The Best Posts...

The bests posts are the ones I compose in the shower, while falling asleep, or while on walks...occasionally these "mental posts" aren't nice enough to actually write and are really just me working through my issues, but most of them seem so clever and amusing - the kind of post I would like to read on someone else's blog.
Unfortunately we'll never know if they are as entertaining as I imagine them to be. By the time I sit down at the computer (usually after putting cooking dinner, cleaning up and putting Isla down) the post details, title and even topic have completely slipped my mind. I'm left with the mundane moments of the day swirling around in my head. (Mundane to read, but not always to live!) Even the most precious, humorous and rewarding moments with Isla often get pushed aside by laundry, diapers, wiping up trays and reading Mommy Calls Me Monkey Pants for the 14th time since breakfast.

Many of today's "mundane moments" were odd enough that I thought I'd share:
We woke up to rain and record low "highs." - Rain in July!
When dressing Isla in cool weather clothes we discovered that Isla has outgrown all of her long sleeve and long pants in 12-18 months. We switched put them away and got out her 18-24 month clothes.
At breakfast I introduced milk to Isla - lots of fussiness, but no major allergy signs! (I attribute the fussiness to the first day post-Gramma and Grandpa.) A great start to our dairy challenge!

We got a text from my dear friend Rachel inviting us to join her and her son at the children's museum. After driving to the museum with Isla saying, "Noah! Rachel!" the whole way, we discovered that the museum was closed! Information that may have been good to post on the website! (Poor Rachel had to drive an hour!) We made plans to meet at another museum, but as I started to drive away my car made an odd tonal noise and the computer informed me that my tire pressure was low.
We went to a gas station where a truck was blocking the air and water station and I found out that I did not have a tire gauge in my glove box. (and remember, it is raining!) The gas station store sold me a tire gauge and I thought it must be broken because all my tires were very low. It was not broken. Things turned around from here - Thanks to the help of some very friendly garage men, I had my tires double checked and inflated for free without even leaving my car!

Isla's plaintive cries of "Noah" became more shrill and demanding, but by this time we had to cancel because instead of putting off her nap a little bit, we would be delaying it by hours if we went anywhere. On the way home I was seranaded with shreiks and cries of "NO-uh!!!," "RAY-chil!" and occasionally, "Greeeehhhhhtchen," "CharChar" (our friends who left yesterday for a two week vacation.)
During Isla's nap I made plum jam. Despite getting multiple Best in Show Ribbons at the California State Fair for my canning efforts in 4-H. (What good are awards like that if you can't boast about them every once in awhile) I have never made jam without someone else. Solo jam making is an adrenaline rush - I had hot plum syrup splattered all over and I burned the bottom - definitly not Best in Show. I think it is edible, so I canned it, but be warned, if I offer you plum jam, it may have a slightly 'caramelized' flavor.

Isla woke up early and helped me mop the floor and taste the jam. Then we went on a big walk to the park. I have issues with socializing at the park. I'm pretty shy and I never know how to make small talk with the other mothers / nannies / grandmas. It is a weird social word that I am still finding my footing in. Today we ran into a grandpa and his grandson - this was perfect because he was even more socially awkward than me. After some swinging, sliding and stair climbing we walked home and went to the grocery store for more canning supplies (Up next - tomato jam and Serrano Chili Jelly).

At the grocery store we coincidentally followed around an odd trashy couple that reeked of cigarette smoke. (Seriously, they were in every isle we went to!) While walking down the toilet paper / paper towel isle, the store and everything in it suddenly shook. At first I thought a car hit the building until it happened again. A stocker ran out from the back of the store and I said, "Is this an earthquake?"
He said, "Yes." and I said, "Well, I guess I'm in the right isle." and he laughed and looked at the toilet paper swaying on the shelf.
I've never been out in the community during an earthquake and it was quite an experience. Everyone wondered what we were supposed to do if it happened again, but no one left and the bagger ("Courtesy Clerk" according to my husband, who was a "courtesy clerk" in high school) gave Isla a bunch of stickers for surviving the grocery store earthquake.

We came home and I made these scrumptious greek quinoa burgers, got Isla in bed and sat down to check my e-mail and blogroll. (One of my favorite bloggers describes this as "a nooner with her computer." To bad I'm usually doing laundry at noon.)
Throughout the day I noticed Isla doing all sorts of cute little things - like spinning around, bouncing her caboose and saying "chhhhoooo ccccchooooo" when listening to the little red caboose song by our favorite children's musician, Elizabeth Mitchell (seriously, her music is beautiful and she has recorded a bunch of children's songs written by Woodie Guthrie that are pure magic.)....
But, I can't remember any of them. And I can't really remember what I wanted to write about the beautiful house for sale on our walk route that is about 200k less than it would have been two years ago, but still 200k more than we could ever hope to afford. Also, I wanted to write about how Yoga has totally changed my life in a good, but not hippy-dippy way...
But that is ok...in just 8 hours I get to do it all over again!
Good Night, Sleep Tight, Don't Let the Bed Bugs Bite!