Weekend of 5/29/09

Some weekend highlights:

1) I finished Nicole’s room on Friday night (see previous blog) and presented it to her on Saturday morning. Though she took a shorter-than-usual nap in the big girl bed that afternoon, she was still awake a half hour after the night tuck-in. I laid with her for a minute or so, kissed her, and slipped out. A half hour later when I checked again she was still awake, though quiet, in bed. I took her out and back to her nursery because I didn’t want her to be cranky at daycare. We’ll try again tonight……

2) On Saturday night the Gardners and we went to watch the Cincinnati Rollergirls play roller derby. This is a sport that my grandparents, parents, and Jim recall watching on TV years ago but played on a wooden, inclined track. This was a notch down from that in that it was all flat track and held at the Gardens. Seats were just $10/ea, parking was free, and once I mostly caught on to the finer points/strategies of the game, I got really into it. I decided that I’d probably be a good enough skater to do the JV team (there was quite a significant difference in the “JV” vs. “Varsity” teams skating-wise) but have no desire or time to dedicate to two hours of practice three nights a week + 5 weekends of travel. We all liked it and would go again, maybe even the next home game (June 20) if Chris wasn’t looming.

3) I finished up Angels & Demons which I really liked though it sounds like not all my friends agree. I borrowed Twilight from Caitlin, started it yesterday during Nicole’s nap, and am already on page 232. Very easy read in general (obviously) and since I’ve already seen the movie I have to think even less while reading because, so far, the movie’s been fairly true to the novel so I can see things playing out in my head chapter-by-chapter.

4) I won my current game of Facebook Scrabble against Sean, Jessica and Jenny. Jess’s first word this round used all 7 letters and got her a double word bonus so she’s like 4 turns ahead of the rest of us just in one play. Booooooo!

5) Saturday night, influenced by Angels and Demons, I dreamt that I was elected Pope which was kind of cool. Last night, influenced by Twilight, I dreamt I was a vampire. Too much reading before bed! OK, I don't really mean that.

6) I got to wondering this morning…. I'm normally the first one in the office in the morning so I start the pot of decaf coffee. I don’t have the patience to wait for it to fully brew so after about 2 minutes I remove the pot and stick my cup under and let it fill directly. Does this screw up my cup or the whole pot taste-wise?

7) A very cute habit Nicole has continued for about the last three weeks is imitating Jim and I in our habits. What strikes me about this is that it's the little things she's picked up on like calling us "dear" (as in, "goodbye dear" when one of us leaves the house) and saying "I love you" as part of her well-wishing (like "goodbye, dear. I love you, dear"). Unfortunately her tidings of love don't just stop at home - last night she told the Home Depot cashier goodbye and that she loved her which of course earned her an "awwww".