Sweet, sweet fantasy

So Ben's birthday yesterday was muy fabuloso & he seemed to have a wonderful time opening his gifts & gorging on cupcakes. He's such a grown-up now! Ah well, my handsome little man. Luckily, we've got number two on the way to give us some more baby time so we don't have time to get too maudlin.

Today has been an adventure all its own. It's been a fun one - maybe we're still hyped up on sugar but Ben has been on his rip-roaringest behavior & the whole house looks like a disaster zone. We've had a blast & I even managed to purge my closet of clothes that shan't fit me for many moons while Ben unmade my bed, filled it full of hangers & upturned my clean laundry.

I have a headache now & I've made the mistake of starting to fantasize. Get your head out of the gutter, fools! I'm a married, pregnant mother - I have no need to let my mind wander to dirty thoughts of handsome gentlemen (pssssst, Brad Pitt! If you re-grow that little sketchy mustache that I love so much, please let me know). No, no my fantasies these days run along the lines of a quiet day in a squeaky clean house, running errands un-burdened by a bundle of adorable energy. Don't worry, this isn't a sign of me wanting to ditch my own life or anything - just some healthy stretching of my brain.

Come along & see what Ashley's fantasy day would look like ....

Photo from http://www.locountry.com/downtown_houses/king+street+21.html

The day would involve a lot of relaxing on one of my many porches with a glass of sweet tea & a great mystery book to read. I don't know why my fantasy life always involves cities like Charleston, Savannah & New Orleans - I just adore the architecture, the over the top yet homey decor and the Southern hospitality. Ah yes, I can eradicate the humidity since it's my fantasy!

And let's talk about food. I can't put a picture of food up here because I don't know what fantasy me wants. At the moment, I'm craving my mom's Heavenly casserole, which is veggie chicken & rice & all those wondrous Adventist ingredients that my body is desperately craving. I don't have a picture of that. If you had asked me earlier today, I would have wanted the hummus that Ilse described for me & before that, sadly, it would have been tater tots after reading a report about schools banning the blessed tots from their cafeterias.

But hey, did I mention more sweet tea?

photo from http://leitesculinaria.com/45742/recipes-sweet-tea.html

What else? Oh yes, my adorable pregnant self needs something to wear ...

photo from people.com

Why yes, Selma Blair, I will take one of everything you're wearing. I'm sure I can squeeze into your size 0 maternity clothes. Hmmmm ... it's obviously a bit chilly in my fantasy land but that seems accurate. I love the cooler weather.

photo from U2.com

What, did you think my fantasy wouldn't involve an evening in the company of some of my favorite gentlemen? I would cap off my lovely day of relaxation with a night dancing like a crazy lady at a U2 concert where I have a perfect view with no giants in front of me. Maybe, just maybe I would finally get pulled up on stage to dance with Bono. Is that too far for a grown woman's fantasy?

Ahhhhhh, it feels so good to get away for a few minutes to dream of a more relaxed, more elegant life full of food that I don't have to make & a house that I don't have to clean & amazing clothes that I didn't have to buy or wash. But you know I would never trade my messy house of boys for even a moment of my fantasy life. Doesn't have to stop me from dreaming ... just once in a while, right?