Rainy days and Mondays Always Get me Down

Not really, but I like the song, and I have it in my head, so I thought it would make a good title.

It is rainy here in Cincinnati today. Not nearly as rainy as it was in the Gulf Coast, I'm sure. I've been reading CNN.com and watching the video streams-- it's just heartbreaking to see how Katrina devastated Louisiana and Mississippi. I can't even imagine dealing with that kind of devastation. And for those of you who know my OCD tendencies-- can you imagine me having to deal with a house broken apart like matchsticks? I'd go crazy looking at all the mess. But what do you do when that happens?

I want to help somehow. I don't know how. I really don't have any money to donate. I can't go down and help-- I just started a new job. I don't know if there are places that I can donate items to, but I think I remember hearing something about Matthew 25 Ministries here in Cincinnati. I might have to look up their website. I would encourage all y'all who read my blog to check out the damage done, and see if there's any way you can help, whether it's by donation or time, or whatever. This just tears at my heart.

In other news, it's taco night. If Ethan had his preference, he'd eat tacos every day and night. If Aaron had his preference, it'd be taco night every other night. If I had my preference, I wouldn't have to think about tacos all the time. :) Just kidding. But anyhow, since it's taco night, that means that I have to cut lettuce up finely. I hate cutting up lettuce. I need a lettuce shredder-- maybe a visit to William Sonoma is in order... hehehehehe!! And I have to cut up tomatoes. I like tacos, don't get me wrong. But I think the prep work is so tedious for something not all that glamourous. Oh well. At least I get to eat chips and homemade salsa on taco night. Rewards for everything, right? :)

And, if I can get all um, relationshipy here, I'd like to tell you the main reason why I don't mind having taco night so often. Here's how making tacos goes in our family. There's usually a choice of hard or soft tacos. So Aaron deals with tortillas and taco shells. I cut up tomatoes and lettuce. I usually defrost the meat, and then Aaron cooks it up. Ethan is now to the stage that he helps with some of the preparation - so he puts the water in the meat for the taco seasoning. In a fun little dance, we manage to get the cheese, sour cream, and taco sauce out of the refrigerator without running into each other. Plates seem to appear on the table and cups are automatically filled. We don't quibble about who does what-- some things we just know what the other one is going to do and everything else-- if we notice something is missing, we just pick up the slack and make sure it makes it to the table. Ethan is finding his niche in this routine- we had taco nights long before Ethan came along. It's really amazing to me how well we function as a family, as a unit. Our marriage has had some ups and downs, particularly in the last year. There have been times when we didn't communicate about this or that. "Who's going to cut up the tomatoes? Who's going to shred the lettuce? I don't want taco sauce, so I'm not going to get it out for you." There was a time that taco night was a hassle. Somehow though, we've managed to keep going, and have found our way back into that dance around the kitchen as we're making tacos. I'm so grateful to have fun taco nights back. Aaron never thought taco night was that much of a hassle, just so you know. But me-- well, let's just say that I no longer want to squirt sour cream all over his face and rub tomatoes into it. And not in a kinky way, either, so get your mind outta the gutter.

Enough relationshippy stuff.

Ethan's sitting on the couch taking pictures with the digital camera. He informed me a minute ago that the camera didn't have something in it. He had opened up the place where the memory stick goes and knew that it was missing. So I gave him the memory stick that was in my computer and he is now taking a photo montage of the living room. I'm including the picture he took of a picture of him when he was 2-3 months old.

Tips for the day:
1. Take an umbrella when it's raining. Or at least a rain jacket.
2. Start a load of laundry in the washer before you leave for work in the morning and then switch it as soon as you get home. A load every other day keeps the stinkies away! tee hee!
3. Invest in a waterproof mattress pad when you have a three year old who is still learning how to go the whole night in big boy underwear.
4. Get those disposable toilet bowl brushes. Best invention EVER! Well, besides Magic Eraser, which ROCKS!
5. Smile at the people around you. Smiles are contagious.