On Saturday we ventured out in the rain to go out to lunch, and two hours after we got back home, a view out the front window of my house looked like this.

It occurs to me that this is precisely how I’ve come to be…let’s just say, not quite so spry and resilient as I once was. Evidently I just wasn’t paying close enough attention. Now I don’t consider myself old–or even getting old–not in the slightest. However, my metabolism, it seems, has slowed down and my muscles and joints have gotten just a touch persnickety. I’m really feeling all the weeding I did yesterday and today…

Never would I have imagined myself dieting. And I’m not a cold turkey sort of person. I like (read: LOVE) my desserts and I would never be able to give them up for any length of time. So, in the interest of losing ten pounds–because who among us doesn’t want to lose ten pounds?? (don’t bother commenting merely to tell me that you don’t–it may not be received well)–I started eating better and exercising, etc, etc. No pounds lost. And I didn’t notice any significant muscle build-up either. So after a while of trying different things (and true-to-form, not giving up my desserts), I have decided to give the Special K Challenge a go.

If you stick with this ‘challenge’ for 2 weeks, apparently there is a good chance you will lose up to six pounds. I think I can do it. I’ve been in training for a couple of days now (having the cereal for breakfast and a bar for snack). I’m not actually starting the diet until next Tuesday, which is when I’ll get back from my Girl’s Trip to Savannah, GA. I surely don’t want to be eating Special K cereal in Butter Queen Paula Deen’s neck-of-the-woods. Although, when I get back, it’s very possible I may have to actually cut out some desserts. Yikes!

So last night was the third author/bookseller reception I have helped plan for the Houston Bay Area Romance Writers of America. In past years we’ve done it at the lovely, albeit less centrally located home of one of our authors, but this year we splurged. We held it at The Chocolate Bar right in town, thinking that being so right smack in the middle of everything, minutes from multiple bookstores, that we’d have a great turnout. We’d sent invitations (electronic and paper) and reminders just days before the event. And we had fifteen RSVP’s and fully expected to have a few drop-ins.

Six booksellers showed–two each from three stores in an area with right around forty bookstores.

Six booksellers took advantage of the fact we were offering a buffet style setup of all cakes, pies, cookies, brownies, and ice cream TCB offered–all FREE! Just take one look at that display case!!! Plus we had wine, and goodie bags and giveaways… Talk about missing out!

I am just so frustrated. After three years of low attendance, I have to admit, I’m throwing in the towel. The reception ran from 4-8 p.m. yesterday–plenty of time to swing by and just pop in and walk away with a chocolate high and a bag of freebies. These Houston booksellers are some hard nuts to crack. I don’t know what else we could offer them…

That said, while there was, I think, a pervading disappointment due to low bookseller attendance, I think everyone had a great time. It was definitely a fun way to spend the afternoon, catch up with friends, and splurge on some very decadent chocolate desserts. That’ll just have to be enough.

I have been moved from the young toddler room (18m-2yr) to the mid-range toddler room (2yr-3yr) at Mother’s Day Out. This is as a result of a teacher leaving to have a baby (among other, drama-drenched reasons, none of which have anything to do with me). And suddenly I’m facing a whirlwind rehearsal schedule (2 weeks) to prepare for the annual MDO Spring Show, put on for parents. And the cast is a particularly spunky, obstinate, motley little crew.

We are having the kids (help) make the invitations to their parents, and (help) make the t-shirts we’ll be wearing. And we are having to learn our material for the show. We’ve settled on the following:

1. ABC’s
2. Count to 10
3. Count to 10 in Spanish
4. Recite ‘God sees the moon’ poem
5. Sing and march to ‘I’m in the Lord’s Army’
6. Sing ‘Row, Row, Row Your Boat’ (with some slight deviations)

Before yesterday, we were only doing #1-4 and #6, which should have lasted all of three minutes. So we added the Lord’s Army song. I was unfamiliar with this song until last night, but when it was played, I thought it would be a great addition to the program. It’s jaunty, with some fun arm movements–I thought the kids could march and salute…

Oh, I was naive.

We practiced today, and the best I can say is that they all really enjoyed the marching. Although they weren’t quite as jaunty as I imagined–just sort of walking in place. The song has a quick-tempo, and I realize that practice is definitely needed, but we have some hard work ahead of us. When I tried to get those little goobers to salute, their hands looked like limp lettuce leaves flopped over on their brows. But they liked the marching…and the moving.

Trying to keep them in line was even more of a challenge. We start out well, but the line leader, for some reason, was always skittish and moving in slow motion, so random kids would start breaking rank, puffing out the line until it was a ever-shifting amoeba of kids. And no matter how I tried to explain the concept of a line, the vast majority of them didn’t get it.

I have quite a task ahead of me, helping to whip this little army into shape. It should be interesting. And the final show will probably be quite hilarious.