This weekend has felt largely strange.

BM is off with grandma for a few days.

If I could describe the change, of only caring for one child, in one word, it would be: QUIET

LOL. My wild extrovert is off doing fun things with Grandma and extended family (Completely in his element).

While we have Mr. Introvert. He mimics his brother so much he can be on the loud side at times. But mostly it is blissfully quiet.

But it also just feels very odd to me.

Gas has jumped about a 35 cents in price since we returned from Disneyland. I think even though we didn't have a crystal ball, we planned that trip rather well. I just mention that though because we have been driving, driving, driving. I don't expect to fill up again until after the credit card closes Tuesday. So our gas expenditure was not awful for the month of May. But I had to drive 30 miles to a class Friday. (30 miles each way). I passed the Folsom zoo (sanctuary) on the way and thought we have NEVER taken the kids there and might be a nice treat for LM.

Anyway, dh also drove BM all the way to San Jose. & we will pick him up half way at dinner time today. So, much driving driving driving.

I had wanted to swing LM by Fairytale Town today - enjoy it without his brother. But I realized it is quite on the way to pick up his brother, so we decided to be frugal and drag dh along, and go from there to get BM. MIL will probably treat us to dinner though, so color us spoiled.

Anyway, so yes, LM had QUITE a day yesterday. We did decide to drive him all the way out to Folsom to the little zoo sanctuary. & lo and behold, there was a steam train engine there too. (LM LOVES trains).

So we took a train ride and bought some ice cream.

I actually worried since it was such an expensive month that all this would be way too much. But we spent $8 to get into the zoo, $6 on the train, and maybe $6 on treats. Also about $6 on gas, but it wouldn't mean another fillup this month, so we went for it. It was a nice small splurge. I couldn't help but think while we were there that little kids like LM need this more than things like Disneyland. May be hypocritical coming from me (just coming back from Disney) but I generally never understood why my peers were always taking their 1,2,3-year-olds on all of this kind of expensive activities like concerts and amusement parks. But for the drive we really enjoyed the simplicity of this little zoo. Very much LM's speed, and very much the speed of our budget.

To be clear - Disney was more for us than the kids. I'll admit that any day. LOL. It's the one exception where we go a little crazy.

Oh anyway, in the afternoon yesterday LM got to take a long bath by himself. He was in heaven. Not having to share his bath, etc. Plus I admit I tend to rush baths so I just let him relax and enjoy for a long while. He still threw a little tantrum when it was time to get out.

Of course, I think he was incredibly moody. He was terrible with teething, for many long years (I swear he teethed like a year straight - I didn't get any sleep that year). Anyway, so my mom called and he was obviously really moody at a point. My mom asked if he was getting teeth. I panicked for a second, and thought, wait a minute, he has all his teeth! LOL. She panicked me for a bit there.

No, I think he just misses his brother. Though he will have to get used to it. We have discussed much how little one-on-on LM tends to get, but also realize his older brother is an amazing addition that BM never had. But now that BM is going off to school I know it will be hard on him, but he will get much of that one-on-one at this point.

----------------------------------------

Well, the bargaining is not going so well for dh this week.

He noticed there was a garage sale that was selling games for his newest game system. Said the garage sale started 8am Friday. It was a good 20 miles away. So he drives all the way out there around 10am and there is no garage sale. They guy is all shocked and said, well, he didn't expect anyone to show up so early (though he advertised 8am). Anyway, dh says well, he is just interested in the games anyway. So he's got a willing buyer on his doorstep, and the guy says, "Oh I am not ready to sell them. I haven't researched prices yet."

I would have just left at that point myself, thinking some pretty nasty expletives in my head. But dh leaves him # and tells him to call if they don't sell. (He imagines odds are slim they would sell - who knows). When he tells me the story I am just thinking, come on, is it that hard to find games? Forget this idiot!

Anyway, dh researched and saw some of the games were going for $30 on ebay. So he is bummed he didn't push it more - and offered something. He will not pay that much for a used game that is like a decade old.

Oh yeah and he said he think he could have talked the guy into a deal but his wife was their giving him the stink eye. LOL.

But if I have advice for anyone - it is don't advertise a garage sale and specific items, if you are not ready. DOH! Call that the obnoxious experience of the week...

Likewise, dh went into his favorite used CD/game store and saw 10 copies of a game that he has a demo of (BM loves playing the demo) for $20/each. Plus, the second generation of the game is coming out soon. So dh talked to the manager and offered $15. He felt rather confident the guy would be hard pressed to sell all 10 copies at the $20 price.

They guy just said, no negotiations.

Bummer on that.

So dh had a bit of a strikeout this week when it came to deals on games. He's been on a role in other areas lately.

As far as these games, he said he'll go back in a month and try again. He says if he still sees a bunch of copies, and the same price, he will ask again.

----------------------

Well, yesterday was very relaxing. Today I should clean house or something productive.

I actually got a book on "math illiteracy" which so far has started out quite interesting.

June... Today is June.

I am thinking I need to work on my diet. I gained weight in Disneyland (admittedly, probably muscle since my clothes seem to still fit fine). But I need to get back to it.

Oh yes, and the city is closing a large stretch of freeway for a good 6 weeks.

I am lucky it does not affect my commute. We have little need to traverse that section of the freeway. But the alternate routes could possibly clog my commute. It will be interesting to see on Monday. I will take a slightly different route to avoid problems (hopefully).

Mostly I am optimistic.

BUT we also have little need to travel too far south. This could affect my aerobic class though. The traffic is usually bad enough during the week, as is. This could help my commute, or make it impossible. I guess we'll see. If it's unbearable I'll just have to hit the gym more instead. I haven't really been great with either...