Birthday Kisses

a birthday kiss
Originally uploaded by radioflyer007

Today was Air Boss' first day back to work. Well, "back" is somewhat subjective as he didn't quite return to the office. Although working for the same company in Boston, Air Boss now commutes to his new office 4.5 feet away from his beside. His home office.

THE NEW OFFICE
I admire him for trying to remain accessible to his colleagues on the East Coast by working Eastern Daylight hours which equate to 6 AM - 3 PM Pacific Daylight. He even put on a button-down shirt (albeit a short-sleeved Hawaiian print one) and long pants (okay - so the jeans were a bit worn and frayed). Maybe by the end of the week the attire will morph into a pair of boxers and . . . his wrist watch.

While Air Boss worked away, I tried to explain to 'Shroom and Lolli that "Daddy is working even though he's home" and that they are not to bother him when he's sitting in his office chair. I'm sure it's confusing for them because back in Boston, the kids totally looked forward to Daddy's return each day at 6:30 PM (or thereabouts). We'll have to see how the new schedule and work environment goes.

DAILY EXPLORATIONS
Today, the kids and I explored the local $.99 store which was fairly huge. Tomorrow we will visit the local post office (can't seem to find too many blue mail boxes around here! - how do people mail letters?) and the library. Since everything is still so new to us, everyday is a field trip.

BIRTHDAY GIFTS
Well, no overflowing toilets, freeway freak-outs (at least not today), or loud barking dogs. I enjoyed sweet birthday kisses from my two favorite kids today. I think I'm getting a washer and dryer for my birthday. Air Boss has a birthday coming up in two weeks and will get his big TV (we have somehow gone over a month without watching or owning a TV). I so graciously told Air Boss, "even though the washer and dryer will be my gift and the TV will be your gift, we can share. I can use your TV and you can use my washer. Right?" [wink, wink]

A SIGN OF AGING
I remember watching game shows back when I was in grade school and thinking how silly game contestants were when they won major home appliances like refrigerators and washer/dryers. "How can they be so happy winning such a lousy prize?" I would wonder. Now, I must be getting much older because I'm totally excited about these very same appliances. A blender? Sure! A vacuum cleaner? Bring it on!

TV vs. WASHER/DRYER
Air Boss has been so excited to be finally getting a new TV and has been doing his due diligience in researching the best model for what he wants. There was no talk about getting a washer and dryer. Althought we have a temporary solution for washing clothes (the college solution: bring it home to your mom), I see it as a very very short term solution. We're a family of four - not some single college student with minimal items to wash. We are NOT dirty people but c'mon - we have two preschoolers who are magnets for dirt, food smears, and who-knows-what-else is stuck on the bottom of their shorts. Anyway, I'm okay if the TV comes first because after all (as someone had astutely pointed out to me), even if we all had nice clean clothes, we still can't watch TV but if we ran out of clean clothes, we could always watch TV naked.

Sooo, anyone wanna come over to watch TV?
=)