Walking Backwards

Can someone please explain to me how I am supposed to make three healthy meals a day (and three snacks) in this heat? Really, just turning on my oven at this point is making me swoon and it's only June. One of the many disadvantages of summer in Texas. I am supposed to be trying to figure out some more recipes for my crockpot so I don't have a fainting spell in my kitchen three times a day, but all of the crockpot recipes I have a heavy and stew-like and just generally not summer friendly. I would just declare a salad-a-thon throughout the summer, but that would get expensive fast and my garden has already supplied the last of its tender lettaces; its moved on to the heartier summer squashes and tomatoes. Sigh, and anyone who mentions the grill will be given a stern talking to. Can you imagine standing over a fire with the sun blazing down on you in 95-degree temps? And, once again, its just JUNE!

Okay, glad I got that out of my system. Its my current frustration for the week. Moving on to more joyful things.

Annie started watching Nicholas today. I only left him there for about an hour and a half because, although he knows Annie really well, this is a new thing for him and Annie was feeling pretty exhausted. Her mother-in-law was there so I didn't need to worry so much, but still. While I was gone I picked up a copy of Nicholas' birth certificate so that we can apply for our passports next week. I've never gotten a passport for a toddler and have been warned that there are going to be some hoops to jump through since I am going to be traveling with him alone, but I don't care. I am going to Italy!!! After the birth certificate, I went to Goodwill (a chain thrift store for those who live on Mars or outside of the US) and discovered, to my surprise, terrible prices. They were trying to sell stuff for more money than I could get it new in the store. I found a notebook that you can buy in the dollar section at Target for $1.59 in really shoddy packaging. I also found my beloved Banana Republic t-shirts marked for $18.99; this is how much I pay for them new and not stretched out at the outlet. Well, it looks like I am going to have to find another way to be thrifty. Garage sales have been recommended. I wasn't in there to buy anything, rather to get ideas for a little experiment in voluntary simplicity that Joe and I are about to go through (more on that tomorrow). So I then went back to Annie's and we went swimming for the third time in a week (heaven!). My boy was clingy all over again. He has lost most of the independence he garnered from our preschool adventure and, in this new environment, he is shy all over again. I took him home deciding that we are just going to ease into the staying at Annie's over the next couple of weeks. Nicholas then decided he didn't want to nap, so I drug out the baby pool and he played in that. Apparently water is quite popular with the younger crowd. When Joe got home we wrestled with the dilemma of dinner and dealt with our normal routine. We shall see what tomorrow brings.