Weekend Wrap-Up: May Day-ish

Ah… another week gone by, and this time I’m actually going to have a weekend wrap-up! May is always a crazy whirlwind of activity (how many field trips and class projects can one school district throw at a family? I’ll let you know once the month is over, but we are standing at four and three, respectively, for the next two weeks), and I am usually rather impressed with myself if I can MOSTLY hold things together through the university’s commencement ceremonies and until the boys get out of school.

Photo Source

J and I actually had the time and the energy to have a date night last night. A date night! With a bottle of wine and things that the boys would never agree to eat (like duck. DUCK!). It was weird to be sitting down, eating together, and talking. About things that weren’t “Which one of us is going to the school lunch thing on Tuesday?” and “What time does he need to be dropped off for the Six Flags trip?”

Ah, the glamorous life of parenthood. Why didn’t the nurses warn us of this crap before we left the childbirth prep class? Why don’t they teach classes on logistics and event planning the way they do for epidurals?

While on our date night, we discussed the wild success that The Bloggess has had on her book tour (seriously, buy this book!) and J, of course, always wonders how her husband (Victor) feels about all of this excitement surrounding his wife, and then I mentioned that I planned to buy him a TEAM VICTOR shirt, and then J said the most astounding thing I’ve heard him say in our marriage…

That is, when you compare idiosyncrasies between him and myself, it becomes increasingly apparent that J is actually The Bloggess type in our relationship, and I’m more like Victor.

Say what? I have always felt that I’m the more eccentric one.

And then he laid out his case… about how I’m more the one to be silent and listen in social situations, and he’s more likely the one who says something wildly off topic and inappropriate and quirky… about how he’s the one who randomly buys things (this is true—he’s on this glasses thing—we don’t need more glasses, but he thinks he must buy them if they’re on clearance, and then we’re trying to find a place to put these things—like Waterford pilsner glass sets that he picks up for $17)… about how he’s the one with the wild imagination and no filter on his mouth…

I realized he’s right. As much as I hate to admit it, I am downright boring when it compares to J. So, why is it that I have the blog and he doesn’t? When I asked him this, he said that I just need to spend some more time writing about him. Something in a cross between “Shit my husband says,” and “Let me tell you about all of the times he’s scared the shit out of me by making the children’s toys—and other inanimate objects—‘speak’ to me when I least expect it. Like when I’m asleep.

And this is why I will never get bored in our marriage. Since the first night I met him, he’s had a thing for elaborately rigging up happy meal toys to say foul-mouthed things.

Okay, I’m done allowing J to hijack this post, so let’s get down to business! This is what I wrote when I wasn’t here:

I talked about how Don Draper’s example can save you thousands in couple’s therapy, if you just do the opposite of what he does.

On a more serious note, I talked about a one-sentence long piece of legislation in our state that makes me a bit less proud to live in Missouri. Apparently, someone forwarded it to Ellen’s show!

Also, I wrote a 6000 word piece of fiction, and submitted it to a contest here! Wish me luck (and if you write, enter it!).

What was going on elsewhere:

Alex from Late Enough shares her hatred of birds. I shared my hatred of birds with her. We realize that birds are the scourge of the earth.

Sunday Morning has broadcast the most accurate and balanced description of student loan and tuition problems that I have seen. Check it out—it shows all sides.

The Bloggess makes mention of the book signing snafu that happened directly in front of Jesse (wail of grief here!) when she was at the signing in Dallas. More on this to come!

Steffie (don’t call her that!) relates the best text message conversation I’ve ever heard.

What was I nattering on about last year?

I wrote the first ever Imperfect Mothers post, in honor of Earth Day, no less. It is one of my highest viewed posts, ever. If you haven't read it, you need to. Because it will make you a good parent AND save Mother Earth!