If I don't post anymore...

it's because I had the stupid idea of having my LS and her two sisters over to the pool tonight to swim*.

*Swimming, though, apparently not like you and I define the term.  I think they believe they can swim because they get in the water.  Not the actual ability to paddle around, feet not touching the ground, head above water, of their own power.

I may not make it through this evening alive.  That or one of them will accidentally drown and I'll be thrown in jail for involuntary manslaughter or some such thing.

I actually thought this would be a good idea to get all three girls out of the house.  The closer we get to "swim time" the more I'm starting to realize what a terrible idea this may have been....

Beaten with a bat

Not really.  But I feel like it.  And that makes me feel old.  The food CSA (community supported agriculture) we belong to does a work share option.  If you choose this one you pay a little less in exchange for working on the farm for 5 - 4 hours sessions during the growing season. 

Honestly I don't care about the little bit-o-money we'd save for working the farm but I thought it would be good for two reasons. 1) I could take my lil' sis out to the farm to show her what it's all about and where our food comes from and 2) it's always good to remind yourself how your food gets to your table so as not to take it for granted. 

I went and picked up my LS and headed to the farm.  I had been explaining to her what it was all about but taht I hadn't been here before either so it was going to be new for both of us.  I explained that I had to work from 8 -12.  That was our shift.  I talked about realizing where food really came from - not the grocery store.  Etc....

We get there and thankfully it had been a rainy morning and the temperature was tolerable.  (even though you could swim in the humidity....)  Our job that morning was (the two of us along with Mike and Zoe - two other workshare peeps) to weed and harvest kale.  Which I found ironic.  Or rather just funny since I NEVER know what to do with kale.  Great stress was made on the importance of speed to get as much food with the smallest amount of effort adn time.  Because we all know time is money!

It wasn't too bad.  Or so I thought.  It was better than lifting heavy crates all morning.  I was fine all bent over pulling weeds and picking kale leaves... until I stood up.  And that's when I was certain my body was going to break in half right at my hips.  I was ok for the first two hours but by the last two hours I had to stop and lean back and stretch every so often.  Of course I was working mostly with Zoe - a spry little 22 year old with no body problems in the world.  Yeah - I was feeling old.

Where was my LS during all of this??  Good question.  She's doesn't like to weed.  She got bored picking leaves.  She wandered over to the chicken and turkey for a while.  When she came back whe made it clear that she was bored and wanted to go.  I had to pull her aside and have a blunt conversation that I thought she was old enough  and mature enough to handle this type of activity.  Call it a kind, loving come-to-Jesus talk.  I didn't expect her to work as hard as the rest of us.  I just wanted her to see what was going on and try and keep herself occupied.  I'm sure she never spends any time in the country.  (as evidenced by her comment as we were leaving:  "How come there's no po-lice out here??  I don't see no po-lice??")

She did admit on the way home that it was her fault she didn't have a good time.  She said she "didn't do anything." and that prompted me to explain to her that sometimes in life you just have to buckle down and do things you don't like sometimes just to get it done. 

I'm sure that all you parents out there are probably laughing at me - or at least smiling really big - about my expereiences as a big sis.   And this might explain to some of you why I do not think that real parenting is for me.  you guys are sooo much more cut out for it!  Even just a few hours a week is really testing me.  I am a bit disappointed in that it seems more like a chore when I schedule time with her.  I'm really not enjoying it.  But on the other hand I would never quit before my year committment is up because I do understand that my LS really needs this.

Partying like it was 1999

I was a "2nd-year senior" in college in 1999.  And let me tell you - this weekend reminded me why I hardly drank in college.....

The hubby was out of town this weekend for coaching.  So I spent most of Saturday with my lil' sis.  We went to the farmers market and bought veggies and herb and tomato plants.  We went to yoga (of course!) and then came back and potted said plants.   I even mowed the front yard while she "weeded".  She actually only pulled out about 4 dandelions in the time it took me to mow the front yard - but that's ok.  It was just something to keep her busy while I mowed.  BTW - she informed me that "weeding is hard!!!"  Yeah, pulling 4 plants from the ground in about 20 minutes is sooo exhausting and difficult...  whatever.

After I took her home I rented "The Lovely Bones".  I wanted to see the movie since I'd just finished reading the book.  Don't watch it.  All the good parts of the book I liked aren't in the movie.  And it's just Peter Jackson's try and creating weird, stupid "heaven" scenes...  

Around 9:20pm I was bored and thought it too late to start yet another movie.  So I let the dogs out for the night with the intention of going to bed.  I was out on the deck making sure Liam wasn't eating rabbit poo when my next door neighbor waved "hi".  He and his GF and some other friends were on his deck with a fire in their little fire-pit-thingy.  My neighbor, Joe Muscles, invited me to come over and have a drink.  I told him thanks, but I'd already had a gin & tonic while watching movies and I was heading to bed.  (After that admission I'm surprised he continued to open the invitation....)  But he said they were going to be over there if I changed my mind.

I'd hardly made it into the house when I realized "what on earth do I have to do tomorrow that requires me to go to bed at 9:30!! on a Saturday night????!!!!!"  So I grabbed my 2/3's full 750ml bottle of Tanqueray, tonic water and bottle of lime juice (classy, I know...) and headed out my front door over to his deck.

It was me, JM, his GF, his cousin and his GF.  Over the next few hours 4 of the 5 of us managed to FINISH the whole bottle of Tanqueray.....

Needless to say, Sunday morning was a bitch!  WOW!  I haven't drank that much since... well, probably the infamous Europe trip in high school.  When I woke up I decided I needed some good ol' greasy food and headed to Crackle Barrel with my Nook.  I ate a HUGE breakfast.  So big, in fact, that I felt even worse when I got home.  I promptly got into bed and slept until 1pm. 

So lesson learned.  I am no longer allowed to play at JM's house becuase they party too hard for me.  (BTW  Party = sitting around a fire talking and drinking...) 

I was a little bummed that my whole bottle of gin was gone.  But on second thought, I'm not sure if I will continue with gin & tonics.

Is it really so bad?

Tonight I'm taking my little sis to see a movie.  I'm probably more excited about it than she is. 

Earlier in the week I was telling the hubby that I gave my LS 2 options for Friday night.  We could either see  "How to Train Your Dragon" in 3D at the mall or we could go to our house, watch a DVD we have and make cookies. 

the hubby:  why don't you let her pick a movie to see at the mall?  What if she doesn't want to see the dragon movie?

me: 'cuz I want to see the dragon movie and I'm payin'!  I gave her a choice.  If she doesn't want to see that movie then we can come here and make cookies...

Is that so bad of me??  It's an age-appropriate move for her.   And I'm guessing she's never seen anything in 3D before.  So that in itself is pretty novel. 

And for the record, she chose to go see the movie at the mall..