the adventures of a modern mom

All the park hopping, bubble blowing, spring cleaning (attempting) and general adventure of the Carver girls (at least this mom and the two girls - the other mom has been holed up at EMMC for days on end taking care of the neverending line of sick people as Ella says) has kept us out and about with nary a moment for a blog entry. I wonder sometimes if Ella thinks that it is some sort of goal or competition to see how much we can cram into one day. Will she grow up thinking "Carpe Diem!" or "God, I wish I could just sit down but my mother won't let me!"?



I can't remember a more spectacular April. We have no mud season! The snow melted and absorbed leaving only brown grass to green and tulips and daffodils to flourish. It is allegedly going to be in the 70's again today. I know spring is here when I can sit at the park and listen to David Bowie resounding from the speakers of a passing truck with the windows rolled down, driving very slowly, for all the world to share. I would have preferred some "YMCA" if it was for all of humanity to share in a musical moment, but hey....



Yesterday was one of those days where things just don't quite hit their mark and all you can do, if you want to maintain your sanity, is sit back and laugh. I had to drop off a check at the Bangor Hydro Credit Union so power could be turned on to our investment house. I was in the process of begging the lady to accept my payment through the drive-up instead of making me come in and unstrap my kids out of their seats when she pulled the drawer back in unexpectedly. My hand was barely on the check and, through some freak of physics, it got sucked into the mechanical part of the conveyor. We tried scissors, a letter opener, my bare hand- all to no avail. I could see her behind the window muttering (she had muted the sound through the speaker) but I can read lips and "shit" was being used freely inside the confines of the credit union. Meanwhile, Emilie and her kids were waiting for me in the parking lot as we were caravaning to the park. I finally told her to just rip it up when, and if, she retrived it and I would get another check.



Emilie and I took the kids to the park for a "picnic" which consisted of her chasing Skyler and Reed around, me feeding Maya and trying to manage Ella on the baby swing she insists on still and popping food into our kids mouths as they flew by. Ella unwittingly ran into the street causing a strong terror reaction from me and her subsequent tears and presumable shame at my reaction. Fortunately, the women from the credit union called to say they had retrieved my check and all was well. When we left the park to go home (trying to leave early to avoid any meltdowns) both my girls ended up in tears (Ella was involved in an unwanted chasing incident) and Emilie I wrangeld our kids in the cars commenting that we had not one full conversation the entire time.



We drove to the box office at the auditorium to get tickets for the circus this weekend, Emilie staying next to my car with the windows down so I wouldn't have to get the kids out to purchase the tickets. In some prehistoric act of foiling a mother's plan of multi-tasking, the box office would not accept a debit or credit card for the tickets and I was short $9 in cash and left without the tickets.



After both kids were down for a nap (Maya slept for 10 minutes), my phone rang. I looked at the caller ID and saw that it was my cell phone. Oh, crap. I answered the phone, "I've lost my phone, haven't I?" and a nice woman said, "Yes, I just found it in the grass at Fairmount park." Is it any wonder? This mom, who happened to live a few streets down and clearly knew how a day of a frazzled mom could go, dropped my phone off for me at my house. I love Maine where kindness and helpfullness overshadow any presence of theft or selfishness.



Perhaps the highlight of the day was that Ella found her MIA stuffed kitty, the one presumed abducted, the one that I hiked halfway back up Chick Hill for last year when Ella inadvertently left it on the rock ledge and cried "KITTY!" so feriously that I ran most of the way to return the animal faster. Needless to say, we had quite a reunion party for kitty.



I guess it doesn't matter too much to me if things go wrong. What I most appreciate is that the solution is right on the heels of the problem.

Looking forward to the week ahead: Mochy's 9th birthday party, more parks (is this more fun for me or Ella?) the circus, Beckett's birthday party, a visit from friends who we never get to see and MAYBE even a date for Sandi and I. Will wonders ever cease?