applesauce

May is an impossibly busy month. Bug finishes school on the 19th and Pook on the 23rd. They have performances, award ceremonies, field days and end of the year parties with school. I'm invited. What the ....?! These are my last days of freedom and you want me to bring my favorite teddy bear and a picnic blanket for lunch? You want me to scoop ice cream in the noisy cafeteria for two hours? Applaud for kids who don't deserve awards on Awards Day but who receive them so their ego won't be damaged? Enjoy a volunteer appreciation luncheon? Who are these people kidding? When will I accomplish all the things I wrote on my To Do list last August?

We have a make-up baseball game this week-- one practice and three games between now and Saturday. And a soccer practice and game. And "Family Day" at the ballpark with all the inflatables and ring tosses and junk foods on Saturday. Friday night we're hosting two kids for a birthday sleepover for Pook's 7th. And then come the end of season soccer pizza party and the end of season baseball pool party.

I'm going to blame the scribbles all over my calendar as well as the medication I'm taking for yesterday's spaciness. I'm trying to stay organized so I won't drop any apples, but some are doomed for applesauce. Yesterday was a draw- Target, Kroger, Costco - pick two. I truly hate going to Costco and I only do it about four times a year, but I knew it had to be done. Since my beloved farmer's market opens on Wednesday, I decided to postpone groceries and deal with Costco. I was good there; I avoided samples, didn't impulse buy (much) and stayed under $200. I did, however, buy a couple of their rotisserie chickens.

I shoved them in the fridge at home, dashed to Target and then picked up Bug in the nick of time. Got him home and the furnace guy was in the driveway to check the A/C. Ok, I can handle this, we'll postpone nap a bit. The furnace guy mentions that there are "some men" in my backyard. Oh! The landscape guys came back for measurements. Everyone's in the backyard now. Bug is swinging, enjoying my distraction. As soon as everyone leaves, I read Bug a story, get him in bed, and make it downstairs in time for one piece of Dove chocolate before greeting Pook from school. We get homework done, Bug wakes, LK and BK come over to turn my house inside out play. Mom-next-door (of LK, MK & BK) pops over to see if I can watch LK tomorrow. We start chatting and suddenly it's 5:30 and I have no food even started. I frantically try to thaw some chicken. Water, microwave, oh-just-cook-it-frozen. Pour on some chicken broth, add some paprika. Potatoes. I know I have those because I just pulled out one that smelled bad. Yikes! Many are bad, there are only a couple tiny red ones that are worth eating. I run next door to borrow her potatoes. (I love having friendly neighbors! Good trade: potatoes for LK?) Things get calm just about two minutes before CD walks in. I open the fridge to pour milk.

Two rotisserie chickens.

Applesauce.