the call from Mensa that won't ever come...

This morning Ella and I had breakfast alone. Sandi was asleep after a brutal four days in the most critical of critical care and Maya was still asleep because she decided that from 3 to 4:30 a.m. she would grace us with her wakeful presence.

What do you do with a four-year-old at breakfast once the cereal box backs have been mastered?

You work on Highlights for Children magazines. Apparently this isn't just for the 4-7 crowd as indicated on the worksheets.

Okay, I could get the "what's wrong with this picture?" just fine, but, I started having problems when we moved on to the hidden picture segment. Seriously, I was SEVERAL minutes hunting for the brown ladder in the book stacks in the library picture. I was even having doubts about its presence and the possibility that they had made an error. I was even thinking of writing a letter about the rudeness of torturing young minds.

OMG. My brain cells are gone. I found it after about (no joke) 4 minutes and I thought about running to the computer to whip out a quick resume and get a real job- one that doesn't involve snot and limit setting and playing games like find the stuffed animal when it is sitting on the sofa. I was overcome with jealously for my teacher friends, my social worker friends (okay, no offense guys but a little less jealousy-only because I went through premature social worker burnout), and Sandi and her super smart nursey mind (even though her patients die and mine only ever scream or whine.) But, seriously, I'm afraid my brain will atrophy.

Even this blog is about the kids!!!

So...I will tell you a little bit about me. I have started running and I LOVE IT. This is remarkable because I used to say the only good thing about running was stopping. I have officially decided to do the Bar Harbor half marathon (13.1 miles!) in September. It's official to the point where I have running mixes (they are actually called that) on my ipod.

I just finished the last Harry Potter book. Scoff if you want. It was awesome. I have an enormous amount of respect for J.K. Rowling. I think she is brilliant. And I think she did the series justice in the way she wrapped it up. Okay, and I even shed a tear or two.

I think I have a hero. An actual hero. I have never had one before, or maybe I used to but I don't remember because my brain is so saturated by dirty dishes, diapers, crayon marks on the wall and pretending that eating plastic play food is enjoyable. I am going to come on out and say that (PRESIDENT!) Barack Obama is my hero. Never seen anything like him before.

My friend Jeanine is on vacation and it is just not the same blogging without her, knowing she will not be reading. This is aggravated by the fact that she and Maria are in the Caribbean I think. Dammit. I want to go to Mexico so badly that I can smell the salt on the lip of the margarita glass... but we are going to see Brandi Carlile in concert in early April and have a night away in Portland with friends. Super excited about that...