Henry Family!: The Random Hoo's and Ha's

Sometimes, it's good to say that things are relatively normal around here. We are chugging along at work. It appears as though all of the snow days that I 'predicted' in my planbook in June are NOT panning out. Every year, I mark a few day blank for 'snow'. Not one has been used. Sometimes, I actually get them right. I called this week for snowdays. It's 70 degrees. My tulips are up. What's going on here?
Today, was one of those days at work, that when you get to the end of the day you feel like you've run up hill with weights tied to your legs. Oh, and there's a rock rolling down toward you. Since we are not getting delays or snowdays, we totally need a half day off for good weather (Ray's idea). I don't know how people work year round. If I didn't have a chunk of time off in the summer to see a light at the end of a tunnel, I might crumble and cry. But, I do feel like my time off is deserved. I work really hard for 9 months a year (sometimes 10) and my day does not end when the kids leave. I work from home pretty much constantly until June. This weekend, I was at my parents' house checking my work e-mail because there was a research paper coming in. And, now there are 125 of them on my desk. Yikes.
On a brighter note, Abby and I went to visit my parents last weekend. Just her and I. It was fun. She was good in the car, we listened to a lot of Disney tunes and except for a bout of carsickness where I had to stop at a seedy bathroom with a shower and condom dispenser, it was all good in the hood (middle of nowhere).
Anyway, we got there and my dad immediately whisked me to an auction. For those of you who don't know, I love all things vintage and strange. My dad loves all things old and sellable. We are a great match. If we still lived in the same house, we might make my mom move out with all of our stuff we could acquire. We had a lot of fun. We ended up buying too many things, but it was a good time by all. I mean, who does not need 16 coffee creamers (non matching), a 1930s Humpty Dumpty toy doll who needs sewing, an L.L. Bean Children's Toboggan, and flatware for 16? I needed all of that. And, my dad needed to buy a mannequin. (Don't ask.) It was a fun ride home. All of our treasures were jingling in the back with the headless, armless, legless, standless mannequin that is the ugliest color in the universe.
Meanwhile... Abby and my Mom had a day out. They went to get their nails done (hot pink) and then they went to McDonald's. They also went to the children's store and Abby got a new dress, shoes, purse and probably other things that she shoved into the basket. They watched Lady and the Tramp and had a great afternoon. Abby was happy to go visit and was mad about coming home. So mad, that I got her a milkshake at McDonald's and she refused to drink it because she 'didn't ask for it.'
It was nice to spend time with just her. We went to Cracker Barrel on the way home. She and I had lunch and played with the little toy thing on the table (the golf-tee jumping triangle thing).
Apparently, Brooks and Ray had a great time as well. Ray installed my corner cabinet while I was gone!
We bought it last summer at Second Chance in Baltimore. They are a non-profit company that takes apart old homes that are being renovated and sells EVERYTHING- furniture, cabinets, door knobs, toe molding, hardwood floor pieces, fire place mantles and frames, windows, doors from the 30s (thank God we know where to get a new one when Abby slams one so hard it cracks in half)... everything. So, we found this cabinet pair. We ended up sitting down on a furniture display and literally spent 45 minutes debating whether we should buy this (great use of baby sitter time). We had to split the pair, and we ended up buying the one that we liked the most. It was in our garage for awhile, and then Ray decided that he was going to put it up and then start redoing the wainscoating, molding and everything else in the dining room that needs redone. I love it. It makes me smile.