I haven't posted on this page since Monday. Bad me.
Here's a rundown: Tuesday evening, Katka, Jing and I went to a get-together with the Joint Venture Club at Co-President Kelly's house. Her husband is a second-year MBA, and they're from Minneapolis. About 12 people were there in all (it rocked like a masochist). I enjoyed fun conversation, great BBQ, and a few quiet hours while Keven watched the girls. We made a deal that if he goes out on Thursday nights for drinks with the other MBAs, then I get three nights off per month for the JVC and MOMS Club outings. A good trade! All that remains for us is to find a few minutes to go out with each other!
We also went shopping on Tuesday when I got parkas for Keven and I from Land's End overstocks - $60 for mine and $40 for Keven's, both regularly $100 each. Very happy.
Wednesday...was a long time ago. If I thought harder, I'd probably remember going to the library. Or maybe that was Tuesday too. Oh, and we started to train Ilsa to sleep in the double bed with Juliette. It's taken a few days, but the experiment has worked so well that I put the crib down in our storage locker yesterday! They make the cutest pair, cuddled up together in bed at night! And I also designed a website for the Joint Venture Club, which I hope they'll use. If they do, I'll share it here at a later date.
Forward to Thursday... we went to Ella's Deli with the MOMS Club, which is the bizarre, old-fashioned babes-in-toyland adventure with hundreds of toy displays through the restaurant and a full carousel out front. The kids were totally entranced, which actually works well to facilitate mommy conversation! The restaurant itself had a fantastic menu of really unique kosher dishes and things you don't normally see anymore: tongue sandwich, chopped liver, bagels & lox, and all manner of sauerkraut dishes. I totally wussed out and had a turkey swiss melt, and then the girls and I split a giant turtle fudge sundae.
After lunch, we braved the carousel. Juliette was really keen on the idea, and she was a brave trooper once onboard. But her hands held a VERY tight grip on the pole, and she didn't smile more than a grimace. She asked me what her horsey's name was - I just said "Angie." It was the first thing that came into my head. But later that night, she told Keven that she had ridden Angie. It needed a little explanation. Ilsa, however, was not impressed. She rode tolerably well for the first half, clinging to me from her saddle, and then she wanted to be held for the rest of the ride. Not bad considering her reaction to busses. No tears, at least.
Then Friday I had a monthly members' meeting with the MOMS Club while Keven watched the girls. I'm now in charge of coordinating a new playgroup consisting on myself and four other moms (and their kids, naturally). I also managed to volunteer to bake cookies for the next meeting. How horribly domestic of me! Then later that afternoon, Katka came over to have coffee with me while the girls slept. She's great. We made plans to go to the farmer's market this morning, which was a fun time - lots of veggies and talking.
The only downside to the last few days is that, after comparing calendars from all of Keven's class lists, it looks like I'm going to have to drop the Friday morning painting class for which I'd registered. Too many obligations take precedent at the moment. I figure I'll try again next semester when we've adjusted well and Keven is through interviewing for his summer internship (it takes up a lot of time with interview technique, career planning, etc.). But I'm still ready to go for bellydancing class. That is a short enough class (one hour every Tuesday) that it won't conflict with much.
In the meantime, we've planned a trip home to the farm in two weeks, and the time between then and now is packed with new things to try and people to see. It's been a busy few days, and I don't see our pace slowly for a while (probably not until sometime in December when we start to freeze solid)...
On the Internet
Available Now
Coming Soon
In Progress
4 comments:
Speaking of the MOMS club, your earlier post inspired me to look for one in my area. I found one that's kind of far away, but the president referred me to a local web site, and I found a local group of moms who do play groups and a babysitting exchange. Very exciting.
The New Yorker has an article last week about eating tongue. It did not sound appetizing.
Sorry you won't get to take your painting class. :(
Tess
I met a woman from China today who studies full-time to earn her PhD in consumer science. Her husband works as a mechanical engineer in Milwaukee (over an hour commute each way) since earning his PhD this past spring. Their 3-yo son is in daycare fulltime while they work/study. To make ends meet, they have another Chinese man (who also works in Milwaukee and shares her husbands' commute) as a roommate in the second bedroom of their 2bdrm apartment, so their son sleeps in their bedroom. They can't afford fulltime child care for their other 7-mo son, so he is back in China being raised by her mother until she graduates next year.
I mean, talk about sacrifice for the greater good of your future and family. I can go without painting classes forever now. Talking with her put my role, my life in perspective.
Glad you found some company tho. We're just starting with the MOMS group here, but I think it will be a big help to me and the girls, and thus to my husband and our family as a whole.
That's a shame (about painting classes, I mean). I was already looking forward to getting a painting by lovelysalome for Xmas this year.. :o P
The case of this Chinese couple shows how people are different and have different priorities in life, although I think that, as a human being, this Chinese young lady would feel being far from her son as a big sacrifice. But then, I know too little about this couple to speculate about what their priorities are and what they feel. It would be interesting to know from what kind of social background in China they are from...
Maybe you'll still get a painting, but it'll be untrained :)
Post a Comment