A Day Off

I've just come home to a quiet house. The Dad has taken The Boy, The Girl, and The Tot to the AMC Theater on Western to see Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs. Like many white-collar companies, The Dad's company is observing the Independence Day holiday today, and has given everyone the day off. Since he has the day off, I thought I'd take the day off as well.

So I took the bus to Lincoln Square to meet my friend Jen, have lunch at Oparte Thai House, buy a couple birthday gifts at Timeless Toys (it is kind of fun to look at toys without the kids), and stop in at a treasure store on the way home. I overheard way too much Michael Jackson blasting from everyone's stereos on round trip. Now I'm off to read my book, The Billionaire's Vinegar, and take a nap.

Pizza Art Moms

Last night, I went out with the ladies from my playgroup for a rare treat: Moms' Night Out! We went to Pizza Art Cafe in Rockwell Crossing. Most of our original and morphed group made it for the evening. We ate pizzas, drank wine, and laughed at our waiter, who wanted us to have a spokesperson for our table to order for everyone. Um, isn't that your job? Yelpers said the same thing. I love my playgroup, and hope to see everyone more often over the summer.

Pottery

No, not the 'Barn, which does not, in fact, sell much pottery. But pottery class. After 3 sessions, I'm still at it. And I'm still an abysmal potter. I've made lots of wonky bowls that hold change at my front and back doors, a small column that holds pins for sewing, and not much else. Still, it's an enjoyable way to spend a couple of hours, and the weekly 4-hour class ensures that I get some regular time of out the house to myself.

pottery

"Back to school" is my favorite time of year. Partially because I love the fall itself -- crisp weather, crunchy leaves, apple-picking, etc. -- but partially because I love learning. Whenever my brain stagnates a little too much, I start dreaming about school. Because The Boy started kindergarten, and The Girl started preschool this year, I preempted my subconscious by taking a class myself. I had wanted to take a French conversation class at l'Alliance Francaise, but it just seemed like too much for us all to start fresh.

Instead, I signed up for a wheel pottery class at Athletic Field Park's ceramics studio. It's challenging in a much different way than French would have been. Pottery is definitely outside of my comfort zone, but so far, I've really enjoyed. I've yet to make anything, but that's not entirely the point. It's both strange and nice to hang out with people who aren't women, parents, or experienced career-people.