The Queen's Rambles

I’m getting somewhat used to the muggy, but I’ll never get used to the buggy. Ugh. There are little tiny black midges (or something, who knows, I’m not a bugologist) that fly right in your face all the flim-flam time. They seem to be particularly attracted to my eyeballs and my eyeballs seem to be particularly allergic to them. Every time one flies in my eye, my eye almost swells shut and turns red and itchy for hours.

It’s fun being me.

While Elsa was napping at home with Mike, I decided to be a good mother and take Erik out to a park. Before we could leave we had to call every child he’s ever met and see if they wanted to come along. As I expected none of them could make it. Or at least none of the ones I really called. There were a few that we haven’t seen in at least a year and I didn’t really call them. Erik was cottoning on to the fact that I wasn’t leaving a voice mail, so I had to leave a bunch of pretend voice mails. Kid is too smart for his own good.

We went to a very popular park on a not-so-awful-weather-wise Saturday afternoon, so of course he didn’t need to bring along a friend. He spent two solid hours playing with a little girl his age and her little brother. Did he ever find out their names? Of course not. Weirdo.

I am loving having an independent kid who can be set free at the park and doesn’t need me tagging along within 3 feet to make sure everything is ok. I sat on a bench and read my Kindle, occasionally pushing a saucer swing or babysitting a scooter. It is rare that we get moments like that these days. Normally I would be chasing Miss Menace, which would exhaust me and leave me ready to leave after 30 minutes. I wish she was one of those “sleep anywhere in a stroller babies” but I didn’t get that lucky with either of my kids.

We are headed to Vancouver for a very short trip in about a month. We really want to go see HP7pt2 with our book club friends, but need a sitter. I am hoping my social networking skillz will pay off. I know hotels will often have a list, but I’d much rather trust in someone I’ve known for years than a random hotel list. Not that I want a blogger to babysit, but maybe a blogger would know someone they could recommend. I’ve got a couple of messages out in the vast network so we shall see. Elsa isn’t so afraid of people anymore so I am willing to try out the sitter thing.

I was just looking at the hotel and it has a pool! Not that I will let a sitter take two small non-swimmers into a pool, but I might want to take a swim with the kids. It’s outdoors, so maybe I won’t want to go in with the kids. How hot does it get over there at the end of July?

Oh dear. Looks like Mike is going to go play soccer with Erik, so I’m on Menace duty.