Fine! Be murky!

I’ve been a Felicity Huffman fan since her days in the sadly-cancelled but witty and fast-paced “Sports Night” and now even in her incarnation as Lynette on “Desperate Housewives.” (How can you not empathize with a woman who becomes addicted to her son’s Ritalin so she can get everything done?) Even without the inestimable Stephanie Zacharek’s review of “Transamerica,” (or despite it…) I’d want to see the movie.

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Gina the Flu Girl. Liquids and rest, woman! Maybe a little whiskey in your tea…

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Thursday was/is my day of freedom. The babysitter comes at nine and I don’t have to be at work till four.

I stopped by Sarah Louise’s apartment between dropping off old magazines (solicited, not randomly) at the neighborhood school we hope to send Primo to, and hitting Target to Christmas shop, shop, shop! It’s a charming little apartment, it reminds me of the eensy-weensy apartment on the third floor of an old house I rented for 10 months just before I got married. What is it about those cozy (read: cramped and tiny) apartments that lure us in? SL’s perk is the skylight. Mine was the huge, sunny kitchen. Even though my bedroom was just barely big enough for my bed, and the living room was NOT big enough for a regular sofa. (And a bathroom ALL TO MYSELF. What bliss.) SL’s decorating style appears similar to mine: if it’s cute and quirky and makes me happy, I do not care if it’s a McDonald’s Happy Meal toy or a priceless heirloom, it gets displayed. Some call it cluttered, I call it home.

SL had a gift for me, to celebrate my first day back to work. I particularly loved the “Librarian” pin. But the cool calendar for “Women Who Do Too Much” and the book, Normal is Just a Setting on the Dryer: And Other Lessons from the Real, Real World were much appreciated as well. What I thought was especially cool was that SL had stickie-noted certain pages of the book that she thought were pertinent to me. I loved having a book personalized in that way. Thanks, SL!

I hit Target and Toys R Us and then Babies R Us to wrap up my Christmas shopping for the boys. The jury on the toy guitar for Primo is still out, we may cave and buy the more expensive one since the little plastic one is really cheesy. [Nope, Musician Dan okayed it due to the real, tuneable strings. -bb] He also got some Lite Brite refills (but no extra pegs, couldn’t find those); a Magnetix starter set; a chemistry set; a few books; and a math puzzle/game.

I passed on the baby doll for Segundo because it wasn’t as soft as I’d have liked, although I did buy him some baby bottles so he can feed Mimi – you know the ones, you upend them and the “milk” disappears? I appreciate that he tried to nurse Mimi on several occasions but I thought the bottles were pretty neat too. I almost bought him a stroller for her as well. Still might…But Segundo got Lincoln Logs and a doctor’s kit and some Play-Doh in cool colors, a couple of puzzles, a Nerf basketball hoop and ball, and one of those bouncy ride-on balls with the handles. I had one when I was little and thought he’d love it (I got one for Primo too); besides, something has to help them expend some energy indoors during the long, cold winter facing us!

They both got the same things for stocking stuffers – Twistables crayons and a CD case and socks and a new winter hat/mittens (Steelers). Toothbrushes, stickers, some Wiffle balls. A Three Stooges DVD for Primo and an Abbott and Costello DVD for Segundo. They were on sale at Target for a buck apiece, and since the boys are - or at least will be - men, I thought they and their dad could enjoy the annoying slapstick humor together. I like getting the stocking fillers almost more than I like getting the real presents.

The baby got a few board books to chew on and rip up (Wheels on the Bus, Binky, and Time for Bed), and a stuffed monkey (I liked the lamb but decided it was too feminine). I also got him a Thomas the Tank Engine James engine with a video (at Marshall’s for 13 bucks! The train alone normally costs 20!) and a squishy, grippy rubberized train toy. I skimped on him, I admit – he’s too little to know. A two-month-old is hard to buy for.

This all came in under budget, and actually even better than, because I had gift cards for Target and Toys R Us that pretty much paid for half of this stuff. So I had fun and didn’t spend too much! Whoo hoo!! Why does it make it that much sweeter that I saved money? And would it shock you all to know that this is all mapped out in an Excel spreadsheet, complete with total prices automatically calculated? Could it be that I am getting organized and/or turning into my Perfect sister-in-law? I even voluntarily called my mother-in-law on the way home to fill her in on the shopping progress and give her the Terzo cough update (getting better). Who am I, and what have I done with BabelBabe?

Primo’s birthday is the 11th; I had to buy him birthday presents too. He got a CD, and a board game, and a book about the solar system, and a pack of glow-in-the-dark planet/solar system stickers that we will affix to his bedroom ceiling. (I bought these stickers ten years ago when the local Imaginarium store was going out of business, and I did not even have children yet. I still can’t believe I was able to FIND them in my house!) He is currently engrossed in building a model of the solar system out of Styrofoam balls, so the star/planet theme was a no-brainer. He also made it very clear that he wanted the Magic Treehouse books he’s missing, so I picked those up as well.

Is it obvious I had a ton of fun? This might be the most fun I have ever had Christmas shopping. I didn’t need to look for anything for my in-laws since we chipped in with all the other kids to buy them a new kitchen table and chairs (from Ethan Allen – verrrrry nice). I am baking for people like the babysitter and the mailman. The digital camera was Dan’s and my gift to each other. The only thing left is, I still have to buy for the other 9 nephews and niece, but Dan and I do that together, on a weekday, without the kids, and then go have lunch so that’s fun, too. [Except not this year – Dan’s too swamped at work. : ( ]

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Friday morning grocery shopping with Segundo and Terzo. Snow flurries, wind whipping around. (I had the camera in my glovebox.) But yes, YES, there is a God.


This is Mike our mailman. He's a terrific guy, friendly, always ready with a smile or a helping hand (he's opened innumerable jars, and cans of paint for me). He even told me recently how skinny I was getting; how can I not love him? He is retiring at the end of the year; I am going to miss him.


Segundo gave Mimi a bath the other day, after watercoloring her brown. This photo will shortly join the Mimi gallery. It reminds me of "The Shining" for some reason.


I saw this wreath on a neighborhood house and liked it. Wonder if I could make it? I mean, I'm not all Martha Stewart-y like some of you (Susie Sunshine...ahem...)


You can create art while dropping the baby.