Water on the Moon

I'd had enough of our greasy, grimy kitchen floor yesterday.  I dissolved a couple capfuls of vinegar in warm water, grabbed a dish rag and started scrubbing the floor.  Belle grabbed a clean baby wipe, dunked it into the floor wash and started scrubbing the floor and wiping the cabinets.  She put her face into the water while it was still fresh and took a sip.  Then Belle climbed into the wash pan and dipped her little diapered bum in.  I just kept scrubbing, determined to bring some order to the room we use the most.

My dress, a purple bathing suit cover-up with a drawstring at the hem, crept up in my feverish attempt at housekeeping.  Belle, feeling confident, threw water on the moon and laughed wildly about it.  I about died.  Belle's sense of humor is burgeoning.  A couple nights ago, she cackled as she imitated the sound of me passing gas.  Belle is also in the habit of wrinkling her nose whenever I yell "poop" and "shit."

Playing through the tears.

Belle and I rise very early these days, thanks to Pacific Standard and "toddler time."  I had ample time for a hot and savory breakfast before leaving for mass today.  We arrived at church early enough to choose seats up front for a change.  Belle kept fidgeting, which made mass a challenging experience.  I fed her crackers and a juice box to keep her content until Communion.  After Communion, I decided to walk us toward the exit door so we could be ready to go after the final prayer.  Belle nearly yanked a plaque off the wall near where we stood.  Mortified, I darted out of there quickly, thinking we could walk down to Starbucks.  Belle had other plans, of course.  I dragged her crying and squirming to the nearest park, where she happily played through her feelings.  I eventually made my coffee at home, hours later.

Food run

Belle and I made a mid-morning food run.  No coffee beans this time, sadly.  I will substitute Thank You points I converted into a Starbucks card for that.  We did find blueberry pie, chocolate chips, coconut cream and red velvet cupcakes.  I am thawing organic, kosher chicken thighs for dinner, to be served with Brussels sprouts and rice.  I froze the salmon and stored the sardines in tomato sauce and tuna in water in the pantry.

Thirty-two years...

I spent the thirty-second anniversary of my mother's murder and my father's suicide eating frosted sugar cookies with Belle.  We left a trail of frosted sugar cookie crumbs all over our home and Starbucks.  Belle seemed extra loving and affectionate all day, which is surely what I needed.  Later on, at bed time, Belle transferred some of that loving energy into her picture books.  She somehow managed to spit my lip open as she excitedly handed me yet another book to read.  I found the experience sobering, especially when a light bulb burned out as I sprinted to the bathroom to stop the bleeding, and I realised a load of laundry needed to be done as I hunted for bulbs in the laundry room.  Life goes on, I guess.

Diet

I am very pleased with Belle's diet today.  I served a three egg and cheese omelet, a sweet potato, cabbage sauteed with onion, white rice, a high fiber sweet roll and cheese cubes for brunch.  Belle ate some of each:  omelet, sauteed onion, sweet roll and cheese cubes.  She handed me a jar of squash puree to open and ate most of that.  That's better than the countless tubes of yogurt and Saltines she kept slurping down last week.  I also see another baby tooth coming in to match the four or five she already has.  Wonderful!  Now if I can keep her away from the last of the Halloween candies...

Manifestation

Last night I got very clear on what I want in my professional life.  I wrote it all down and slept on it.  I brought the same journal with us to the park this morning.  I expanded the entry and added, "send me the people I can be of service to."  I put the journal down and checked messages from my phone.  What did I find waiting for me online?  I found an invitation to be a contributing writer for a new online publication.  The sender had sent me the message as I sat writing my wishes.  That was fast!

Cordial

Belle and I spied the niece of the creepy neighbor, happily playing outside as the family move house.  Fortunately, we didn't see the creepy neighbor, nor did we look for him.  Belle had so much excess energy after Halloween, an early morning doctor's appointment and a last minute house guest that I needed her to be with another child to give me a break.  The niece, a second grader, filled Belle's watering can with water from her watering can and showed Belle how to water the grass and plants.  Belle seemed mesmerized.  The girl's mother and grandmother didn't know how to take it.  They greeted me cordially but I could sense the tension.  Something was said in Spanish that I didn't try to understand.  Whatever happened, I didn't cause it.  If the creep deluded himself into believing we were in a relationship, imagine what he told his family?