(Stir) Crazy Days

Picture it. The Trickle kitchen. 10:15am. Josh and Cara are whining in unison while making every attempt to actually climb up me while I nosh my breakfast --a handful of Saltines-- over the sink. Dishwasher: unloaded. Floor: unswept. Eyebrows: unplucked. Dogs: barking in triplicate. Seems I have broken the cardinal rule of being a SAHM: failure to plan a morning outing. And I'm paying the price. Although I don't recall my own childhood being racked with constant rendezvous into the community, it is my finding that for my kids and me, these outings are a prerequisite for sanity. And with the weather barely creeping past the 40 degree mark these days, creativity is a must. A trip to the dump will suffice: Ooohh, look! Mommy throws in the paper --mommy throws in the plastic. Watch me save the Earth! The Post Office can also be a real treat, what, with the thrill of pushing the button to activate the handicap-accessible door! But it's cold outside today, and we're staying in, I decide in feigned authority. In an attempt to settle into our morning at home, I flick on a Motown CD, grab another cracker and scoop up both kids for a whirl around the kitchen. As her way of saying that she, too, would enjoy a Saltine, Cara bites my face. Ouch! OK, everybody in the car...