herbivore cookbook and it came in the mail. If you have ever thought of trying a plant-based diet, check out the HH site. The cookbooks are really good and don't contain a lot of super-exotic ingredients. Anyway, I've already made a couple of recipes from the new cookbook. In fact, I had a chocolate craving Saturday night and made a single-serving brownie recipe. Don't judge.
Although Mother's Day was on Sunday, Saturday was probably the better day of the weekend. In the morning, I weighed in at Weight Watchers and then the kid and I joined a group from our church for a wildlife walk at a local park. It was a lot of fun. We learned about all kinds of wildflowers and went on a nice little hike. After that, we went swimming. As part of the birthday party package we purchased at a local recreation facility (like a YMCA, but not), we received a one-month family membership for free. So, we decided to take advantage of it and head over there for a swim. I worked out for about 45 minutes first. One nice thing is that since the kid is 10, she is allowed to be in the facility by herself. So, she can go to the pool, the game room, the art room, etc. P and I joined her in the pool after our work-outs. The pool has a (surprisingly fast) slide, so that's a bonus. The part that was less fun: sitting in Cabana #4 for an eternity while waiting for the kid to take a shower and comb her hair. I could actually feel myself aging as I waited. If someone had told me that I'd missed Christmas while I was in there, I would not have been surprised.
We actually have a tough decision now - whether or not to switch to the new place long-term. I joined "my" gym because it's very close to my house. I knew I would be more likely to go if I didn't have to drive far. Typically, I'm there at least three times a week. This other facility, where we have our temporary membership, has a lot of benefits. It has a pool, a running track. basketball courts (my other half likes to play), and it's about $10 cheaper. I can't decide if the longer drive is worth it, though. Quelle dilemma. I think it also depends on how much of my future I want to spend in Cabana #4.
On Saturday evening, we went to mall to do some shopping. The kid had some birthday money that was burning a hole in her pocket. My husband wanted to come along so that I could pick out my other Mother's Day gifts. I asked him if he also wanted me to pick out my own card and sign it. I got a cookie jar in the shape of a bulldog, a sunhat (for freeloading at Ocean City this summer), some sports socks, and a Fila tank top for the gym. Normally, I am never seen in anything sleeveless, but I got a little crazy for a second there.
We had so much fun swimming on Saturday that we decided to go back on Sunday. The three of us went to church in the morning. The service included a flower communion, and the kid and I were participating in that. After church, P offered to take me out for brunch but honestly, as a vegan, it's sometimes easier if I just make my own grub. I made chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast and black bean burgers for lunch. The kid had talked about presenting me with breakfast in bed, but I couldn't see how that would work. I get out of bed several hours earlier than she does, so . . .
After lunch, I ran back to the mall (I need to shop ALONE) and finally found a swimsuit. Photo below. Just kidding. I can't believe you fell for that. Anyway, I did another work-out at the new place and then joined the kid in the pool . . . wearing my spiffy new swimsuit.
All in all, it was a good weekend. A good Mother's Day, too. I'm still not convinced that I'm much of a mom, but I do my best. I mean, who else is going to sit in Cabana #4 all day while a certain curly-haired girl sings to herself in the mirror (for an excruciatingly long time)?
On Saturday, I did indeed receive a gift that the boy had ordered. Yay! I had asked for a Happy Herbivore cookbook and it came in the mail. If you have ever thought of trying a plant-based diet, check out the HH site. The cookbooks are really good and don't contain a lot of super-exotic ingredients. Anyway, I've already made a couple of recipes from the new cookbook. In fact, I had a chocolate craving Saturday night and made a single-serving brownie recipe. Don't judge.
Although Mother's Day was on Sunday, Saturday was probably the better day of the weekend. In the morning, I weighed in at Weight Watchers and then the kid and I joined a group from our church for a wildlife walk at a local park. It was a lot of fun. We learned about all kinds of wildflowers and went on a nice little hike. After that, we went swimming. As part of the birthday party package we purchased at a local recreation facility (like a YMCA, but not), we received a one-month family membership for free. So, we decided to take advantage of it and head over there for a swim. I worked out for about 45 minutes first. One nice thing is that since the kid is 10, she is allowed to be in the facility by herself. So, she can go to the pool, the game room, the art room, etc. P and I joined her in the pool after our work-outs. The pool has a (surprisingly fast) slide, so that's a bonus. The part that was less fun: sitting in Cabana #4 for an eternity while waiting for the kid to take a shower and comb her hair. I could actually feel myself aging as I waited. If someone had told me that I'd missed Christmas while I was in there, I would not have been surprised.
We actually have a tough decision now - whether or not to switch to the new place long-term. I joined "my" gym because it's very close to my house. I knew I would be more likely to go if I didn't have to drive far. Typically, I'm there at least three times a week. This other facility, where we have our temporary membership, has a lot of benefits. It has a pool, a running track. basketball courts (my other half likes to play), and it's about $10 cheaper. I can't decide if the longer drive is worth it, though. Quelle dilemma. I think it also depends on how much of my future I want to spend in Cabana #4.
On Saturday evening, we went to mall to do some shopping. The kid had some birthday money that was burning a hole in her pocket. My husband wanted to come along so that I could pick out my other Mother's Day gifts. I asked him if he also wanted me to pick out my own card and sign it. I got a cookie jar in the shape of a bulldog, a sunhat (for freeloading at Ocean City this summer), some sports socks, and a Fila tank top for the gym. Normally, I am never seen in anything sleeveless, but I got a little crazy for a second there.
We had so much fun swimming on Saturday that we decided to go back on Sunday. The three of us went to church in the morning. The service included a flower communion, and the kid and I were participating in that. After church, P offered to take me out for brunch but honestly, as a vegan, it's sometimes easier if I just make my own grub. I made chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast and black bean burgers for lunch. The kid had talked about presenting me with breakfast in bed, but I couldn't see how that would work. I get out of bed several hours earlier than she does, so . . .
After lunch, I ran back to the mall (I need to shop ALONE) and finally found a swimsuit. Photo below. Just kidding. I can't believe you fell for that. Anyway, I did another work-out at the new place and then joined the kid in the pool . . . wearing my spiffy new swimsuit.
All in all, it was a good weekend. A good Mother's Day, too. I'm still not convinced that I'm much of a mom, but I do my best. I mean, who else is going to sit in Cabana #4 all day while a certain curly-haired girl sings to herself in the mirror (for an excruciatingly long time)?
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| My "freeloading at the beach" hat. I was going for "mysterious" in this shot. Did it work? |
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| I wasn't going for "goofy" in this shot but I feel like I nailed it anyway. |
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