This is why I hate going to the drive-through

I saw this at Sporadic Nonsense. Spot on.

It's easier with a small child (soon to be 2) to drive through, but the frustration level is horrific. I love the places where they have the little screen that pops up your order as they enter it so you can verify that it's right (as well as knowing the correct total). My other complaint is that the audio quality of the outdoor speakers is atrocious. A lot of times I write checks for the food, since I'm not a big cash-carrier. So I like to know the total so I can have the check ready when I get to the window. But "Your total is mmmrph-two" doesn't do a thing for me.

Shower time!

I'm having a baby shower at work this Friday. I really don't need much, baby-wise, except for basic day-to-day supply things. I'm actually more excited about getting a break from working and having cake and punch. Or, if you're a South Park fan, punch and pie. It will be nice to have a shower geared to the (hopefully) correct gender this time. Last time I got girl things. It was a little depressing to have to go exchange/return all those little dresses.

In other news, I can't believe how close we are to baby-time. I'm 12 days away from the earliest possible c-section date, which is 2 September. I'm 19 days from the probable date, 9 September. My actual due date is 24 days away. Why is it that the first few months seem like they fly past, but the last month or so is the longest month ever?

Busy

This weekend was a flurry of activity. Is flurry even a word? If not, it is now.

Friday night we went out for a "celebratory" dinner for Julian's 30th birthday. It was Julian, Enzo, the 2 Jons, a friend of one of the Jons who recently moved here, and me. Afterward 4 of us went out for some coffee. The Jon who brought a friend did not join us for coffee. We went to Starbucks and the place was packed with what appeared to be high-school kids, apparently out for a last summer fling. I discovered while we were there that Enzo really likes frothed milk, like what you get on a cappucino. He doesn't like the coffee part. On the way there from the restaurant, he chimed in from the backseat: "We're going to have coffee? I want some coffee for Enzo." And we explained that coffee is for adults. But he still insisted once we got there, so he got a taste. He made a horrible face and shook his head that he didn't want any more. Am I a bad mom for letting my 3 year old have a sip of coffee? At least he knows now that he doesn't like it and probably won't ask for coffee again for a while.

Anyway, Friday night was fun. We haven't gone out for a while due to the money issues, and with the impending arrival of baby Sebastián, we probably won't go out again for a while.

Saturday, I worked.

After I got off work, I wanted to clean the car out. Our backseat had seen better days, mainly due to the destructive force of Enzo. There was all manner of detritus floating around. First time out, I took the car to a car wash that's just down the street. It was Enzo and me at this point. I washed the car, pulled around to the vacuum/cleaning station, discovered that I had no more change for the vacuum and the change machine was broken. I cleaned out the larger trash while I was there, and there was a lot. In the process, Enzo and I got all hot and sweaty. As I was cleaning out the interior of the car, I noticed as it dried that the car seemed to be just as dirty as it was before I washed it. Apparently in my pregnant state I'm not as good with the foamy brush as I used to be. Or maybe it's just the fact that the car hadn't been washed in so long the dirt was permanently adhered. Anyway, we came home, got some cold drinks and picked up Julian for assistance. I wanted to re-wash the exterior and then vacuum the interior. Off we went, to a different car wash. Still close by, but this one is part of a local chain. They have vacuums and shampooers. I thought the shampooer would be nice on the backseat, to try to get rid of some of the spots. As I slowed down to turn in, I noticed that the only actual washing bay they had was a touchless automatic. Every other chain location I've seen has do-it-yourself bays. Argh. The joy of living in the more upscale part of town. Apparently the local residents can't be bothered to get out and wash their own cars. So I drove down the road a little further to a gas station that has a car wash. Washed the car...again. Put air in the tires. Vacuumed the back seat. It looks so much better. I wanted to clean it out before I put the infant seat in. Nesting strikes again. Julian was frustrated with me because all of this happened in the middle of the afternoon under the blazing sun. He wanted to know why I couldn't wait until after the sun went down. I had plans last night. Anyway, by the time we all got home again with a clean car we were all hot and sweaty. Enzo and I changed to our swimsuits and went to the pool for a little bit to cool off. When we came back in, it was time to get ready for our evening activity.

Last night my sister had a going-away party for my oldest niece. She starts college tomorrow. I can't believe it. I feel so old. I remember holding her when she was born. Julian did not accompany us, mainly because he doesn't feel comfortable around my family. So off Enzo and I went. My sister just built a new house and they're still moving in. It's really nice. But...it's even farther away from me than before. It took me about 35 minutes driving to get there. We had pre-arranged for Enzo to spend the night there, so he could get used to it, since my sister will be the one watching him when we have the baby. He was so excited. My sister has a dog that stays in the house, a Jack Russell terrier. His name is Maverick. He packed his Nemo backpack. When it came time for me to leave last night, I think I was more upset than he was. He gave me a big hug and a kiss, told me he loves me, and then waved bye-bye. Last night was his first night away from home. I'll go pick him up a little later in the morning. I survived, but I cried last night. I'm such a mom. I had been so excited to have a night without the little guy around, but when it came down to it, I missed him.

So that brings us to now. I'm sitting here on a Sunday morning. Julian's still asleep. Enzo's away on a sleepover. I guess I'll go take the carseat out to the car and get that ready while I can do it without a little helper.