Follow up: The door arrived, and we have yet to install it.

Ok, well, I don't know what is up with me. Hormones, I guess. I drink 5 cokes a day (and I DO NOT feel bad about it!), lay around, and, yes, play computer games. Andy took Claire to work today, and Gabe napped a lot (thank you thank you!), so I just lounged about. I got to talk on the phone to my friend for an hour and a half!!! It was too too good.

It's midnight and the house is quiet. I'm in my soon-to-be-closed-off office with all the lights on. Fact about me: I can't sit around in the dark. I'm not afraid of the dark, and I like to lie around and sleep in the dark, but otherwise I have to have all the lights on all the time or I get all down and cranky and a little sad. L-o-o-o-n-g sentence there, Jen(nifer). Eating in the dark is especially despised. I would rather not watch movies in the dark at home as well, much to the chagrin of my husband and brother-in-law.

Just so you know, I am reading the blogs if not commenting - restricted blogging hours changes a lot, apparently. Oh -news of the day - Charlotte has her first loose tooth. The bottom two, actually, and the permanents are grown up right behind them. She is both happy and scared. ("I'm pleased and scared to be here." -- Anyone? HAIRSPRAY! Amanda Bynes playing Penny Pinkerton.)

Well, that's the boring summation. All the milk expires today, so I guess I'll have to shower to go to the grocery store in the morning/afternoon. I haven't decided whether or not I'll refill the coke in the fridge. Stay tuned...

Just so you know, I staunchly refuse to delete posts, but if I did, this one would go. BORING. Oh! I'll add some life aspirations: auto mechanic, copyeditor, electrician, college graduate, trilingual. I am trying to find a way to accomplish all this from the couch ;)

My door shipped today!

I ordered it from the Home Depot to close off the front room which is the office! I can't tell you how long it will take me to get around to installing it, but I'm just thrilled that it's on its way! And I'm wondering how big the package will be! I can hardly stand it!

You Are a Whiteboard

You are a dreamer, a visionary, and a straight up idea person. You are very creative. Even if the things you think up are a bit wacky, they often are brilliant. You are an adept problem solver. You are always tossing around dozens of ideas. You would make a good artist, designer, or architect. You do best when work feels like play.

What Office Supply Are You?

Gabe has lost control of himself

And that is saying something since he was already pretty challenging. He basically is having one, long, never-ending fit. Sun up to sun down. I'm tired, people. I want earplugs. I want mind-reading skills so I can figure out what the crap is going on in that Saturn of his.

One cute thing that he does (Oh, just this second he walked out of the room and called, "See you!" over his shoulder. Cling to that, Jennifer!), is put a y sound at the end of words. He wants to wear his sockies and his shoeys. He loves the moony and bookies and noony (that's a balloony, y'all). He just saw a picture of dice in a book and started hollering, "DICEY! DICEY DICEY DICEY!" Of course, most of this is during screaming tantrums which sucks the adorability out of it. If only he was saying, "Kissy, lovey, Mommy."

I need to get back into Coca-cola rehab. I just think it is the cure-all, so it is back on my list of food groups. You know, the breakfast group, the lunch group, the dinner group, the snack group. Let's not forget dessert.

Ok, so that's it. I'm a bit down right now, so don't expect much. I just have an empty hole in the center of my chest that sucks all the good into deep space. Whatev. I'm used to it. I keep telling myself that I'm about to start some good therapy, but I just don't want to expend the energy that I'm saving up to drive to the vending machine with the change I find in the washing machine.

At least my show was on tonight. I was afraid the P.O.T.U.S. would preempt, but the nation has it's priorities straight - Gibbs for president! If you were about to ask me what my favorite show is and who Gibbs is, then I am ashamed of you. NCIS, main character Gibbs played by Mark Harmon.

I'm back! With a new set of rules!

Hello!! Oh, how I've missed you! My pinky is almost not numb, and I just can't take it anymore. But, as I said in the title, I've established some rules for myself:

I will only be blogging at night. That means writing as well as reading. I will actually keep the computer shut down until after the kids go to bed*. As difficult as that will be, I really enjoyed the days here in this short break. I started doing things that I used to really enjoy which I haven't done for so long: reading, playing the piano, putting on make-up. I was rushing to the computer so much and enjoying games and browsing the web and whatnot that I just didn't do anything else. How sad.

I will not play Webkinz.com. I will not play any computer games for longer than 15 minutes. It's an addiction. I just can't stop myself.

*Exceptions always exist, and in this case it is that I will allow myself to get on the Internet for things such as looking up information. NOT celebrity gossip and whatnot, but actual yellow pages sort of stuff or past Ensign articles, that kinda business.

So, I will see you all later tonight as I am enforcing the rules startiiiiiiing...

NOW!

Hiatus

I have to take a hiatus from the computer for an undetermined length of time. This is because I have been on it so constantly that my right pinkie on up to the elbow is constantly numb. Yep, like it has fallen asleep. I can't open the milk carton with that hand, push down a piano key with my pinkie, or turn pages of books or magazines with that hand very easily.

The first time it happened, I was pretty scared. I was thinking diabetes or blood clot. (Hypochondriac, anyone?) After several days off the computer, it went away. I started noticing a little trend. It's been numb for 3 days already, so apparently I have to self-impose a computer-ban so I don't lose function permanently.

I'll miss you all. It would be fantastic if nobody blogged while I'm gone. I know it's too much to ask.

BOO HOO!

Jennifer, the Lame

ANGER! (And ridiculous humor.)

Alright. I'm looking into L. M. Montgomery since we are reading "Anne of Green Gables" for book club (meeting the first Monday in March at the DeCamps). Turns out, there is a debate about whether or not she committed suicide by drug overdose. She was severely depressed and on prescription drugs, so it could be accidental. Their is a theory that the suicide note was actually a page in a book or journal she was writing.

So, I was reading an online discussion about an article about her committing suicide. And there was some STUPID STUPID STUPID idiots without a lick of sense in their empty heads who said crap like:

"she was not a depressive personality, her depression in later years was situational and incidental, not innate!"

"her legacy will be somewhat overshadowed by the label 'mentally ill'."

"she lacked the love and balance of marital/relationship happiness she needed to flourish and live to a ripe old age"

"Anyone taking that many drugs would appear mentally ill. Her entire life was dedicated to the earnest pursuit of security and status. Why should Lucy be happy?"

Depressive personality? DEPRESSION ISN'T A PERSONALITY TRAIT YOU SELF-RIGHTEOUS CRAP-LOAD OF IDIOCY! And who the crap cares if it stemmed from events in her life? It's still a mental illness. Period. And apparently all us depressed folks need is a happy marriage to "flourish." Thanks, Tom Cruise. I'll toss back a couple of Flintstones vitamins and sleep with my husband daily. And I like how taking drugs makes her appear mentally ill. WHAT WAS SHE TAKING THE DRUGS FOR, FOOL? She didn't appear to have a fever! Yeah, she didn't deserve happiness. She brought it on herself. She chose a lifestyle so horrible that she committed suicide. Logical. I just choose to lie on the couch and cry for no apparent reason while the house falls apart around me. Good times.

Fortunately, there was a crazy in there who provided comic relief. I quote:

"Today many people suffer from depression because they are not conscious of the fact that we are going through an intense Planetary and Spiritual evolution...Come to understand the Plan for the Planet as set out in the Mayan Calendar"

By the way, they were Canadians.

This is actually pretty accurate.

Except I don't have a Love Van. But I do have the nunchucks.

Your Superhero Name is The Golden Droid

Your Superpower is Kissing Your Weakness is Bald People Your Weapon is Your Magic Nunchucks Your Mode of Transportation is Love Van

What's Your Superhero Name?

Another one down

Gabe has the flu. Poor dude is coughing with a fever of 102. The doctor gave him something or other that is supposed to shorten the duration. I hate it when the kids get sick, especially b/c odds are high that it'll get passed around.

Charlotte is done being sick. Oh she has the occasional cough and the residual bad attitude of a recently sick kid. What's up with that? She gives me a very challenging look - trying to stare me down - when I'm asking her to do something. Well, the queen - that's me, not Claire - has ruled: every time Charlotte disrespects Claire in this particular manner that she has, she will give Claire one of her (Charlotte's) toys. For keeps. There was weeping and wailing. She doesn't know how to gnash her teeth, but once she figures it out, she'll do it with gusto.

So now with Gabe sick, and me fearing the contagion, I stayed up all night doing laundry and Lysoling the house. I am being literal about staying up all night. There I was, folding clothes, when the sun came up. It wasn't like I was forcing myself awake - I really wanted that laundry done. Oh, and I found the underwear.

I am also about to get my first ever flu shot. I think I've had the flu maybe once or twice total. But if I get it after/while my kids have it, I don't think I'll remain intact. I'm already wound pretty tight what with little sleep, lots of worry, and the onset of PMS. I'm telling you, I can function at a high level when required, but I turn into Mean Mom when I do it.

Definitions

Charlotte's Particular Manner of Disrespecting Claire

Charlotte's big disrespecting issue with Claire is that she basically asserts her will over Claire, ignoring little Claire's protests, squealing, crying, etc. The straw that broke the camel's back tonight was Charlotte was grabbing at Claire's clothes box (yes box, not dresser) and smirking and saying, "I'm just gonna look at something!" Claire, who was trying to take clothes out of the box at the time, asked her, then told her, then pleaded with her to stop. Charlotte, all the while just smirking, was manipulating the sitch to get her way. And I'm pretty sure she didn't really care about looking at the box. She was just making a power play. So, apply that to looking at the cereal box, watching tv, playing on the computer, brushing teeth....

Functioning at a High Level

That means, I do all those household jobs that normally don't get done around here. Laundry, dishes, scrubbing stuff, sweeping stuff, shopping, cooking full meals, etc. So, yeah, the house runs smoothly, but I am tense and annoyed at the drop of a hat. Don't touch it! Put it back! Go play upstairs! Low level functioning consists of doing those things when absolutely necessary with no intention of maintenance.

What Came Out of My Dryer

I don't know where the jumbo-sized confetti came from - probably Charlotte's pockets. The pony, however, was hiding inside a pillow case.

My FHE Snack

I included the dollar as a size reference (like in crime scene photographs). I ate that whole giant sized Hershey bar covered in peanut butter. I did not share.

Valentine's Day - The Recap

It was such fun! That's because it was all about the family! I had set the kids' valentines on the table before I went to bed. They were just little sacks with candy and a couple of little things (bangle bracelets for the girls, Blue's Clues movie for Gabe, sunglasses for all) and a homemade valentine out of construction paper¹.

Well, those girls were thrilled. Naturally, I only experienced their reactions from my own bed, but I could tell they were a hit because I received a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a bowl of my "favorite" cereal in bed!!! Gabe even crawled up in bed with me and snuggled profusely. He actually refused a shower with Daddy to stay in bed with me! That is a HUGE deal in this household. (Ok, so "favorite" means whatever Charlotte deemed as my favorite. It was blueberry mini wheats, which I like a great deal. I don't know that I have a favorite.)

Well, then the girls started wondering in with various objects - roses, a candy bar. I finally got up and saw them sorta strewn about the living room. When I asked Andy about them, he said he had set them by my bed with a card. Well, the card was still there. Incidentally, he had given a rose to each kid and brought home doughnuts for the family. As I had already had a ginormous breakfast, I could only eat one :)

We piddled about all afternoon, and then the kids napped. That was after being glued to Blue's Clues. Gabe is fanatical about it! When I imitate Blue's voice he cracks up and does it along with me.

Okay, so here is the out-of-character part. I totally like computer games - you know the ones you find on MSN.com². Well, I saw a new one that looked fun, so I downloaded the trial version. It was SO fun! And then... it cut off right in the middle of a level! "Your trial version has expired. Click here to buy the full version."

I SO clicked there and bought the full version! Twenty bucks (including shipping b/c I opted for an actual disk as well as the emailed version. I wanted to be able to take it with me. I actually told my mom that this was the most important game of my life!) So, I launched into the game with gusto! Andy played along until he dang near fell asleep. And then...

I won. The whole thing. It was over. And it was NOT twenty bucks worth of game!! I am so very very peeved. Oh, you can play again (and I did) with the missing pieces reshuffled (and I won again)and still you can't squeeze the twenty out of it.

I'm disappointed.

¹Thank you, Amy, for the fun memory! It was just as fun now!
²Confession: I don't just play the games on MSN.com. I also spend hours playing games on webkinz.com. I login as Charlotte and use her virtual pets to play kiddie games. Just so you know, so does Sarah.

I think I'm a good mom

And I think we should say that to ourselves more often. I was just looking over my blog, and I realized that, since the focus of the blog is my personal struggles with bipolar disorder as well as that is the main focus of all of my introspection, I start to feel like that's what my kids see and what I give them. Of course it affects every aspect of my life, but I'm not being a broken, underwearless, emotionally undecided person as a parent (okay, underwearless, but they don't know). They are fed mostly balanced meals. We snuggle and read and play and sing. They are disciplined in a non-violent, consistent manner. They have clothes and structure and we go to church every week and have FHE and daily scriptures and prayers. "See?" I say to myself, "That there is a good, functioning, present mother."

Since my blog, like "Everybody Loves Raymond," is not about my kids, I wonder sometimes what I put out there about them. Not to those of you who know them and me well. My manner of joking about my kids sounds very derogatory to many people, I think. What I don't normally say is that I like their big heads and interest in "nerdy" stuff like science and self-confidence that often manifests as princessly dictation. And I think they are really beautiful kids. I really admire them.

Also, I enjoy being a mother. I know I complain about the hard and frustrating parts and never report the pleasant rewarding stuff. Or when the hard and frustrating parts don't upset me. And sometimes I just like to whine a little. Whatev. I have always wanted to be a mom, and I am really happy about being one. I just don't blog about that stuff.

Anyway, all this is just a personal realization that perhaps my one-sided internal dialog doesn't credit me-the-whole-person. As I learned in "Change Your Brain, Change your Life," thoughts aren't truth. They can lie. And I lie to myself a lot it seems. And since I think I'm not the only one, I'm putting it out there. We don't choose our weaknesses or our temptations. I'm not the only one, surely, who feels my own struggles to be all-encompassing and shameful. That's the nature, I think, of struggles. They are never on the back-burner (at least for me). But they aren't the definition of who I am. I'm not a "mother with bipolar disorder" and a "wife with bipolar disorder." I'm a mother and a wife.

So, I want to thank all y'all. First off, for reading this kinda stuffy, rambling, preachy post. But really for embracing my blog and accepting me for who I am. If not for our own little blog circle, I would never have reached out (or touched you, Leslie!), and I feel myself being improved by it and encouraged and really loved. I've really never had so many close friends all at once! I've always limited them to one or two at a time b/c I never feel like anyone is willing to take on the crap that comes with me. Well, y'all have been reading all the crap and y'all haven't run screaming to the authorities, so thanks thanks thanks!

The Underwear Hunt was a Success!

Just enough for one day, but that is better than the alternatives.

I wanted to update on my kids: they were fantastic at the store!! I'm extremely pleased with them. I'll probably be very excited to see them tomorrow since I got to leave for Enrichment and not come home until they were asleep.

My incredibly full plate is almost empty now (the proverbial plate). If I can get through Valentine's weekend, then I just have to prepare for a talk that is over a month away. I can do that. But it is unclear whether I'll survive V-Day. I hate it. It's pointless. People without a significant other are just tortured, and people who have one don't need an extra day for presents and crap when they already have anniversaries. So, yeah, I'm a hater.

So why the concern over the holiday? The kids, for one. They think every holiday is supposed to be an extravaganza, and while I'm not willing to go all out to satisfy them, I really do want to make it special. Especially so that it isn't tied exclusively to boys for their whole lives. Making it family-ish gives it some happy non-dating resonance. And I'm not talking a huge deal - just a little Valentine surprise Saturday morning. A sack of candy and a card, that's all.

Secondly, Andy. I may eschew romance, but he likes it. So, I gotta be willing to celebrate in some way or another. I'm hoping dinner and/or a movie (although babysitting will be impossible to get, but I'll manage. Actually, acquiring a sitter is an excellent gift!)

So, what do y'all do for Valentine's?

It's a bad sign when you haven't brushed your teeth in three days

Or showered. I can't find any underwear. I can't find it. That tells you the state of the laundry and my bedroom. If you want more details (you gross person), I'll tell you in person. I couldn't find any diapers in the house this morning. There were two in the car (plus a used one), but then, all of a sudden, I couldn't find them. I'd tossed all three in the outside trash. So now, I have to go to the store. Couldn't find my cell phone - turns out it was in a drawer. On silent mode. (Side note: Lori, I'm really looking forward to Enrichment tonight. Ain't nobody standin' in my way nohow!) I had three fruit roll ups for breakfast. Don't worry - I'll have something else (a Coke).

Charlotte has bronchitis. She was sent home from school Tuesday morning. That was the first time she's been sent home from school, and it felt like a right of passage. (I totally remember learning the term "right of passage" in school. It seemed stupid.) Everyone, please pray for her to be able to go to school tomorrow. I do not want to spend the day with her if she misses her Valentine's party.

So, apparently, I have ceased to function either because of this or simultaneously. I'm guessing it's the former. I've been yelling at the kids which, and this is true, I very very rarely do. I like to believe it is their fault. Claire is melting down about every single thing. For example, I heard a mother of a fit coming from the bathroom yesterday - she couldn't turn on the light. Gabe is being a real stinker. He's pouring stuff on the carpet and throwing food and kicking his wall all through naptime.

OKAY! I just got off the phone with the school nurse - Charlotte can go to school!!!!! Thinking about the day we all discussed school notes (I don't remember whose blog it was on), I'm tempted to write something much more interesting than

"Dear Mrs. -------,

Please excuse my daughter from school February 10 - 12. She was ill."

So, here I go to the shower. And the underwear hunt that will be in vain. And the store with three unhappy children. I plan to bribe and cajole with fast food, soda, and quite possibly a toy. Don't tell Oprah.
Hunting for Undies

Guess what...

...I saw the mailman get out of his truck and put mail in my across-the-street-neighbor's mailbox. They had blocked it with their own car. The car that prevents me from parking across the street from my house. If I weren't as nice as I am, I would start parking my car there every day so that they can get little notes from the mailman telling them that he won't deliver the mail when their box is blocked.

"Neither snow nor rain nor heat of day nor gloom of night..."

"...shall stay these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds."

Parked car, however, poses an insurmountable obstacle for the United States Postal Service worker on my route.

My mailman and I are at odds. And since this isn't the first (or second) mailman I've had the same problem with, I am placing the blame on the entire USPS.

It all began when I picked up my mail on January 22. There was a little note scribbled in ballpoint pen (yes, it was ballpoint, don't argue with me) on my mail that said, "Please don't park in front of the mailbox. 1/22."

So, a couple of days later, I approached my mailman when he was coming to deliver my mail. I said, "Hi, I got your note. We don't park in front of our mailbox very much; it is other people parked there, so I can't really do anything about it."

Mailman: "Who is it?"

Me: Seriously? "I don't know. It is a public street. Sometimes it is our guests, and sometimes it is some car I don't know. The thing is, I can't control who parks on the street."

Mailman: "You know we have a choice to not deliver the mail if the box is blocked."

Me: deep breath. "I understand that, but I still can't stop people from parking here."

Mailman drove off as fast as his little white boxcar can go from my mailbox to the next one down. Lookin' like a fool.

The last time this was a big issue, the mailman actually stopped delivering the mail, and I had to call the post office to get it restarted. You heard me. The postmaster and I had some words, so I guess that dude had to keep delivering. I've had another one (the lady) tell me that I shouldn't block the box, but she didn't do anything else about it.

Here's my house:That little white pot-stirrer is the mailbox, right in front. If you take a look at the very left edge of the picture, you can see a fire hydrant. So, no parking there. I'm standing in my across-the-street neighbor's driveway (actually, almost their garage). The stretch of curb you see on the right on this side of the street is usually parked on by the neighbor (not the one whose driveway I'm on, the one next to them). That neighbor has 3 cars, nevermind that they are a two-person household, and one is usually right there on the street. Here's the kicker: the stretch of curb that is to the right of my mailbox looks so inviting, but the aforementioned neighbors who park on the curb have knocked on my door no less than 4 times asking us not to park there b/c his wife can't back out of the driveway. Yeah, their driveway is directly across from that prime property. So, that leaves right in front of the mailbox. Or, just to the left of the mailbox, but your bumper stops the mail truck from pulling up alongside the box, so it's blocked anyway. All my options cause a ruckus somewhere or another.

So, I have spent a portion of my afternoon on the internet and the phone researching the USPS policies and standards. Actually, I first spent a portion of the afternoon squawking about retribution and vindictive schemes against the mailman and the neighbors. THEN I got on the phone. I found out that:

• I cannot change from a curbside box to a porch-mounted box. Or any other box, for that matter. Types of routes (walk-ups, curbside, whatever) are determined by territory by the USPS and are, apparently, non-negotiable.
• I can move my curbside box anywhere I want on the front of my property as long as he can access it from the truck. Um, this doesn't include sticking it on my driveway. I thought about it, though. I could check the mail every time I pulled in or out. All he'd have to do is pull into the driveway, stuff the box, and pull back out. The USPS has no sense of humor, though, so I didn't ask. Anyway, from one property line to the other, I'm free to post my mailbox. I'm not stuck to the end of the concrete runway from my front door to the street.

So, I am now on the phone waiting for the homeowner's association so I can find out if I'm allowed to move my mailbox, what ridiculous forms I'll have to fill out. Once I know that, I'm going to have to knock on my neighbor's door and see how upset they are going to be that we are moving our mailbox to our property line on their side. Whatev. Let the mail wars begin.

"I am at two with nature." --Woody Allen

Today I laid on the sidewalk outside my neighbor's house¹ in an attempt to become, if not at one with nature, at least a little closer to that.

I took my cell phone.

It worked pretty well (I'm talking about enjoying the outdoors, but the cell phone was also working well). The day was gorgeous, my kids were napping, and I didn't get sunburned. I was out there for a good 30 minutes.

I guess I don't really hate nature. Hate is too strong a word, really. What I hate is being outside. Yes, there is too a difference! I hate the outside when there are bugs, sticky heat, chilly air, and animals. So, yes, that's a lot of nature. It just seems ridiculous when you have the option of conditioned air and tv.

I also hate being outside when I have my kids. And since that is most of the time, I hate being outside most of the time. I am almost paranoid about my kids being lost, hurt, or (and this one takes first place) being taken. I say almost paranoid because, really, it is quite possible. Child predators are everywhere that children go. So, I am anxious and stressed the whole time we're outside. I hate to take my eyes off them to talk or anything else. I think we can all agree that is not enjoyable.

I do like other parts of being outside. I love the beach and the ocean. I love looking at the stars when I'm way out of the city so there are tons and they're super-bright. I love to drive with the windows down (in perfect weather).

Anyway, I'll be out there communing with nature every time the stars align - kids sleeping, perfect weather, nothing good on tv, cell phone reception.

¹I laid in front of the neighbor's house because that is where the sun was shining. I had no intention of laying in the shade - too chilly and, really, my house is shady. No need to be shady outside.

Two things that made me feel so dumb!

#1
At my brother David's request, I registered to take the Jeopardy! qualification test online. So, I logged in on Test Day and guess what I saw. "I'm sorry. You are too late to take the test." Huh?

So, I went back and read the test rules. Turns out, it is high school standardized test style. You know, two #2 pencils and "You may now break the seal on your test. You will have 45 minutes to complete this section of the test." Yeah. Apparently, you have to log in no more than 30 minutes before the test begins but no later than straight-up 8 pm. I took the test the next day during the Pacific time slot. Why I did that I don't know. Because if you can't read the directions for the qualifying test, do you know what you should be doing? "What is 'Not taking the Jeopardy! test?'"


#2
I just told the two things that make me feel dumb to my sister-in-law tonight, and I forgot what #2 was when I was telling her. And now I have forgotten #2 again. That means #2 becomes #3 because this is making me feel dumb. (Although I am seriously laughing at saying #2 over and over.)

#3
Oh, yeah. Formerly known as #2, #3 is...
Crap.
Jess - do you remember the other thing that made me feel so dumb? Besides this?

Oh wait! I remember!!! #3 is not finishing the self-help book for book club tomorrow. People who need self-help and can't read the book don't need self-help! They need other-people-help. Self just fell down on the job (naturally).

I bet all y'all didn't finish y'all's self-help books either and I just ripped on y'all. Ha! That is funny!

Nothing much

I just watched "Mamma Mia!" for the second time, and I couldn't stop laughing. And I don't care how sucky Pierce Brosnon sings, he is SO worth watching. I never thought I had a "type" because the people I dated were really all over the board, but it seems that I really like me a guy with dark hair and light eyes. Good thing for Andy, eh?

Andy has a type too - me. But, to be fair, his celebrity beauty is Angelina, so here's a picture just for him.

We just got Apple TV, and it is so fun! It's not a tv. It hooks up to the tv. I can't give a good explanation of it, so you can look it up, but I can rent movies from it and I can watch my own dvds from it and I can listen to my itunes from it. Oh, and the screen saver is pictures from Andy's mission (I didn't have a say in that).

In other news, a lady approached me in the the Wal-Mart today and told me that her husband and she had been admiring how well behaved my kids are. YES! YES YES YES!!! I was so gratified and proud of them. They really were well-behaved. Even more impressive, they had gone to bed very late the night before, and they were really flagging, but they made it (I promised soda at the check-out).

I wish I had my camera on me also, because Claire was in full diva mode. She was wearing a Hello Kitty hoody, hood up of course, pink sparkly sun glasses, plaid pink walking shorts, pink flip flops, and she was carrying my cell while breezing past people in a nonchalant manner. I almost wet my pants. Charlotte was Handy Helper, loading the groceries onto the checkout and then the sacks into the cart, holding my keys and purse while I paid. Even Gabe, yes even him, he was tired and cranky but doing fine. Of course, I have to sing throughout the shopping process, so we are basically a circus-in-a-cart. His current shopping favorite is "K-k-k-Katie" from the good ol' days. If you don't know it, I will be happy to sing it.