Neighborhood Grocery

I left the store full of people when my shift was over today and it was a good feeling. Friends eating lunch with a dog at their feet; elderly women picking through the tomatoes; a little girl excited about our new shampoos; a local couple bringing out-of-town friends by for a sandwich and coffee.

It remains to be seen whether or not a mom-and-pop grocery like mine can make it in this town. But I am so very proud of it, and on Saturdays at least, hopeful.

The Chickens Be Aight

The weather has changed, which means I have a new interest in the house and garden, everyone's more cheerful, and the children and I played outside today. We cleaned the little kid pool and dragged it to a new spot and filled it with clear water and the kids splashed and hollered and ended up both stark nekkid on my lap, wrapped in dry towels, listening to a long and pointless story about a little girl named Annaliese and a little boy named Caspian who lived in a blue room in a blue house because their mommy liked blue.

It was nice, scritching my babies' backs, being outside.

They are both very funny and dear lately, each in their own way. Tonight after I put them to bed the Baby Frat party began (they play; they both talk, read books, sing, and are generally raucous until I come and lay down the law). Annaliese called that she needed toilet paper, and when I came to check on her, she was SO proud of herself for pooping in the little kiddie potty we keep in her room (mostly as a step stool).

I had a tiny flash of annoyance. We'd asked her a few times if she needed to go before bedtime. The kiddie potty is basically a glorified plastic bucket, meaning I have to clean it. But she was looking up at me, beaming, and so I clapped my hands and praised her, retrieved the customary reward of 2 swedish fish, made a big fuss that she lapped up. I don't know why she was so excited, she's pretty much potty-trained these days, but tonight she was super-ready to hear what a Big Girl she is.

Gosh they're cute.

Oh, The Things They Do

Quiet Moments of Content

I remember that shortly after Annaliese turned one, parenting her became less of an endurance contest and more FUN. So has been the case with Caspian. We are enjoying the heck out of him right now; the lurching jointless walk, the bubble diaper butt, the chubby round cheeks, the way he claps with glee and talks endless streams of nonsense and when you ask for a kiss, he leans in softly with his wet perfect mouth open, proud of himself for accomplishing the wettest most delicious baby kisses ever.

He is using a spoon, a fork, a cup (messily, but hey!). He's walking. He's reading himself books in his crib and climbing on chairs and playing peekaboo with chubby starfish hands.

(Of course, he's also developing a toddler temper, and skirmishing with Annaliese over toys, and climbing onto the kitchen table and shredding my zinnias.)

Couple the deliciousness of Caspian with the joy that is two-and-a-half -year-old Annaliese, a little curly-haired girl who LOVES her dance class and stories about a giant butterfly and "Inkie Gadget" cartoons, and I am more and more sure that the light-hearted decision K and I made to have a family was absolutely the right one.

(It is NUTS though that the two of us are responsible for childhoods; that someday Annaliese and Caspian will sit around a table with their friends and say, "well, my parents, you know...")

K and I have closed our eyes to the expense of date nights and are going to the movies tomorrow night. The way this works is I ask Miss Margaret, who works at the childrens' nursery school, and she invariably says yes because we pay well and she's poor and she seems to like the kids a lot, and then I tell K that by the way, we're going out this Friday. And instead of worrying about the money he just says, "oh, great, what are we going to do?"

It's very mellow. I think we're going to see the Expendables. Those two facts are surely related.

The store is my pride and joy and my Achilles heel and my worry. However, I am indisputably learning a LOT-- it is life-changing to have the perspective of a business owner as opposed to a consumer. It is, as my mother says, good for me.

So! Big ole update! Pictures soon.

What Annaliese Said This Weekend

"You doan luff Mommy! I LUFF MOMMY!" (To K.)

"Shut your hie-pole!" (K says piehole, so she picked this charming habit up from him, but with her own twist.)

"I'm gonna dance with Wisa. to-MORROW yessserday." (Annaliese begins dance classes downtown with 10 other small little girls in leotards and tights this afternoon. Wisa is Louisa, a four-yr-old who holds infinite glamor for all local friends. Her concept of time is fluid)

"Daddy has brown eyes, and Ca-pian has brown eyes, and Easter Bunny has brown eyes."

"I'm three!" I say she's two. "I'm two! Ca-pian one! Mommy three?" No, child. I am certainly not three.

I was supposed to blog about something the children did.

What was it?

Oh, yeah. Yesterday K and I picked up the kids from nursery school together, and being in a light-hearted mood, tried to think of something different to do that wasn't playing on the porch in the wading pool, involving food, or super time-consuming.

We pass the town's playground area every day, and often, Annaliese asks if we can go to the slide. Lately it's been 100-plus degrees, the slide is in the sun, and the answer is no.

Yesterday it was overcast.

So we stopped! And the kids played. About five minutes after we got there, it began raining, but it felt good and we stayed. We climbed and swung and twirled and slid and the kids got wet and dirty and it was one of those moments where we felt like good parents.

Then we went home and watched Nemo and K made the kids green waffles for dinner.

My Boyfriend's Back

Weddings Were Gone To (yay marriage!). Rental cars were returned. Cell phone was fed-exed home, store was fine, and chickens are alive.

Nonni was here.

Now she's gone.

Kids are glad things are getting back to normal.

At least I tell myself that.

Weather

Right Now:

Partly Cloudy
Temperature: 99°F
Feels Like: 112°

Tomorrow: 104°


Alright y'all. I don't mind summer in Mississippi; it's like winter up north, you just stay inside.

But two months of this and no sign of relent-- the hottest summer on record here-- is enough and I announce, Universe, that I am Officially Done and please send a week of gentle foggy rain to be followed by some crisp blue-skied fall.

For the first time since I opened the store, I am taking the day off and am alone in the house.

You know what's awesome? Silence. Peace, and silence.

Good decision, me.

What I learn From My Children

Yesterday is history; tomorrow is a mystery; today is a gift. That's why it's called the present.

Booyah Kung Fu Panda!

A Tribute to New Parents

Every time we see a mother or a father with a new baby, we need to help them. Even when they say they've got this. Even when they say it's not so bad. (Why do ALL new parents say that? We don't mean it.)

Because I remember and it really kind of is. Even while you love it, and them; even when you manage to get your older child dressed and fed and played with; even when you're out walking or grocery shopping and keeping your life on track; it is the opposite of easy, and everything, from getting dressed to sleeping to eating, has the Newborn Tax of Added Effort and Fatigue. (Not to mention the mamas have been through the greatest physical challenge that most people ever undertake, and it ain't over after the baby's out.)

My heart goes out to parents. Give them some props and tell them how great they're doing, even if they have the baby over/under-dressed, or are/aren't cosleeping, breastfeeding, crying-it-out, or doing whatever you think they should be.

It's not like the baby ever says "good job," and someone needs to.

Colorin'.

Eatin'.

Hangin'. (Boy is neighbor/friend/Annaliese's schoolmate, who came over on Sunday).

Workin'.

I went shopping on Saturday in my own store after my shift ended, as I do all the time, because why else own a grocery if not to get 10 percent off on all the items I choose, and thought y'all would get a kick out of seeing what I bought. 60 buks right there, which considering I splurged on the Cotswald cheese (cheese of the week last week) and the muesli and the quinoa and the pesto, ain't all that bad.

Course, most of it's gone. There is that.

Tomorrow's Wednesday, my favorite day of the week cos K works from home and we get to canoodle over a child-free lunch. It's nice loving my husband.

-Today's post courtesy of my sister, who tonight said "Post something new on ableponder, I'm dying here." --

tODAY

Annaliese: "I'm too big for huggin.'"

EXCUSE ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! MISS 2-AND-A-HALF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Caspian, apparently, is attempting to grow eight inches over night so I am tired. He woke up starting around 5am. I relented and brought him into the kitchen for breakfast at 6, at which point he drank 10 ounces of whole milk, about 2 slices of whole wheat bread, 4 dehydrated mango slices, and 2 hardboiled eggs. You know, about a 500, 600 calorie breakfast. Perfectly normal for someone knee-high.

K and I are going on a date Friday night. The kids are really, really great. My sunflowers have started blooming and I have a bowlful on the kitchen table. The store toddles along; we're doing more and more things every day not for the first time.

So despite the fact that Anika left for New Orleans (en route to Berlin) yesterday, and my friend/manager/auntie-godmother has left for good, things be alright.

Surely I can manage this on my own?

Annaliese At The Zoo

She was so excited when we told her she was going Sunday morning. She wore a pink dress her Grandmama gave her, pink shoes, and big-girl panties. She pottied like a champ but couldn't focus on her lunch when there was a playground RIGHT there.

So we let her play. She was a rock star. Climbed every inch of that jungle gym. Did things we didn't know she could do. When I went to get her so we could see some actual animals, she said she wasn't finished, then asked me to spot her as she dangled from a chin up bar. I did. She held her own weight and then tried to get me to let her fall to the ground. I said no. She let go anyway.

(I caught her).

She liked the animals.

But maybe not as much as the playground.

Finally got her to eat lunch at the Farm's pavilion.

Such a very big girl these days, but she still loves her pink blanket.

Caspian At the Zoo

He insisted on walking everywhere.

One slow step at a time.

He ate all his lunch....and his sister's too (she was busy playing on the jungle gym).

He gave me a chicken nugget.... and then demanded it back.

We love him. Especially when he looks like Paddington Bear.

Sometimes We All Want to Be Babies

This morning Annaliese said she wanted a bottle with warm milk, like the baby.

I was cool with that. Why not?

Make no mistake, there is already sibling hitting and pushing in our house, but I am really pleased with the way these two are getting along. Maybe it's because Annaliese was only 17 months when Caspian was born, but I'd like to attribute a little bit to Me being a Good Mama. She started occasionally requesting a pacifier after the baby was born. Parental check: Will it kill her? Nope. And so sure. Annaliese can be the baby whenever she wants. Since Caspian's been born, she's been rocked, pushed in the stroller, put down for night-night, given a paccy, and now a bottle, all Like the Baby.

But she's just playing. Really, she is getting so big, so fast. Yesterday evening she was doing her night-time hollering routine and when K went in to check on her, she said-- so clearly that I could hear her in the hallway-- "No, Daddy. When I cry, I want my mommy."

Guess who got off the couch?

-----

In Store News, we started doing sandwiches. Meaning I started making sandwiches to order, because i have got to understand how this works before I delegate. It's surprisingly challenging. But every little bit counts.

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What's Happening Here, Andale

When K was in California/Tahoe, I bought a new dress and painted a wall. Apparently, it's what I do in revenge. Dido pees on the carpets, I decorate. I have also whole convinced myself that using strong colors would overwhelm an entire room but are perfect on one wall. The fact that it's 1/10th of the work has nothing to do with it. I want to put some leafy green plants under the hanging chairs, adorn that plain white wall with something funky and framed, and remove the plastic ball from my Life. Also get an actual threshold. Then perfection!

My tomatoes are coming in. These are the Aunt Ruby's German Greens. Do not plant them. Green Zebras taste better, and incidentally, are not the color of old bruises.

What do you do when a baby has the flu? Not go to the zoo! Those were the tentative plans today, but Caspian's been under the weather all weekend, snotty and hot to the touch and gulping water and tea. He's still eating though. Poor bebe.

Annaliese, on the other hand, is 100% Well and 200% Two. Which means we are time-outing and spanking (oh yes, we do, when she clocks her brother in the head repeatedly). She is also funny and magical and good company.

We were driving to see K the other day at his office and somehow, as it always does, the Easter Bunny came up. "I luff the Easter Bunny, I fink," she said matter-of-factly from the back seat.

Me too, kid. Me too.

Alright, everyone badger K to find the camera charger. I ain't posting again until we can take pics.

A moment of quiet

It was a crazy morning. Two out of my five employees are (legitimately, and sadly) ill-- as of this morning. Annaliese had been promised a morning of helping Mommy, and I don't like to change plans on my two-year-old.

But we got it done. By we, I mean me, Annaliese, and of course, Anika. Who somehow managed to chunk watermelon with a two year old, for which she deserves some kind of medal.

But! The coolers are stocked, 3 blueberry pies and all the Irish soda bread and crusty rolls are sold, watermelon stock is dropping steadily, and the homemade and finally really delicious peach ice cream is in the freezer.

And the store has emptied out for the lunchtime lull. Which will hopefully be filled with cash register sounds next Wednesday, since we'll start doing made-to-order sandwiches. Onwards and Upwards. I love making me some money.

K came home, picked up Annaliese, and they're off to have Working With Daddy time. I think fire is involved. Good thing he is a great father or I'd be worried.

I really like working here. It is an uphill battle-- people are blind, and it's tiring to point out with a smile the freshly baked bread or the whatever for the 1000th time, but it's also really satisfying to have a young mother tell me how much she loves our store, how everything she has ever gotten here-- from tomatoes to bread to milk to fancy cheese-- has been fantastic. I like playing: setting out samples, doing a jam and peanut butter display that has tripled our Bonne Maman sales. I don't know why I find it so satisfying, but I do.

It helps that I have five people to do what I see. We redid our soda display yesterday, by which I mean that I asked them to move a cooler and make some pyramid displays with our new cases and then fill the cooler from dark to light, Cheerwine to Sundrop, and they did. Added their own touches-- Zapp's chips perched on the pyramids and whatnot-- and it looks great. One girl spends about five hours a day doing nothing but slicing meat and cheese and packing spices, pasta, and whatnot when she gets through with that. I am so grateful that I don't have to do that :)

Cheeers. Happy 4th. We'll be selling until sundown tomorrow and then we're going to friends for a lazy, food-filled afternoon.