Grumpfest

As I wrote the title of this post a Rolling Stones song popped in my head, "Here it Comes". At least I think that is the title. "Here it comes, here it comes, here it comes. Here comes her 19th million breakdown." I'm mostly thinking, "here come the grumpies," but don't really know a song that really speaks to pregnancy induced grumpiness.

It hit me while standing in line to get into the zoo today that I may be a tad grumpier than usual. The line was at a stand still and I was craning my neck to see what bozo was holding up the line - the members only line. Really. Have your i.d. in hand along with your membership card and presto! the membership line is like the 10 items or less lane at the grocery store (until someone decides to pay with coins and slowly fishes at the bottom of her purse to find that extra one penny to make exact change). Aha! The woman holding up the line was the person who had 20 items and decided to write a check and enter the amount in her register before moving out of the way. Grr. I think she was buying a membership but had to mull over the options before purchasing. That is when you can step aside and read the brochure to see what membership would best suit you.

While the bozo was deciding what kind of member to be I was nervously eyeing Gavin as he was strapped in his stroller - not his favorite place to be if we are going to remain stationary. He likes a good stroller ride but the key to a good stroller ride is motion. Standing in lines was never a favorite activity of mine but now with a toddler who has ants in his pants lines are torture for both of us. I can set him down for all of 2 seconds. He will paw at my legs before realizing he's free then he'll start venturing out. Depending on where I am I may let him venture a bit but not at the zoo today. It was busy and he would have been out of my sight in no time at all.

The bozo finally made her epic purchase and the line was able to move forward. When I arrived at the admissions hut I presented my photo id and the back of my membership card that has the members name displayed. The admissions employee said, "Thank you!" with a tone that said, "finally! Someone came prepared."

Take that you lollygaggers! Idly chatting in line for 10 minutes and acting stunned when you get to the hut and fumbling around in your purse for your id and membership card is just not cool.

It was the above inner grumblings that made me stop and say, "Oh!" It dawned on me that what is normally irritating behavior to me was near intolerable because I'm preggo. Seriously. I'm a nice person but when I'm pregnant, watch out! I think the exhaustion and difficulty breathing and lack of sleep really can really wear on a persons good nature.

Once I realized how sour my attitude was I took a deep breath and counted my blessings. I not only am so blessed that I get to stay at home with my baby but I also get to do fun stuff like buy a zoo membership and go have lunch with friends. And as a super bonus today the sun was out, the mountains were out, the windows were rolled down in the car, sweaters and coats were stuffed in the basket of the stroller and we bared our pasty white arms to the world.

Gavin didn't take a marathon nap today like he has been (3+ hours) so I "only" got a 45-60 minute nap but once I pulled myself out of my zombie state I realized it was not even 3 pm and we were both awake and the sun was still out. It took me a few minutes but I managed to find a pair of shorts and sandals for me and for Gavin but we were ready for the heat (all 70 degrees of it). We were able to go to the backyard since Ryan put up a fence this weekend and I don't have to worry about Gavin falling off the backyard (in the back our lot is about 4 feet above street level). I swept the patio area and moved the earthworms that made a home for themselves under the doormat by the back door.

When Ryan got home he mowed the jungle we call our front yard and pulled out the barbecue from the storage area. It feels like Spring is here after all! There is hope! The sunshine feeds my soggy Seattle soul and kills whatever moss is growing inside and I think it may even clear mental cobwebs. I tell ya, we are crazy to live in Puget Sound.

Until the sun comes out, anyway.

Then you are crazy to not be in the Puget Sound. We have the Cascade Mountain range to the East and the Olympic Mountain range to the West both piercing the blue sky with the jagged peaks and Mount Rainier looming large over Seattle to the Southeast. And of course in between the mountain ranges we have the deepest blue waters of Elliot Bay, Puget Sound and Lake Washington sparkling like its surface is covered in diamonds.

I'm looking forward to a few more days of this euphoria inducing sunshine before we are plunged back into the wet, the cold and the gray.