Hello? Babysitters??

Ok, seriously, where are my babysitters? I still have openings on December 6 (coughKellycough) and January 24. Between the grandmas Dinana and Denna, we've got the overnight on the 20th covered.

I really ought to be cooking. I'm going to make the potatoes and the pie today. Maybe I'll cut up the apple salad and the stuff for the stuffing if I get inspired, but that's only going to take 10 minutes on Thursday morning, so why bother? Our guest list has grown. In addition to the four of us, my brother might be coming, my MIL is coming, and my mom and step-dad are coming. BJ's dad is going to stop by, but he's not eating (LONG story).

I totally dropped the ball and forgot to send in the form for Mary Grace's school pictures on time. In my defense, it was due yesterday and she's in the Wed/Fri class, so I wasn't even there. If I had been, they totally would've gotten it. I sent it, apologetically, with BJ this morning to see if they'd take it late. Otherwise, we'll have one less picture of MG in the world. Oh, tragedy. I only have about 7000 on my harddrive, and they were practically free. The school pictures were pretty cute, though. Much more professional than the laser-background ones that I had growing up.

This morning she wanted me to make "scary pancakes" for breakfast. It took me a minute, but I finally realized that she meant pumpkin pancakes with chocolate chip faces like I made on Halloween. I searched the cabinets, but we're out of chocolate chips. "Do they have to be scary?" I asked. "Yes, Mommy, they have to be terrifying!" she replied.

Her other funny is more of a family inside joke, but I'll tell you anyway. My dad has all these phrases, some of which I didn't understand until adulthood, that he says all the time. For example, if you say something is "too loose," he'll inevitably reply "Lautrec." I didn't get that one until I saw Moulin Rouge (love that movie). "Ohhhh... It's a person!" I said to myself. Dur.

You can also make him hum, if you know the right phrase ("pounds of bananas..."). Some of them are philosophical, like, "It's always the last place you look..." which I interpreted, as a kid, as "It's always the last place you would look," so if I lost something I'd start looking in the strangest places - the freezer for toys, for example... Until I realized that it's always in the last place you look because when you find it you stop looking.

Well, one of the Dadisms is "See you by the pool." I don't really understand this one, either. Maybe it was in some obscure movie that he saw back in 1972... I don't know. When I called Mom to tell her this story, though, she remembered him saying it, and they split up like 20 years ago, so it has staying power, wherever it came from. So we were out yesterday and near Dad's apartment, and we drove by to see if he was around to join us for a root beer. I slowed down, didn't see his car, and said to Mary Grace, "It doesn't look like Grandpa's home. I wonder where he is?" and she said, "Maybe he's by the pool."

I cracked up (and called everyone). I mean, it's 30 degrees! I got this mental image of Dad standing by the pool, freezing, waiting to see people. HA! And in my entire life, I can only remember Dad being by an actual pool once (he had one at his house, growing up, but I wasn't there). It's just one of those things he says... But I guess, in Mary Grace's head, whenever he's not with us, he's "by the pool." Too funny.

Claire's reading my current issue of Cooking Light right now, and meowing at the cat in the Iams ad. Ha!

I honestly don't know what we ever laughed at before we had kids. Seriously, they are too funny!!

BJ worked late (again, 2nd night in a row) last night, and I had the kids fed, bathed, and in bed sleeping by 7:45!! It was bliss. I listened to a couple of Radiolabs and felt guilty about not cooking. Ha!

What are you laughing about today?

PS - Rob - I would totally send them to you if I thought that I could do it without violating shipping rules and regulations and a couple of child protection laws. :)