The Queen's Rambles

Our new neighbor is a chain smoker who refuses to smoke in her own home because it’s bad for the kids.. She’s a really nice lady, which makes me happy since we see her sitting on the porch all the time. We are both end unit, side facing townhouses so we see each other constantly. Nice to have a nice neighbor when you are smooshed that close together.

Anyway, she’s a chain smoker. Apparently she also goes out for smokes in middle of the night. This morning she told me that she though I had a critter in my garbage can. She heard it scratching all night, so I needed to check it out before taking the trash out.

I’m glad I had some warning.

Our lid disappeared last week, so I just have a can sitting by my porch. The trash truck comes twice a week, so we never have much to put out. We used to just put it out in a bag, but they usually don’t come until mid-afternoon so crows and critters attack the bags and make a mess everywhere. A big can is a necessity of life.

All that to say, I peeked into the can and the neighbor was right. I had a mid-sized raccoon all curled up in the bottom of the can. I screamed because I’m a wimp. I was planning on kicking the can over and running into the house, but the neighbor is an animal lover and thought that was mean. She came and stared at the raccoon, then very gently sat it onto it’s side so it could make its escape. Thankfully it ran off into the woods and not toward our feet.

Mike and I are trying to watch our brand spankin’ new Harry Potter 7 pt. 2 DVD, but it is slow going. It’s been two nights and we are less than an hour into it. One day we won’t have tiny children who cry at night. One day we will have old kids who can watch a scary movie with us. Or will be off to a friends house for the evening or something. One day!

I am so ready to stop co-sleeping with Elsa, but I am not sure what to do with her. I am ready to wean her, but she is a strong self-advocate for continuing the nursing relationship. I know “how” to do a few of these things, but I don’t know how to do them in a way I am comfortable with. And that’s really what it comes down to. I could do a lot of things differently, but I choose to do them my way so I guess I can’t complain.

She is such a funny girl. I took her to her gym class again today and she did a lot better. She sat during circle time and did the little activities. She would be totally ready for a little Twos preschool program next year if I could find one that I was willing to send her to. I went to the preschool fair and found out that the only programs that take her age are either religious or super expensive. There goes that idea.

Last week I noticed the kiddie gym had a zipline running down one wall. I didn’t think it looked too safe, but figured they had it there for a reason.

Today I discovered the reason. They hook a baby swing to the zipline and give the kids “space rides.” Too bad Elsa fr-eeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaa-ked out. She would have liked it, I think, but there was a guy running along side it for safety and she was having nothing to do with strangers today. If looks could kill, Mr. Diego would be dead as a doornail.

And Mike is back. How am I supposed to post and watch Harry fly around on a broomstick at the same time? I can’t. Sorry, people. Harry rules tonight.