sleep, if only once

Nothing was different about last Sunday. It wasn't extraordinary or life-changing, it was a simple day spent with Jim and D, but it is still a day I want to remember forever. I woke up and felt a little stuffed and sore so I claimed that I had the Plague and laid down on the couch. It was the truth, too, I felt horrible. Jim warmed up a bowl of soup and a cup of chamomile tea and pampered me, even let me watch "Eloise at Christmastime" with Julie Andrews. (Which was adorable. She's a sassy one, that Eloise.)...(And can I say that I adore Christmas TV movies? Oh, I do. Especially when lazing around on the couch feeling horrible.)

There are a few moments I want to just cut out and memorize, hang on the wall in my mind and enshrine or just dust off the cobwebs so they shine more brightly than other memories. Watching Jim as he lifted Diego in one arm and carried him into the kitchen to make me some soup was one of them. It was something he was saying to D, explaining the complexities of cans or soup or winter weather, I don't know. Maybe it was the pampering. Or the honey toast he made. (Yum) Everything about that moment made me love him that much more.

The happiness continued, too, that night. We put Diego to bed, as usual, and he woke up around 9, as usual, and then fell back to sleep a few minutes after. And then...he slept through the night. The ENTIRE night. He's never done that before and I don't expect him to do that again until he's 16. But it was a glorious, sleepy, surprising holiday gift. And that's what I think it was, a gift to me. To both of us. Sleep. He knew exactly what I wanted!

I love my boys.

steps to no car-buyers remorse:

I'm so proud of us. As I can now say we are so grown up that we can buy a car and not get screwed. See? You're shocked, I can tell. But it's true! So here are our steps to purchasing a car. And, remember, I am, by no means someone whose advice should ever be taken. What do I know?

Steps to car buying sans the remorse:

1. Pick out a few cars you like. Being stuck in traffic in your junker=a great place to shop for cars you like. It's the bar scene for cars that want to be seen. Just look around. Especially helpful if you're in the middle of Friday afternoon traffic on the 101, 110, 710, 10, 405, 55 or 5. (aka: Southern CA)
2. Check the cars out online. Preliminary research, prices, reviews, etc. Don't ignore it when people talk about maintenance issues and they love the car-it means that they don't care that it has issues and you might not want that kind of high-maintenance relationship. (See: e's first car)
3. Go to the dealer and actually look at them first hand.
4. Don't get attached. Do NOT buy the car the same day you looked at it. It might be great, it might be perfect but just Walk Away! Now!
5. Email dealerships nearby (and far, if you're willing to drive) for quotes.
6. When you get a low quote, ask the next dealer who emails if they can meet that quote. Then the next. Keep looking for that low price.
7. Remember there are things called "frills" or "extras" or "stuff they're going to add on in the end because, why not?" There's a destination charge (or at least there is, here in CA) of about $625 that is automatically added on, and that almost no one tells you about willingly. Ask every dealer whether their quote covers the destination charge, and other fees.
8. Once you have a low quote, get that dealer on the phone and ask if there are any extra charges that aren't included in that price. If there are, talk to another and another.
9. Go to the dealer with the lowest price to look at the car, pick out the color you like, and figure out the finances.
10. Go home with lovely new car.

Well, it worked for us and now we have a beautiful new car. Perfect for at least two car seats in the back. Ahh...nothing like a slightly bigger car that makes a girl think about babies.

feed the Momma

There was so much time wasted today feeling horrible. It all started when I suggested we get waffles for breakfast and J countered with something about wanting to eat at home more often which spiraled me into feeling bad that I don't cook enough, bad wife that I am, and how dare I even think about waffles? Tasty, whip-cream topped waffles. So I didn't eat. The bebe was busy and fussy and wanted to play and then sleep and I focused on doing that and didn't eat for way beyond my Hungry time and straight into my Feed Me Now time. You know the feeling. The I'm cranky and You suck and why is the sun so LOUD and my head so DIZZY? feeling. Did we eat then? Nope. Went grocery shopping instead. Which is good, I guess, but I was so cranky and set on Getting Things Done that I forgot that I can't really think without food. So brainless and dizzy, baby sitting in the sling, we trudged through the grocery store and my poor, poor husband kept trying to gently nudge me towards the deli counter and the free samples there, but I kept quickly walking in the other direction because, well, of course, we needed the detergent and beef stock and graham crackers! Really, he should have just knocked me out with a large stick and forced me to march to the free and delicious samples. See? You could tell I was crazy because when would I normally turn down cut up, warm and gooey, cinnamon buns?
Never. That's when.