Hmph.

Well, I was just re-reading some of my China blog and I think it was marginally more entertaining than this old dirge. Maybe my life will pick up again once I go back to work. Speaking of which, I went to school today to run the first NAL meeting and let me tell you, it felt good to use my teacher voice again. I don't think I've said "Y'all" at such a loud volume once in the past 10 weeks. Crazy. Maggie stayed with my friend Kathy and apparently it all went swimmingly which makes me feel much better about her going to daycare. Also, the whole time that I was running the meeting, yes, I did think of Maggie, but it was more like fleeting thoughts. Rather than obsessive, sickening "what is my baby DOING without me?" kind of thoughts. So that bodes well for me. I was tempted to tell my principal, "I don't think I'm going to come back" but I decided not to. I'm not so sure how that would go over.

Maggie and I have fallen into a nice routine. I sleep until she wakes up and then, depending on how hungry I am (because, really, who is more important?) either watch some of the "Today" show or eat breakfast. She is content to let me read the paper while we're eating but she YELLS if the laptop comes out. Then I usually watch an episode of "Gilmore Girls" and drink tea while Maggie plays on the floor. I sit on the floor with her, too and usually let her climb all over me. Then we go for a walk in the jogging stroller. That's my favorite part of the day, I think. It's peaceful and Maggie usually falls asleep. Today, we had a tragic incident. She took her Sonya Lee Little People figurine with her and it had disappeared by the time we got home. Poor Sonya Lee. I hope someone rescued her and she's not smushed somewhere. Then, since I realized that I don't have to sit outside with Maggie, I wrestle the jogging stroller inside and try not to run over the cats but usually run over the cat bed and basically bang her all over the place but thank goodness, Maggie appears to be able to sleep through most anything. Also, this is to my friend Jane: I am sorry that I secretly thought you were dumb for turning on the fan in the bathroom when your kids were sleeping because the fan is my new best friend. Please accept my apology. Love, Allison
If I feel like it, I shower or I check email and all my numerous websites. Maggie eats a snack, we play, then we eat lunch. Boring boring. We play some more, then she takes a nap. Or sometimes we go somewhere before she takes a nap in order for her to get tired. Then I start to get crabby and am ready for David to come home. The mornings are definitely the better part of the day.

Tonight, Maggie ate this Zesty Beef Stew for dinner that I had made. I ground it up in the food processor and that junk looked just like brunswick stew. Ugh. We also had some strange tasting cornbread that I suspect had been sitting in the pantry just a little bit too long. Maggie seemed to like it though. She inhaled her Zesty Beef Stew. So did I, for that matter.

I have been feeling horribly guilty lately about Maggie going to daycare but I think after today, I am okay with it. She was in a stunningly good mood tonight during dinner and it lasted until about 15 minutes before bed. That is not a usual occurrence. I think Maggie will do well at daycare. I can make myself feel better thinking that at least. But you know, you spend all this money trying to get pregnant and then you spend all this money adopting your child and there's not a whole lot left when you're done. Then you have to spend a TON of money raising your child. Although we could have gotten off a whole lot cheaper if I had known ahead of time that remotes, tubs of eczema balm, and coasters made good toys.

Well, tomorrow we are going on a grand shopping adventure at this humongous outlet mall near here. There's a carousel there so maybe I'll let Maggie try that out.