That'll do

Life seems to be stuck in some sort of a rift. I have all this energy and all this desire to do something, and yet, nothing seems to get done.

This is not a complaint, simply an observation.

The weekend went well, overall. We simply enjoyed the company of ourselves and didn't have to include obligatory visits to either family in our plans. Sometimes it's nice to be a little selfish with your time.

Saturday we did go shoe shopping for Jonas. Unsuccessfully. The problem with going shoe shopping on the last weekend of a tax-free holiday is that the rest of the world is doing the same thing. We found a pair that we really liked, and for a decent price, but couldn't get a sales associate to get the proper size from the warehouse. I suppose a tiny little size 4.5M sneaker is small potatoes when it comes to commission when compared to the family of 4 standing before you. It's all good, though. I'll go back and get them on a more quiet day, and for now, my son can be the barefoot hippy baby he's been his entire life.

It's a Woodruff foot, I tell ya. We're cursed with these duck-like protrusions that are narrow at the heel, high in the arch and wide at the toe. You buy a wide, it slides off the back. You buy a regular width, it crushes your toes. It's nearly impossible to find a comfortable and well-fitting shoe. I gave up a long time ago. I either wear uncomfortable girlie shoes, and for sneakers,I buy mens shoes. They run a bit wider than the women's version. Now I've condemned my son to the same lifetime of foot misery.

The latin market was uneventful. Wil got his Malta, and we picked up some sausages and spices for his mother. A fair trade for getting home-cooked meals on occasion. I was looking forward to a hand-made quesito, but the ones on display looked like they'd been there a while, all crumpled and busted. I couldn't bring myself to buy one.

There's something about the latin market... something about the third-world sort of uncleanliness of it.. the disorganization and the overall cheapness of it that makes me love it and hate it all at once. Love it, because it reminds me somewhat of the little country store near my grandma's back home. Dusty, dark and dank. An old freezer case humming in the corner and a cowboy hunkered down on a ripped naugahide barstool spitting his dip into a styrofoam cup. Not a far cry from the tired linoleum and flickering flourescent lighting of the latin store. The only difference is that the cowboy has been replaced with a round-faced grandmother with greying hair upswept into a clumsy bun. The grocery, just like that old country store is just a nostalgic saturday treat. And I wish that those boxes and jars, with their foreign labels and exotic scents held some sort of sweet memory for me. But watching Wil's reaction, and the way his fingers lovingly caress certain child-hood favorites as he meanders up and down each aisle... that is enough.

Sunday was simple grocery shopping- just a few necessities to get us through until the next paycheck. Afterwards, we stopped at our favorite Mexican restaurant for guacamole and salsa. We can't really afford to be eating out at all, and yet, it's that one little luxury we still allow ourselves. We like food... a lot. We can live without high-tech gadgets, dates out to movie theaters or concerts seem a waste. But to be able to be together, sharing food. It's something intimate and absolutely worth the wasted money. We're even turing our son into a restaurant junkie. He loves going to different places and flirting with the waitresses. He's a total ham. He likes food, too. As long as it doesn't come in a jar.

After our late lunch, we came home to relax and enjoy the rest of the day together. Jonas conked out for a long nap and Mom and Dad took advantage of the time alone to attend to... ahem... adult matters.

*Little sis: if you're reading, this means that we paid bills and played a game of Scrabble* For the rest of the world, I'm sure no definition is required.

Yeah, yeah, I've gone and gotten all personal now. So what... it's the first time in, what? like 6 months or more. I could shout from the rooftops and still not feel like I've celebrated enough. I wonder if the rest of you who have children have experienced this endless period of nookie-less living after their birth? Or am I the only freak that, even a year post-baby, still isn't interested in having much of anything to do with the politics of the Netherlands?

So, with all that being said... what'd y'all do this weekend?