This morning there was a nip to the air. (Okay I know it was not yet 6am... but still first time since May I think.) That little bit of cool off has reminded me of good things to come. It felt like fall in Phoenix. I could picture the slightly cooler temperatures that will soon envelope us, everyday. And for the first time in a while I feel pretty darn awesome. In fact, I feel happy, blissful. Sure there is still a twinge of nausea if I wait too long to eat, and I did throw up yesterday before dinner (which is better than after dinner.) But I can see the light at the end of the puke covered tunnel. I can feel energy returning to me.

I also know that its possible that this is just a small break from it. I am being realistic of course. Its just that after months of feeling like death, I don't feel like that right now. I want to revel in that.

I am just over 12 weeks along. I am grateful for that. Today I feel the gratitude I was lacking earlier this week. Now maybe if I could just motivate myself to use some of this energy to clean...

110 to 80

Do you get notes from your school about illnesses and lice and other horrific events? Do you wonder which class the ill child is in? I hate it. We just received an email that strep throat is at the school. Knowing that Rhayn is very susceptible to this particular malady means knowing that if its in her class we will probably be struck by it.

And did I mention my throat hurts? Its raw feeling and maybe that means I have strep. You know, that is just want I need a good round of antibiotics. Grumble. Grumble. Oh and today was our second day of nearly record breaking temperatures. That means that not only did we reach triple digits, we surpassed them be a whopping ten degrees. Tomorrow we are supposed to drop and by Thursday, have a chance of rain. RAIN! along with temperature nearly thirty degrees cooler.

Huh? You may say. How is it possible to reach 110 one day and then in two days the temperature drop that much. Well, I just have to say, that I live in the frickinfrackin desert which makes no sense. The only time I have ever been excited about triple digits was a few years ago when the local television weather guy said we would be done with triple digits for the year and if he was wrong, he would kiss a goat. Lets just say, that goat got some action!

Swinging In the Breeze

I want a clothesline. I want the OPTION of using the desert sun to dry clothes namely jeans that take forever, and unmentionables, you know, the stuff that takes a beating in the wash. I am not sure if it is allowed in our neighborhood, but Will is totally against it, as he thinks they look "white trash." Apparently he isn't alone in this, to me they look farm life and like a way to save energy AND a way to utilize the year round heat we have here. No frozen undies for us.

Check this article out, too. Crazy! The restrictions on these things makes me want one even more. Call me a crazy home birthing, extended breastfeeding, green living, hippy. I dare you (And I will grow out my armpit and leg hair and SHOW IT TO YOU, so there.) My own personal protest.

I would ideally like one of these drying racks. But I think that our patio cover would be a good place to put a couple of these retractable lines. They wouldn't be an eyesore, nor would anyone really see our hanging laundry. I already have a line in my laundry room. I hang Will's underpants in there (mostly because he has expensive taste in undies and they cost $20 a pair, so it is a way to keep them going longer- the elastic wears out more slowly.His undies can continue their inside dry time.) I hang the fleece jammies that Rhayn and Gwen have, they stay softer and do not pill that way. I lay sweaters on our table. I sun Gwen's cloth diapers once a month or so. But right now? I am doing 6 loads of laundry and one has 3 pairs of jeans that could be dried in no time in the 85 degree temperature outside.

I love the idea of standing in the morning sun, hanging up a load of laundry, watching it sway in the breeze. Taking shirts off of the line and smelling the fresh smell. I remember that smell from childhood. I remember the crispness of shirts and jeans that were line dried. I remember and I want my kids to remember it, too.

Update on our weekend.

The sun shines brightly today. I miss the clouds and rain already. It was however a great day for a quick trip to the zoo to attempt to get a few decent pictures for the family photo card.

Yesterday was jam packed until about 1500. We spent the morning making cookies for a holiday party for Will's Army squad (not sure if that is the correct term.) Then at ten we headed to Rhayn's school to check out the wares at the Winter Faire. As we stood in line to look at something it poured on us. It was cold and damp all day. (In this picture of Gwennie Goo she is wearing a super cute sweater knitted for her by a great cousin. It finally fits her, and just in time for cool desert days! And luckily the gnomey hat still fits, too! Thanks! She loves her sweater.)

At noon we needed to be on Base. The party started then. The poor girls were hungry and we had to wait to eat. But the party was fun, the white elephant gift exchange was a riot. They said it was better the year before, with everyone trying to get a Kevin Federline CD, this year there was only one steal. We ended up with some fruity vodka and martini glasses. Not too bad, at least the glasses are nice.

At home we spent the evening relaxing and enjoying each other's company. We do not get to do that very often.

Dumps

I have been, and still am, down in the dumps.I don't know why. I just feel depressed. Sad, about Gwennie turning one.
Rhayn's first birthday didn't do this to me, it just came and went, and I was excited about it. I was still young, I didn't know how fast the time would fly by. How quickly my baby would become my little girl.
Now, I am looking at another beautiful little girl, who a year ago was still inside me, safe and tiny. Now she is so big, so mobile, so independent.
The heat, the lasting heat is getting to me, also. Its still 100 degrees, and its killing me. We had a week of low 90s and it was heaven, but I need seasons. I need to live where the leaves change color in the autumn. Where snow falls on the ground and covers the world in a blanket of white- fresh and new.
I need to stop being sad, or maybe I just need a night out with some old friends, or even some new friends.