Things I want to remember about today

Today was an ordinary day. These are some things I want to remember that happen on my ordinary days. This is long and rambling and there are no photos (that part is not typical). It's purely a posterity post. So feel free to skip.

• Today I woke up at 7:40am because my friend Cyndi was calling on her way to work to tell me that there were some promising looking poles that I could use as curtain rods in my living room sticking out of someone's trash.

• Today I sat alone on my swing on my deck eating my kashi with yogurt for breakfast and looked across my peaceful garden which my husband mows so nicely. I enjoyed the layers and layers of trees in the distance and the beautiful birds swooping across a blue sky. Mornings in my little garden are sublime.

• Today I got to break the news to our little friend Mateo as he bounded onto the deck (lest I become too attached to my peaceful reverie) that his (adopted) country won the World Cup. He had spent the night at our house while my older kids spent the night at his house and got up at 2am to watch the re-broadcast of the game with their friends. (because they didn't want to watch it on the Sabbath-such piety). Are you confused? It doesn't matter. In short: Spain won. Nathan informed me of this fact via telephone this morning. Mateo's response was to run inside screaming, "YEAH SPAIN! I love you Finny! Peace to the World!"

• Today I put on my hazard lights and parked my car in the middle of the street while Finny and Mateo watched as I dug in other people's trash for poles (to make into the perfect beachy curtain rods of course). They turned out to be old tiki torches. Oh well.

• Today I went for a jog with Amy and Shemly (the dog). We admired the lovely little (and large) houses in the leafy areas of our neighbourhood and I must say, running with a human friend (no offense to Shemly the dog) really does make that ordeal pass a lot faster.

• Today I was invited to a tea party in Gracie's room. Lots of shy smiles and whispered colluding between her and Finny before and during this event. Finny was the waiter. Finny wore a reggae coloured bead necklace and a red towel draped over his forearm. He brought Gracie and I each 3 large grapes and served them to us on tiny china plates. I got to drink real rooibos tea out of a teeny tiny china cup. After tea Gracie put on a show wherein she was an orphaned pioneer girl (complete with a pioneer bonnet constructed out of a floral do-rag) and Shemly was her horse (Shemly was very long suffering about being squatted over, Gracie is a good dog owner and knows never to try to actually ride a Golden Retriever). In the end Finny adopted them both and they lived happily ever after. After the play, Finny performed a magic show wherein he made things disappear and reappear from inside the red arm towel. He also made a performance of washing the tea dishes in a plastic basin while sitting at Gracie's desk and drying them with the red tea towel until they shone so that you could see your face in them (he had me check for my face each time). He wore the reggae necklace as a very boho/artsy looking head-band as he entertained me thusly. Every time Finny walked past me he gave me a kiss.

• Today I lectured Benj and Gabe very sternly about having bad attitudes because they chose to get up at 2am to watch the game. They reformed immediately and held it together with admirable fortitude until bedtime.

• Today I had a hot shower and dried myself with a clean towel. I enjoyed looking at the sky and tree-tops through my bathroom sky-lights. I would not like to go back to showering in a bathroom where all you saw was ceiling when you looked up. These events are typical for which I am grateful..

• Today I helped Finny do his laundry (which he finds very exciting). I helped him with the parts he could not reach. I love that my kids do their own laundry. It make me feel as if I have equipped my children with at least one life skill. I bet they could probably have figured out that life skill on their own in about 2 minutes when they left home....but anyway..it also makes me happy that I do not have to do their laundry.

• Today I did some personal training for a cool teenage friend of mine. She did so well and persevered even though she hated it. It was fun to talk and laugh with her. I saw her make progress which fills me with delight. (I love working towards fitness goals because progress is so obvious and quantifiable and it is freaking hard to make it. So when you do, you know you rock.)

• Today my teenage friend asked me if I was wearing wedge shoes (which I demonstrated some jumps in and did not break my ankle-yay) because I am embarrassed to be short. I told her no. I am wearing them because I found them new at Goodwill for $4 and they are awesome. She agreed that they are awesome and was happy to know that I am well adjusted about my height.

• Today I lay on my bed and read a totally fun and mindless novel (given to me by my kind and very intelligent friend Dawn-the fact that Dawn enjoys a mindless novel from time to time has definitely upped the enjoyment factor even more). And then I woke up. No really I did. I had a short, unplanned, much needed nap. Neither of these two things were typical but I loved them all the same. When I woke up I heard my children playing together happily. Nobody missed me. That part is typical and I feel blessed that it is.

• Today I ate a slice of lemonade pie for lunch. Even though last night I resolved that I was going to go on a green smoothie diet today to rid my body of the evils of eating jars of olives and chocolate for the past week. (The PMS made me do it)

• Today I rounded up my kids who were playing with friends at the park and took them to the pool. Today I showed Gracie how she could briefly hold me when we were in the water. A fact that delighted us both. Today I raced Amy and Mateo across the pool with Finny on my back. And later Gracie. And later a sweet little boy I was a TA for last year. And later all three of them. I bet my back will hurt tomorrow. Also, we made a train. I told Finny several times to stop screaming in my ear when he was on my back. He could not stop. It was involuntary so after a while I became resigned to premature hearing loss. Also I helped him to do his first back and front flip under water.

• Today I skyped with my brother Luke who lives in Cape Town. He makes me laugh so much even when he is being mean to me. He promised my kids their very own vuviselas. He also blew one for them as they watched on the webcam. Even though he lives in an apartment and it was midnight in South Africa. He is cool like that.

• Tonight we celebrated Spain's win with friends by eating a tapas spread created by the inestimable Amy. (Full disclosure: I would have rooted for Holland if I were not friends with people who are kinda sorta Spanish.) But I'm happy for Spain too. Yay Spain!s

• Tonight I watched my kids care sweetly for a baby and a toddler. As Amy pointed out, they are never happier then when they are babysitting. I should totally have another baby.....no?

• Today I marveled at Benjamin's hair. Which is very much overdue for a cut and looks pretty crazy. Because he never bothers to brush it. And he winces, ducks and dives when I attempt to brush it. Apparently the Sayers have extra sensitive scalps. (According to Aaron's late mother). I think the Sayers might just be a bit wussy....

• Today I marveled at Gabe's freckles. Which get cuter and more plentiful each Summer. Then I tried not to think about skin cancer and things of that nature...

• I also marveled that both Benj and Gabe will still let me kiss and cuddle them and they tell me they love me every night. (And reciprocate/agree when I tell them/enquire of them during the day).

• Today I went with Aaron to buy Gracie a few desperately needed items of clothing. Did you know that 9 does not exist in the minds of clothing retailers? Things are 7-8 or 10-12. There is no 9. They laugh in the face of 9. Gracie was super grateful and excited about her clothes in their motley assortment of sizes...

• Today Gracie had a pretty epic sleep deprived melt-down. She wanted to have another sleepover but she didn't...but she did... (She ended up coming home with us with a pillow sodden from her tears). I could not be frustrated because oh how I relate to that particular strain of irrationality...

• Today I rested my feet on Shemly as I cuddled up beside Gracie in her bed and read Junie B. Jones to her. I was bummed when she (Gracie not Shemly) wanted to skip ahead because that Junie B....she's a character. I told Gracie I was glad she came home with us. I like that sometimes crazy little girl. (Gracie that is, I like Junie B so long as she stays in a book)

• Today Aaron told me that I looked hot even though I look like a zitty michelin man on steroids (on account of the continuing PMS fueled by the jars of olives, the chocolate, the mint ice cream, the lemonade pie and the ensuing water retention). Aaron is sweet, delusional or a fairly convincing liar. Maybe all three. I'll keep him around.

• Today I found the make-up I desperately needed (due to the zittiness) for 75% off

• Tonight we drove by our friend and neighbour Dallas who had built an ampitheatre on the pavement (sidewalk) in front of his house today, and announced his plans for our collective children to hold recitals there. Dallas's mind on a slow day must resemble what mine would look like at my most manic...on acid. I must post pictures of his house sometime. Dallas is awesome. (His wife is a total saint)

• Tonight Aaron and I watched an episode of Friends. Then we practiced the perfect kiss (as discussed on said episode of Friends). Then we talked about our first kiss. And disagreed on certain aspects of it. (But agreed that it was the best first kiss either of us had ever had, nay the best kiss either one of us had ever had. I remember being slightly troubled that he was such a good kisser actually.... We decided once again that since there was not then, nor has there since been, any teeth clanging or unpleasantness of that nature, it was clear that we were meant to be together).

• Tonight I lured out Thumper from behind the dryer with mixed baby greens and a baby carrot. She totally bought it. Thumper may well be the death of us with her love of chewing cords and possibly gas-lines...

Today was a pretty ordinary day. Sadly at no time during this day did I think, "oh wow, what an awesome day I am having". I had no intention of chronicling it and would most probably have forgotten it by tomorrow, but once I got going, I realized that this ordinary day was an extraordinarily wonderful day. I bet I have extraordinarily wonderful days all the time. Which means that I have an extraordinarily wonderful ordinary life. How about that.

Today has been over for almost 2 hours. I must go to bed.

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