Metal Meredith

Since I have become so slack on regular posting, I thought I would give you a little update containing a few fun stories.

First, I was jarred awake last night at 1:27am from a big bang on my bedroom window. I sat up and turned on the lights only to find all three cats staring alarmingly at the back window. I couldn’t decide whether or not to actually get up and look out the window, so I opted to go downstairs and check. I looked outside for Phil’s car but didn’t see it, knowing he was out for a late night with friends. That was when I started to panic. If it wasn’t Phil, who was it? How could Phil get home but not have a house key? I stopped at the bottom of the stairs only to be startled by the doorbell. It was Phil and Vivienne had locked the storm door earlier that evening without me knowing. Oops. Phil had to use our table umbrella to tap on the window of our bedroom. I almost went into labor, I swear.

Vivienne and I went shopping one day this week when the heat wave was over, although it was just as hot with Richmond’s wonderful mix of humidity and stifling heat. We took a jaunt over to Target to buy some candles. Now that I am in my second trimester, my nose is so sensitive that I can smell things that are not even there. There is some ghost stink in my house, currently only discovered by me. I needed a few candles to see if I could trick my nose into thinking that all is normal. While we walked around, Vivienne sang, made noises and pointed out things that she would like to take home. By the time we got to the clothes department, we had a little pony with wings and a DVD for her to take home with her.

I try to always check the sale racks, especially knowing that Vivienne grows about one size per year and there are summer bargains to be had for next summer. We passed by one rack when Vivienne said “Mom, STOP!” She proceeded to reach up and grab a lime green dress off the rack. “Is this my size?” she asked, “Because I really really want to take this home with me.” I was blindsided by the consumerism of my 3 year old, all the while being such a pushover because she was genuinely in love with this little Nemo hoodie dress. She does have good taste.

In fact, she is adorable in it today and she got ready to go swimming with her friend, Samantha, from preschool. Samantha’s mom, Andrea, has been my savoir more than once in this morning sickness limbo. Today, Andrea was elevated to Goddess. She came to pick her up and has taken her to another classmate’s pool. When I told her yesterday what was planned, Vivienne said, “OK, I would like to go, but I maybe be shy.” Sure, why not? True to her word, she curled into a little ball when they got here and only came out about 5 minutes later. She was all smiles by the time she left.

Yesterday, I took Vivienne to get a quick hair trim so we can see her eyes again. We went back to Pigtails and Crewcuts again. They are quick and the novelty of sitting in an old tin airplane isn’t lost on Vivienne. We were done in 15 minutes. Vivienne had her lollipop in one hand and her rubber frog in the other. When the kids are done, they get to pick a toy from the ‘treasure chest’. These are hardly really toys, they are like the cheapest party favors that you can imagine. My guess is that you can get a big bag of these for $2.00 for 100 pieces. They are just that cheap.

I pointed to the toy box and told Vivienne to pick one thing out. I picked up a plastic cockroach and told her “Those bugs are neat; maybe you should bring one home?” Then I turned to pay and pack up. When I looked back down at Vivienne she proclaimed “OK, I ready to go now!” I asked her what she picked and she pointed to her pockets. In one were about 15 of these plastic bugs. In the other pocket she had 2 plastic race cars and in her hand was a rubber caterpillar. My child, the kleptomaniac. So I emptied her bug pocket, handed her the caterpillar and left the racecars in her other pocket. She seemed ok with that outcome and left happy.

Phil is extremely busy these days. He is working hard every day the office, taking an oil painting class one night a week and frequently going to seminars, happy hours and lunchtime lectures. His schedule becomes fuller every day, it seems.

I am now 15 weeks knocked up. I got to see T.H., otherwise known as “Tiny Human” again during an ultrasound on Tuesday. It was shaking and twisting and moving its little arms. Now measuring almost 4 inches, I can’t believe how far I have come and the unbelievable amount of time I have left. I have to stop and realize every so often that if this baby comes 10 days earlier like Vivienne, we are looking at a New Year’s Baby. I am sure my sister can attest to what a pain it is to have a birthday right next to Christmas. If we had planned better, I wouldn’t have picked it, either.

Vivienne goes to summer camp next week. Hopefully she will have a lot more fun this time than last time she went. This time, she will have about 4 friends from her preschool class to be a terror with. Even the director joked about how this week will be wild with them all there. Is it time for school to start soon?

This July 4th was celebrated at my Mom’s farm, the same way we did it last year and I believe, the year before that. Long before I was married and had a kid of my own, we would celebrate the 4th at the compound of sorts occupied by my great aunts and uncles.

It is hard to explain, so I will just brush over it in hopes that I make sense, but my Grandfather’s 2 sisters married my Grandmother’s 2 brothers and moved right next door to each other. On the other side is another of Grandpa’s sisters, who dared to marry outside the family. They both have split level houses decorated in the 60s style of wood paneling and lots of fun (and very often tasteless) statues and signs around. Both couples have a “downstairs den” with a bar and big TVs.

In the true spirit of Baltimore, they enclosed their back yards into one big yard, with a kidney shaped pool, complete with slide, on one side and a vast expanse of grass and mexican pulling mule cart cement statues around. I loved it there. All of the relatives would pile into both houses. There would be tables set up with paper thin table clothes, every covered dish imaginable including all of the favorites like deviled eggs, potato salads, baked beans, cole slaws, and more. Someone would man the grill, often many someone’s, all in black socks, sandals and gripping a cold beer.

There were tons of kids, my cousins I suppose. I recognized all the adults but couldn’t tell you who they all belonged to and what relation that meant they were to me. We would eat, swim, play, eat, and then watch fireworks set off in the third back yard.

This year was a bit more tame. Grandpa turned 84 this year, which he will tell you gives him 3 months equal in age to his bride. Therefore, he told me, she isn’t allowed to boss him around until October, when she turns 85. Of course, he tells me this every year and I am not sure it ever works. We had a good time swimming and playing with Vivienne, while Grandma and Grandpa sat under the umbrella and watched us act like idiots in the pool. Good times, I am sure.

Sadly, I spent a good 2 hours of it under a blanket with a towel on my head trying to get rid of one of those pounding pregnancy headaches that don’t respond to medication. I still was able to swim in the early afternoon and had a little lunch. Phil, being the saint he is, kept everyone busy/happy until it was time to go.

Just as quick note, this July 4th marked the 10 year anniversary of the day I knew I was in love with Phil. He took me to Yorktown, VA for fireworks and I just remember thinking that he was it for me. Thank goodness I was right. He sure puts up with a lot of my crap.