Lent me two times, baby

so here it is... the first friday of lent, and I'm already ready to crack! I can't stop thinking about moosemunch.

you see, this year, instead of my all-out-crazy-give-up-everything, I've only given up sweets/candies/desserts. but it's KILLING me!!!


I've never had a serious craving for chocolate, nor so much as a bad sweet tooth, but since my last trimester with rhena, I think about chocolate every day. And we're not just talking THINKING, we're talking swollen-tongue-get-some-in-my-mouth-now thinking.

SO I did what any irrational mother living out of a suitcase would do... I gave it up for lent!

I think I'm going to order some from Harry and David so it's waiting for me when we get back from Disney after Easter. Of course, by the time we get back from Disney, it'll be about 4 or 5 days after Easter, and I'll have probably ingested about 20 pounds of chocolate by then, and will most likely be looking for a stomach pump instead of my bag of sugary delight.

So while I have THAT countdown going on... I also realized that Rhena and I will be doing our last week here in Jersey. That's right--- the furniture should be arriving mid next week, which means it's time for a Johnson Family Reunion.

I'm kinda sad about leaving--- of course, I've procrastinated the past two months, so I did not do the amount of visiting I had originally thought I would. SO I'm a little sad for the missed opportunities, and I'm going to miss watching my parents and Rhena interact with each other.

My old man, who for the life of him can't really write a publicly coherent blog entry (meaning you probably won't understand anything he writes unless you've actually met him or have visited the special place we refer to as 'level two') anyways--- Rhena likes him. I think they speak the same language, cause she gets happy when he's around. She even lets him comb her hair.... truly a sign of a deep connection.

You see, readers... there's an unwritten rule that kids generally are afraid of my dad. and forget about the hair combing thing... I've seen kids opt for Chinese Water Torture over the the black wand of death from my dad's back pocket. But Rhena.... she'll peacefully sit there and let the old man comb until his heart's content. Smart girl, I tell you--- always make the guy who signs the checks happy!

I've seen some good bouts of laughter when Mom was at the helm, too.... good times, good times.

But---- like I said, we're looking forward to going HOME. True, it may not FEEL like home yet, but that'll happen soon enough. And I miss Troy. for all of his quirks and smells and noises, he's still mine, and I miss him.

SO KIDDIES---- if I'm kinda sparse this week, it's cause we're scrambling around doing the stuff I should have done last month. or packing. or avoiding chocolate. Have a great weekend!