I got 13 hours of sleep last night

I figure I should have enough energy to blog.

Charlotte went to a pediatric gastroenterologist last week because she has reflux and constant stomach problems. The doctor thinks the same thing I've thought her whole life - she's sensitive. BUT, because he is a responsible medical professional, he ordered some tests. Therefore, there is a jar of frozen poop in my freezer. Plus room temperature poop in three other jars. I'm almost done with the poo collecting, and I have to say I relish it in comparison to what is next: blood work. That girl lost her mind at the doctor's when she heard the words. We haven't taken her yet mainly because I need Andy there to deal with it. She will be ridiculous. Argh.

Aside from the testing, the doctor made some minor changes to her diet that have her all stressed out. Drinking only water besides one glass of lactose-free milk a day, for example. Oh no - she has to cut out her ONE juice box! Trauma! The hardest is having sweets only once a week. There goes popsicles and ice cream sandwiches after school. Naturally, all the kids are on the same restrictions to make it fair. So far, not many complaints. And the last change is movign to higher fiber cereal. We found some she likes, but she is still holding it against me. AND, she freaks out at each event in her life, "Does the doctor say I can play soccer?!" Um, yes. He says you can play soccer. And do your homework, and watch cartoons, and take a shower and EVERYTHING ELSE YOU NORMALLY DO. Just drink water, less sweets, and different cereal!

My hair-loss has declined recently. I'm left with a pitiful, fuzzy curtain of hair. A sheer curtain. Ugh ugh ugh. Whatev, I've always hated it, now there is just less. I personally didn't think hair came thinner than mine, but I like to surprise myself. I can wrap one of those small-sized pony tail holders around my hair four times. Four. Used to be only three.

Gabe is pushing his friend on the swing right now - so cute! Mostly it is crashing into him and making him stumble and her laugh. He is such a goofball!

SEVEN!

NCIS premieres tonight at 7pm, so NOBODY bother me. I'm very excited to see my friends again! Not you people - my fictional friends.

Other than that, well, honestly, is there anything more important? Nah. The kids are helping each other through their afternoon ritual of corn dogs and ice cream while watching tv. I'm going to toss a frozen lasagna in the oven and crank out the homework so they are upstairs by 7pm. Gabe is having a meltdown about nothing in particular because he is sleepy. I totally get it, I'm the same way, so I'm just letting him go for it with no interference from me. Oh - he just came to tell me what his problem is. During transport from the microwave to the table, his corndog rolled around on the plate and got all ketchupy. I think I've convinced him that he should continue rolling it around until it is thoroughly coated because that is the cool new way to eat corndogs.

I need it to be 7. Seven, seven, seven. HURRY UP!!!

Sunday WInd Down

It was such a nice Sunday! I mean, even before the four hour nap. And this is why:

I got to go to Sarah's Primary Program today. (That's when the children ages 3 to 11 do the service with speaking parts and singing, fyi). I LOVE primary programs!! I love hearing the children. Anyway, it was SUPER good. The kids sang like pros, so loud and clear, and I just loved being there. Minnie sat on my lap, too, and called me Tila like she does, and was too fun. She was actually chewing gum. I said, "What is that in your mouth?" Minnie: "Gum." Me: "Seriously?? You're TWO." Minnie: "Yep." Oh, Sarah, I'm so sorry, she is such a teenager already.

Then I came home and got all involved working on my own ward's primary program. So much so, in fact, that I forgot I was supposed to be playing the piano for choir practice at 12:15pm. Which I remembered all of a sudden at 12:20pm. I tore outta here like a crazy, drove like a crazy to the church, and ran like a crazy into the foyer. Something seemed off, I couldn't figure it out, until the choir, which was sitting in the foyer, told me the current ward was running over so we hadn't started yet. Phew!

And then... I played the piano for the choir to sing in sacrament meeting, and I didn't mess up once! Totally never happens like that, so I was feeling great!

The Primary kids are settling into our new schedule that we recently adopted. We are having them all meet together, juniors and seniors, for sharing time. It's been crazy, but today I saw the beginnings of them settling down. So lovely!

THEN, after all that success, came for 4 hour nap. Woo hoo! I woke up at 8:30 in order to have scriptures and prayers with the kids, and then I went to help Faith with her newspaper project. Oh, how I love a project!! We made columns and picked fonts and all that really fun stuff that I am always looking for an excuse to do.

I just got home from that, and the house is quiet. I am going to watch a little tv on the couch, one of my favorite activities of all time. I have plans during the week to look forward to, and I have a little feeling that I might even clean something! This is mostly precipitated by the fact that I walked in the back door and smelled the house. Not too pleasant. Whatev, I'll light a candle and worry about it tomorrow, a la Scarlett O'Hara.

RLS

Dude, I could NOT sleep last night because I suddenly started experiencing Restless Leg Syndrome. Or, as it is known in my family, the creepy-crawlies. I had to get up and walk the floor at 1am because my legs felt so creepy and jumpy. It was so crappy because I was very very sleepy and I didn't want to be up. I used to get this when I was pregnant, and I would cry because all I wanted was sleep.

So, Andy got the girls ready this morning and let me sleep. Lovely. I still feel it a little, but since it is daytime and I walk around a lot, it isn't as bothersome. WHAT CAUSES THIS CRAP?!

So, I made an appointment for Charlotte to go to a therapist. She's just been struggling so badly with anxiety and OCD. Poor little girl. Hopefully, she can start learning some solid coping skills that will serve her throughout her life. It's hard to see her sad so much. (TOTALLY just remembered my dream! Because it was about Charlotte being naughty and me punishing her and not feeling like I could punish her appropriately. Going to school in sopping wet clothes and being grounded for 3 days didn't seem good enough.)

I made the stupid lunches

Yesterday and today, so I feel like, really, I've earned some sort of break. I think that it is taking the form of not showering since it has been 3 days, and I can't force myself to do it. I thought about it for a long time - why is it so hard to shower? What part of it is so insurmountable? I can't figure it out.

I have typed, like, three different sentences and deleted them because I was so uninterested in what I was saying. Which was nothing. I was saying nothing. My mind is empty. I guess that means I should nap now. Gabe loves it when I nap on the couch while he watches cartoons, do not ask me why, so I'll count it as good parenting. Plus, I am going to have to go get milk and bread today, and the store always sucks up all my energy. Two birds, one stone, naps are great.

Monday Again

And I am sitting here trying to force myself to make school lunches. I HATE making lunches. I don't know why, it isn't hard. Well, I have to open a new peanut butter, which means I have to stir it up since it is the all-natural kind. I hate doing that. Seriously, though, it's not hard. It's just like blowing up balloons - I hate doing it.

Gabe is prattling on incessantly, as usual, and it makes my ears feel tired already. PLEASE let him let me go back to sleep when the girls leave for school. I'm not even that sleepy, by my ears are very overwhelmed by his little voice.

I have started planning Charlotte's baptism. Cah-razy. But I love it. I have been waiting to plan it since she was born. Seriously, I used to think about it when she was a baby.

Okay, little dude is leaning against me and counting out loud. For no reason. Just because he must always be talking. I need earplugs.

I didn't clean.

It ain't looking good for tonight, either. It feels like a hopeless endeavor. I'm waiting for dinner to finish up for the kids - spaghetti and meatballs, broccoli and grapes. It smells unappetizing to me, though. I tried a recipe for fish tacos for lunch. Subpar. I'll have to keep looking.

I got my new planner in the mail today and filled in all the birthdays. I feel very accomplished. Homework hour is going smoothly and quickly. I'm just so tired at the end of the day. And since I don't do much during the day, the only reason for that is GABE. He. Never. Shuts. Up. He talks constantly, and he requires a response after each phrase, and I am exhausted by it. Plus, he's in the "why" stage, and that is also tiring. "How old am I?" "Three." "Why?" "Because you came out of my tummy three years ago." "Why?" "Because that is when God sent you." "Why?" "You'll have to ask Him, honey." "Why?" Argh!!

I should clean.

It is actually bugging me, but it is dark and rainy, and the couch is so cozy. So, it isn't likely that I'll clean anything today.

Tonight is Open House at the school. I LOVE Open House! The teacher gives you the schedule and all that. It feels like buying school supplies or getting your syllabus or a new planner. I think that feeling is called full-of-potential. Lovely.

Labor Day was quiet and rainy. Andy was busy, the kids got to play at Liz's all day, and I cleaned my crib in anticipation of giving it to my cousin for her baby. Three babies make a very dirty crib. NCIS marathon was on USA, so it was a pleasant chore. Gabe was a little peeved that we were giving away his old bed. I kept explaining that he wasn't a baby, and he kept explaining that he was, actually, planning on being a baby again in the future and might need that crib. I told him we'd talk about it once that happened, and that satisfied him.

Charlotte came home with a BINDER with DIVIDERS in it. Oh, how I love second grade! And since she is a categorizing fool, she also loves second grade.

My hair is falling out in wads and wads. I gotta do something about it. I really didn't have much to begin with, and it is just pitiful at this point. Plus, there is hair floating around everywhere which is aggravating.

Well, maybe I'll get out a swiffer and dust during commercials. Tiny steps are still progress, right?

Okay, I just felt a wave of affection for my kids

So I have to write it down. Man, I love those little guys!!! They are so sweet and thoughtful and funny. They give the best hugs and smooshy-lips kisses! I'm so lucky.

My car is clean!

Lucky for me Gabe left his car window open yesterday and nobody noticed. Andy had to drive it today, and apparently an animal got in there and peed so it stank to high heaven. So, he got it cleaned, and now it is so much more fun to drive. Why is that, exactly?

If you are into teen chick fiction, here's what I just read and loved:

You can borrow it if you like. It is the first of a trilogy and her first book, and I think there are movie plans as well. I really liked the heroine which is a big change from Twilight and The Hunger Games. Plus, she likes pink. I'm all over that. I love pink.

Gabe called me Aunt Jen in the car the other day. He realized his mistake immediately and acted embarrassed. It was so adorable. Which is funny because if you ask him what Andy's name is, he still says Uncle Da da. But he knows mine is Jennifer. Our daily routine is him either being weird and entertaining me or him shooing me out of the room so he can be alone. Which means unsupervised which is never good. But we ALWAYS watch Color Splash with David Bromstad at 2:30 before we get the kids from school. He totally sits there and pays attention and asks questions. Love it.

Welp, I'm ready for bed. I'm not sleepy so much as weary, if that makes any sense. I just kinda want to have today be over. Not that I have big plans for tomorrow, but I might be a little perkier. Charlotte is still up, so in the morning she will be a bear. Not looking forward to that. MAN, I'm totally rambling! Blogging feels unnatural these days, like I'm straining for something to talk about. I can hear Andy upstairs on Skype. If I hurry, I can have the bed all to myself for awhile.