Sure is quiet

Um. Not to complain or be needy or anything but, gosh, is everyone on vacation? I know Jenny, my most faithful leaver of comments, is traveling, but all of sudden it seems that the trickle of cyberlove has dried up. I'd better come up with SOMETHING to dazzle the readers I keep discovering I have before everyone falls asleep or goes off to read The New York Times or something.

But therein lies the problem. NOTHING exciting is happening around here. Is it possible to write an entire blog post in which I do nothing but kvetch about the heat and how it is slowly but surely sapping any semblance of energy or motivation I previously had? Methinks this is whence the phrase "dog days of summer" arose. My gosh, I knew I was a bit on the lazy and dispassionate side, but lately? It's like I'm moving through my day in a vat of Jell-O.

For example. We just returned from my niece's 8th birthday party, an outdoor affair at which any sane guests (meaning the adults) all vied for seats in the shadiest spots. The insane ones, of course, were in the pool, taking refuge under water. But my sister-in-law, in the space of an afternoon, managed to transform her home from the tornado path it had reportedly been to company-ready presentability, and then throw a barbecue, complete with hand-decorated cakes, without ever showing a trace of sweat or a smudge of melted mascara. I'm not sure I ever saw her sit down for more than two minutes put together. I, on the meantime, was at my most celebratory while sprawled, motionless, in the hammock under a tree with my two year old. I actually had enough spare energy to speak coherently! And laugh! Out loud!

And here's even worse news. On Tuesday evening, it's MY turn to throw a party. Ian is turning eight, and he has the itch to boogie woogie! I managed to convince him (meaning, I wrote it on the invitations and mailed them, then informed him) to have the party at a nearby park and pool, rather than our house. The idea of a mob of hyper tweens, fueled by a frightening cocktail of testosterone and cake, stampeding through our house and small yard just made me need to lie down. Maybe permanently.

OK, so we're at the park, but still! Providing pizza, cake and activities for about thirty people (including adults and siblings) requires ENERGY. And ORGANIZATIONAL SKILLS.

Or maybe just plenty of CAFFEINE. And WATER BALLOONS.