No school for Cars yet again today. The school was on a delayed start today so no preschool. No delays or cancelations for Jax and Dex. The snow is melting and hopefully will be all gone by the end of the weekend.

The allergist's office called this morning to say that the doctor wanted to know if I wanted to get Cars in earlier to see her. Of course I do! The appointment we had was for the end of February - that is longer than most new patients have to wait! So he has an appointment for next week but we have to take him to the Seattle office. I have never been to that office before and already my stomach is fluttering when I think about driving across the bridge.

Tomorrow's Cosmo Friday is at my house. Not sure if Ash will make it because her dd is sick. I need to get more wheat-free crackers for Laurie.

Edited to add a link to The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network's statement regarding the "Boston Legal" episode which I wrote about on Tuesday.
FAAN Press Release - Boston Legal: It’s not about who is liable

Guilt

Killjoy is on her way here from Vancouver. Already I am stressed. She called this morning to check if a parcel that she mailed two weeks ago had arrived (it has not). And now I feel as though it is my fault because it is things that I asked her to bring (Smarties for the kids for Halloween and some Tetley tea). She also put toys in the box and is upset because she is arriving in a couple of hours with no presents for the boys. Ok, it is not my fault that she did that so *I* need to get over it. ~breathe~

Also, Stephen was talking to him mom yesterday and she was saying how she really regrets not taking the train trip with my mom and how she would love to travel across Canada by train. She said that if my mom had just asked her, she would have gone. I felt badly at first, thinking somehow I should have arranged for this to happen. But shit! She knew my mom wanted someone to travel with so why didn't she just ask to go along? And OMG, can you imagine how crazy I would be after a week and half of BOTH Killjoy and MIL?! Just as well...

So, I will spend a few more moments here, sipping my tea before I have to psyche myself up to head to the train station in downtown Seattle (across that friggin bridge in the pissing rain!). Perhaps I need to spike my tea...

My therapist told me today that she thought I had a driving phobia because I told her of the anxiety I have when I even ~think~ about driving into Seattle. Um, no. I have a fear of dying on a bridge that spans water (floats on it really) and had been cited as a terrorist target. Not sure why that bridge scares me so. The other bridge (I-90) isn't so terrifying but it is much less practical to take unless I am going to the train station or some other south Seattle locale. The zoo, the car dealership, the Seattle Center and Pike Place Market all require me to take the 520 floating bridge and I hate it.

It started today with me fretting that I had no plans for Spring Break. I thought briefly about taking the kids to the zoo but then I got all nervous and upset. They love the zoo but I hate taking that damned bridge. It doesn't help that the bridge is one of the oldest floating bridges in the world. Or that during really bad storms they close it down because it has been known to lose its moorings.

Anyway, after thinking about taking the kids to the zoo my mood became really foul. I cannot believe what a huge issue this is for me. After talking to my therapist I have a few tools under my belt to help me cope with it and I am going to ~try~ to take the kids to the zoo without freaking out. I can do it!

Low Tide

We went to Alki Beach in Seattle today. The stress of driving across the lake then through the city was not as overwhelming as I had expected. Dex was enthralled while driving across the West Seattle Bridge which made my palms sweatty - tight lanes and way too friggin high! Anyway, we got to Alki about an hour before low tide (11:58am) but the tide was out already and it was so fun poking around under rocks to look for crabs, clams, eels, shrimp (at least they looked like shrimp - but very tiny), etc. No starfish but I guess the birds got to them before we arrived. By the time we left a 2pm the tide had come back in and the flats and tidal pools were long since gone. It was chilly there (only 60 degrees whereas it was mid-70's on the Eastside when we left!) but still a great time. I would love to go next year during the extreme low tides.

Saw my psychologist for the first time in three weeks. I thought I would have nothing to say (since I am cured, don't-ya-know) but I bathered away for an hour. Next appt is two weeks today.

Tried to get Cars to go back to sleep in his crib after he awoke last night but to no avail. I think he is destined to sleep forever in our bed from midnight to 6am. *sigh*