The Lone Ranger

Chris is in New York tonight in an effort to deal with The Suck. I'm really happy about that because he tends to want to do anything BUT deal with The Suck. So just going there and getting some progress made in that arena makes me a happy camper. (For those of you who don't keep up with Chris' blog, "The Suck" is basically anything having to do with his father's estate. In this particular case, "The Suck" actually involves his grandmother's estate, which has to be completely resolved before his father's estate can be completely resolved. His father died over two years ago and his grandmother, if my memory serves me correctly, died a year and a half before that. It may have even been two or three and a half years. I've totally lost track. I know it was in January...)

This means I am once again going it alone with the two kids. And I'm finding that I like it just fine. I sprung them from daycare a little early thanks to a fairly flexible schedule today, and Athena requested Aladdin immediately. While we enjoyed the flick, Marcus ate the contents of a big ole bottle and Athena devoured a banana. Then I made some pasta which Athena and I ate enthusiastically while Marcus hung out in his high chair gnawing on a plush toy. We followed up dinner with two pieces of "dandy" each and Athena showed her appreciation by dribbling chocolate down the front of her dress.

After that, we headed upstairs where Athena leisured in an essence de grape bubble bath while I stuffed Marcus into his sleeper de la nuit. We watched Baby Einstein, during which Marcus passed out in his bouncer. It was only about 7:15.

We called Daddy to say hello, and Athena watched a Scholastic DVD that included animated readings of several great picture books including Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. It's not that I don't want to read to her... but it is certainly nice when professionals do it for you. We closed out the night with a little disneychannel.com. I know this will surprise you -- especially Amy -- but my daughter is a musical genius. We played some little games where you match instruments with the sounds they make, and she did really well. Except for the clarinet... which seems like an odd instrument for her to miss, after she nailed the trumpet, french horn, tuba, and flute, but whatever. I don't question genius.

She wanted to lie in our bed for a while rather than go to her own, and I ended up falling asleep curled up with her. I just woke up a few minutes ago at about 11:30, moved her to her own bed and went downstairs to give the dog her medicine and close up shop for the night.

Marcus is still in his bouncer, and I think I'm just going to leave him there. He seems happy, and if he wakes up in the middle of the night, I can move him after he's had a bottle. Or perhaps I'll just let him sleep with me. After all, Chris is out of town, so isn't this when I should spoil the heck out of them so they're impossible for him to deal with when he gets back? FUN!

Tomorrow is my half-day since I worked this past Sunday, so I don't need to be at work until about 1:15 in the afternoon. So I'm not setting an alarm and we'll just take the morning at leisure. Chris will be back tomorrow in time to get the kids at daycare. Then it's back to life as normal. Hooray!