Butzer

So. Where was I?

Ah, yes. Wednesday morning. The photo shoot! Here's what it's all about: the pictures are stock photography. Stock photos are taken to represent different "lifestyle" scenarios, such as (in this case) a wedding, or two grads toasting each other, or having a baby, or whatever. Then they are posted on the website, and any company who wants it can buy it from the site and use it in their advertisements. Right now, this company has one of their pictures running for American Express. I don't know which one. But it'll take about six months for the pictures from Chloë's shoot to appear on the website, and then they'll never know what companies will use them, or when. So we'll just have to keep our eyes peeled for Little Miss Chlo.

The shoot went very well. It was right about two hours long, and she did such a great job for her first time. As I'd hammered into her head, she did exactly as she was instructed, and the "bride" really helped the girls (there were four flower girls, including Chloë) feel at ease in the pictures, talking to them and making them laugh. It was a lot of fun, and I could tell she was really enjoying herself.

I had left Jack with the neighbors, so they could put him on the bus. Otherwise, he'd have had to miss school that day, and he's missed so much from not feeling well. (But he would have made a cute ring bearer! They didn't have one... ;) )  Sophie came with me. There was anothe two-year-old sibling there, so the little girls sat and drew pictures and "chatted" together and were very sweet. It all ran very smoothly.

Afterward, I had to get Chloë to school, so I ran to Wendy's to get my girls a little lunch to eat in the car on the way there. That was dumb. Never give a two-year-old a fast food cup in the car. The lid comes right off, and... you know. Not good.

So anyway, she got to school. And Jack came home. And she came home. And all was well.

In the evening, Stephanie, our babysitter, came over so we could go out to a mystery shop dinner at the Town Point Club, a private invitation-only club for executive-types. So, yeah, we don't really fit in there, but we try our best to fake it. And omg, it is so good. We started out in the lounge, where I had a Cosmo and Rob had a scotch & soda. Then we were taken to the dining room, where we received the white glove treatment. I ordered a bottle of wine that I really wish I could remember the name of, because it was dee-lish. Rosé Rosata or some such. I don't know. But we liked. Rob had oysters and I had the best she-crab soup on the planet, for apps, and I had crab cakes and he had rack of lamb for entrées. He had Bananas Foster for dessert, and I had the cheesecake with Chambord dribbled over it. We had some coffee, and I had Bailey's in mine. Rob called me a lush. Maybe so, but it was good stuff! And we were full to burstin' afterward. But the absolute best part was the service. We absolutely love going there. It was our third time, and it's always amazing!

We both collapsed from exhaustion when we got home. That was the end of the night!

I got up at 0500 with Rob and started working on the report for dinner. I didn't finish until almost 0900, taking out about 45 minutes to get Chloë up and onto the bus. It's a lot of writing for that shop. But it's worth it.

Then I stayed up and did some other work until ten, when I got Jack up for school. I put him on the bus at 1100, and slept for a little while until Sleepy Sophia finally woke up. She had taken off her diaper, and when I opened her door, the first thing out of her mouth was, "I didn't go peepee on my pillow, Mommy!"  Well, good! I am so excited, beyond words, to be nearing the end of the Diaper Chapter of our lives.

We didn't do much during the day, because I was still so tired, until the kids came home from school. I did several loads of laundry, but that was about it. Then we took Chloë to Brownies, and we did some T-day grocery shopping while she was there. First thing into the store, Sophie said, "I have to go potty, Mommy!" When your potty-training youngster pipes up thusly, you heed the call, no matter the inconvenience. And she went, at least. That gave me less than 45 minutes to do a speed-shop around the store, check out, and load up the car before heading back to Brownies to pick up Miss Chlo. But I made it, with six minutes to spare!

The Littles stayed in the van watching Madagascar while I picked her up. I was supposed to go to her school to attend tonight's Book Fair, but I realized there was no way I could make it home, unload the groceries - even with Rob's help, drive to school, shop for books on her Wish List, and be back in time for Stephanie-Sitter to watch the kids for our second night out in a row. We had 1900 reservations at Aldo's Ristorante, again for a mystery shop... so I asked Karen, another Brownies mom who I knew would be going to the Book Fair, to shop for me instead. I wrote her a blank check and gave her the wish list, and she agreed! Yay. Big help. Moms helping moms. Looove it! (Zack and Weezy, from Dragon Tales on PBS.)

So. Anyway. We did go home and unload all those groceries, and I scanned them for Nielsen. Rob showered, I dressed and made a pizza for the kidlets to eat for dinner, Stephanie arrived, and we left for Aldo's. Dinner was pretty good, but it was no Town Point Club. Then I remembered I had to do a Cold Stone shop after dinner! Agh! Too many shops, I take. Crazy-making. 

I decided to take Stephanie out for ice cream instead of Rob, so we swung home to trade partners. I got my shop form, and Steph and I went to hang out. The ice cream was good, but the rest of the shop was not. I was stuffed from dinner, though, so my Mint Mint Chocolate Chocolate Chip - Love It! size - is in the freezer, if any of you are interested.

Then Steph and I hung out on our couch, chitty-chatting, for a couple hours. We laughed. It's good to laugh. Now I want to crash.

Oh - post comments! I am a comment whore. Love the comments. Please? ;)

Fin.