And if I find an old toothbrush, that grout is in trouble.

I feel sort of melancholy today. It’s 11:30 in the morning and already I’ve done two loads of laundry, hung them on the line, started supper in the crock pot, emptied the dishwasher, searched the house for Farley’s collar (to no avail), done a bit of editing work, potted up some seedlings, brought the rest outside to begin hardening off, edged and expanded my herb garden and planted some rhubarb. I’m not usually this industrious unless I have something on my mind. Today is no exception.

Yesterday I babysat the little girl that my mom takes care of for a few hours. I took her to the grocery store with me. She brought her baby doll with her and sat in the grocery cart while we shopped, looking at everything on the shelves. Suddenly my whole shopping strategy was in question… Her hinting tactics need some help…she kept saying things like, “I like THOSE!” and “What are those pretty pink things?” (Real subtle.) She was a good girl, though, and I just kept saying things like, “I like goldfish crackers, too,” or “You don’t like pickles? Graham loves pickles.” I took her to McDonald’s for lunch and she played in the indoor playground for a few minutes before we had to head back to meet up with my mom.

It was a bizarre experience to look into the back seat and see a child sitting there. We listened to Radio Disney on the Sirius and she asked to turn up Miley Cyrus. “Ya know what? Her dad is a singer, too,” she informed me. For a four-year-old, this kid is up on her pop culture.

The other day Graham and I were at Zeller’s in the electronics department, looking for an LCD screen for my office (they had none, in case you’re wondering). Graham was interested in the car seats and strollers, checking out prices. He seems to be tallying up a grand total for the price of having a baby these days. I caught him checking out crib prices at Wal-Mart online the other day. Um, hello? Not pregnant over here! It’s cute, though. I guess it’s a man’s way of preparing himself for eventual fatherhood.

And then there’s Mother’s Day. Mother’s Day is hard for me because I feel pulled in several directions. It usually works best if Graham spends time with his mum that day, and I spend time with my mom. But this year my mom has made a point of asking if this is the way it’s always going to be. She wants a son-in-law, she says. I don’t blame her, but as I’ve told her before, I doubt very much that she and Graham will ever have the kind of friendship in-law relationship that she would like to have. They are just so very different. I refuse to take on responsibility for whatever relationship they have, though. I can’t manage that. It’s bad for my own mind and heart. I hope someday we will have Mother’s Day together, our little family and my mom, and that it will not be uncomfortable, and that we can all feel friendly together.

So, yeah. That’s what’s on my mind. Now excuse me, I have to go vacuum every floor in the house.