A Very Unusual Weekend

This may sound like a pretty normalish weekend for other people. Rest assured, it wasn't for me.

On Saturday, we woke up to discover that we didn't really have anything to do. Called MIL, made breakfast, she called us back. "Did you take care of your glasses [since they are breaking and lopsided and about to bite it] yet? Maybe you can do that today and come visit after?" "No, I didn't, but that's a good idea, I'll look it up."

Frustrated by Fran's persistent presence at the computer, though, I did no such looking up of optometrists (my prescription being approximately 5 years out of date), and instead went outside and did lawn duty (weedwacking) for a bit. Came inside, went to set the glasses down, and they snapped. Well, so much for "maybe taking care of that today." Those were already the spares. Kids are brutal on glasses.

So I sit down - covered in grass clippings, sweaty, without my glasses - and look up LensCrafters locations - none in my area - find one in FedWay (home of MIL) and think "well damn, she's psychic again." Call them up. Encounter a potential problem - it is 1:45 and their only available appointments are at 2:30 and 3:00. FedWay is a good hour away and I am in dire need of a shower, and planning to go to a party later.

I somehow miraculously made it to FedWay in time (yes, showered and clothed), had an appointment (opthalmologist was interested to hear midwifery still existed), got a fancy new prescription and fancy new glasses and a fancy new credit card bill, went to the park, went to pick up ~L~, and made it to Louisa's party :).

Had a good time, jumped on a trampoline (that was fun), went to ~L~'s place, slept over there.

Yes, without Toddlerness.

Yes, for the very first time.

Yes, she survived.

On the way home I stopped for groceries, and beat Marie and her boys here by a scant margin. We filled the kiddie pool with hot water and bubbles, set up a net for some undetermined sport that was not quite badmitton and not quite volleyball and not anything like tennis, and Fran pulled out the speakers and his music player, and we had a good time playing. Exept that apparently the lure of chores was too strong. Marie somehow ended up washing my dishes (thank you!) and I ended up sweeping the winter debris off the roof. The NeighborFamily kids came over and played for a while but left in a timely manner as we were getting dinner ready. Tons of fun. Great day to have friends over.

Yesterday was my very first day of clinic. It looks like I won't get to touch people at this clinic (insurance sucks), but they're great teachers and I get to touch plenty of tools, supplies etc and look at plenty of charts and watch plenty of appointments and ask plenty of questions. I saw a couple of IUD insertions, a couple of ultrasounds, a couple of annual exams, and a few other things. All of it was pretty interesting. I did learn that 15 minute appointments (30 for annual exams) are not long enough, as the time felt really full even without a few of the things I think I'd have said/done. It is interesting to see how other people do things and evaluate whether you'd do it like that (yes for a general "I want birth control but don't know which" discussion I heard, no for the education re: the nuvaring).

I am now glad I'm only scheduled to do this 8 days (once a week July/Aug), because while it is interesting, standing in the corner/behind shoulders silently is going to get boring.

Toddlerness has been one big whiny yelling annoying MESS for the past week and it is not getting better. She's gearing up to enter three-year-old territory already, what with the clothing pickiness and the absolute insistence on not doing anything that anyone actually WANTS her to do. *Sigh* she's a handful lately. Well, always, but extra crazy-making lately.