What's better than your house smelling like chocolate cake?

How about forgetting you were baking that chocolate cake, so when you wander downstairs to figure out why there is a timer going off, you get smacked in the nostrils by that heavenly baking chocolate aroma. AND the realization that you will be eating chocolate cake at some point in the not-too-distant future! Perfecto!

I'm making my bro-in-law's birthday cake. You're welcome, Craig. It is a delicious chocolate, almond, coconut extravaganza that I believe would win prizes. Exactly how much do you have to alter a recipe to claim it as your own? This one was published by a lady in a cookbook where everyone sent in recipes, you know, but I've made some alterations. It is Andy's favorite for his birthday. We call it Almond Joy cake, but I'm sure that breaks some sort of registered trademark law. All I know is that I get to eat it today. And tomorrow. And possibly the next day.

Also, I'm going to conduct the music for a baptism up at the church later today. This little darling girl in Primary came up and asked me last week, and I was so flattered. Baptisms are such fun, and so spiritual, and kids just rock. I keep freaking out and thinking that I'm late, but it isn't until 5. Staying awake all afternoon is difficult, P.S.

Finally, our ward Christmas party is this week, and I am in charge of a production of How the Grinch Stole Christmas. My sister Sarah spawned this thing 6 years ago for the ward Christmas party, and I helped her then. So naturally, I forced her to help me this time. We are actually doing it for both her ward's party and mine as well, so it's a twofer. It will be VERY fantastic, but it is intense and stressful up until Saturday night this week. So don't wonder if I don't contact any of you people - I'll be Grinching to the max. Also, I am not playing the Grinch. Typecasting is frowned upon. THANK YOU, Sarah, by the way! (She is not the Grinch, either. Didn't you see my comment on typecasting?)

There has been zero Christmas shopping or decorating thus far.

I am back on the Coke full throttle. It's bad, folks.

That's all. Good day. I SAID GOOD DAY! (That 70s Show reference).

Finally!

Gabe let me know in short order this morning when he couldn't get Nick or Disney on tv. I ignored him. He switched it to PBS and let it slide. I sure did hop on the phone to Comcast when I only got snow on HGtv, TNT, ABCFamily, and the Food Network, though. Snow on every cable channel except USA. USA had the decency to show me a screen that said, "Hey, Lady. If you checked your mail or paid attention to it when you checked it, you'd see that you now need a cable box to watch Comcast cable. Here's a number you can dial."

Oops. Well, I didn't really want to dial that number because my name isn't on the account, plus it is a business account, plus it is some sort of a package deal with internet and phone rolled in, and basically I've been down that road before without it ending at a cable box. I'd left if alone b/c all I'd lost were AMC, Sci-Fi, and the Cartoon Network. Who needs those? But I felt motivated enough today, with zero cable available, to dial up the number.

I scrambled through my memory for an old cell number that might be associated with the account. I used a combination of professional voice + harrassed employee voice + begging to get the lady to talk to me about it since I'm not Andy. PS - I felt really awesome that the bill was paid so I didn't look stupid on top of it all. Not that it mattered because Comcast does not actually associate with Business Comcast. So they gave me another number. I used the same voice combo to get Dan to schedule a technician (for a ridiculous fee) to come install a box to receive the free cable that we are already not paying for in our bundle deal. It will be Saturday, November 19th, between 11 and 2. How inconvenient. And from now til then, no cable. BUT I DID IT.

I'm so freaking sick of this damn puke bug I could die!

That is all.

Welcome to earth, Hollie Margaret

Congratulations to my brother David and his wife Emily on the birth of their first child, Hollie Margaret! Woo hoo! We just drove up to see them for the baby blessing this weekend, and she is about the sweetest prettiest little thing ever. I wanted to hold her every second. She was nice and quiet during her blessing, and she wore her mom's blessing clothes. So pretty!

The drive was HIlarious. Nine hours each way with my sisters and nieces across Texas and back. There was singing, seat-dancing, snacking, snorting, a little snarling. I feel bad for the passengers who hate road trips because I love them! I guess I'm lucky to be traveling with my favorite people.

The nieces - Faith and Madison - woke up Sunday morning with the urge to act like geriatrics. They spent almost the entire day talking in their old folks' voices, which sound like constipated, wheezy men, and calling each other "HARold" and "Maraline." None of us could say HARold right. You'll have to ask them to do it for you.

Unfortunately, Claire got the puke bug (again) while we were away. Bless that man Angelo who cared for her and all my other kids along with his this weekend! He's amazing! With nary a grumble, too. She's home from school today still, and her stomach hurts when she eats, so we'll see how long she takes to recover. I hate the idea of sending her up there and her suffering through lunch :(

Gabe decided I was crap while we were gone and has been treating me accordingly since my return. Dirty, rotten, little... That's what comes of being codependent with a 4 year old. Yes, Sarah, I'm saying 4. He ain't 5 for over a month, and I'm not rounding up.

Welp, that brings us up to date, I think. My kiddos are currently napping, so hopefully I can finish up some computer work before school lets out. Or nap.

No pictures yet.

I suck at picture taking. Therefore, I suck at picture posting.

We trunk-or-treated* on Friday night, and the costumes were great. Andy was Freddy, blonde wig and all. I was Shaggy - all I added was an eyeliner goatee and bushy eyebrows. The rest is Standard Jen. Charlotte was Daphne with neon orange hair spray. Claire was Velma, and Gabe was Scoob. I promise I'll put up a picture soon.

Tonight, they will trick or treat again, but the whole gang will not be dressed up. Andy will stay home with the brothers'-in-law handing out candy, and I'll have to walk with the kids. I do not enjoy that, surprise surprise. It is way more fun to stay home and open the door to trick or treaters. But my sister LIZ informed me the dads stay home and the moms go out, and so that is that.

Charlotte's birthday at the campout was fun and low-key. She wanted a Saturn cake. I baked a 13x9 and iced it in chocolate. Then I used star shaped cookie cutters to make stars with sparkly silver sprinkles on top. I also baked some cake mix in a small bowl that I overturned onto the top of the sheetcake. That was Saturn. At least the upper hemisphere. I put a glow necklace around it for the rings. Well, the one ring. I thought I had more glow necklaces, but I didn't. Also, I had to put it together and ice it at the campsite, so it was pretty, let's say haphazard. But she loved it, and that is all that counts.

Now we just have Gabe's bday in December, and we'll be done for another year. He wants a snowman party. We'll see how that goes.

In other news, I've had a terrible case of the crow for these past couple of weeks. Grrrr. Caw caw caw. We had a cold snap, and nothing makes me pissy faster than being cold, so that didn't help matters. It was back up into the mid-70s today, thank heavens. I have to get homework done and the house picked up for the cousins to all come have frito pie and homemade rootbeer before trick or treating. I'm hoping it all wraps up early so I can watch the American Horror Story marathon at 9pm. There has been a severe lack of scary movies on basic cable this Halloween season, p.s. It has been driving me bonkers. Usually the channels are loaded with so many that I can barely decide what to choose. Since I don't watch R movies, this is my chance to get all those trashy horror movies edited! Alas. At least I got most of some Jamie Lee Curtis movie with killer leprous ghost fishermen in the fog last night. Totally worth it.

*Trunk or treat is the annual activity up at the church where we trick or treat from car to car in the parking lot. There was also a chili dinner and some carnival games. Some folks decorate their trunks all Halloweeny. I do not. You can refer to my lack of decorating motivation in old Christmas posts.

Welcome to Holiday Season!

I ordered parts of our Halloween costumes today and researched parts to make online, so I'm feeling very Halloweeny right now. And Liz and I keep discussing Thanksgiving dinner and looking at recipes, so I'm also feeling Thanksgivingy. And I'm super excited about both!!!

I am working on getting us all to be the Scooby-Doo gang this year. However, I refuse to spend $25 and up per costume, plus I rather like homemade costumes. So I've been working on the best way to handle that. Scooby is totally purchased. Wig for Freddy. Now I'm beginning the process of gathering up accessories like glasses and knee socks and purchasing materials to make outfits and scarves. I think it'll work out, so I'll keep you posted.

Charlotte turned 9, but I've been not writing about it so I could post pictures of her party at the family campout. However, I may never do that. So I'll just say that... hold on. I think I hear a dog barking downstairs. We don't own a dog. Crap. I'll be back later...

Midweek update - totally dull.

Just truckin' along with daily life. Today when we got on the car to go to school, Claire said it was cold outside - it was 80 degrees. Still praying for rain, but the cooler morning temperature is a blessing. And hilarious that it is considered cool.

The kids got all scared this morning because I stopped the car on the way to school to help a little girl who had fallen off her bike. Some dad was offering to give her a ride to school. I couldn't even look him in the face because, basically, that is an off-limits offer from men. Sad, but true. There was no way I was going to let that girl get in his truck even if his own daughter was strapped in there. Luckily, her mom was driving by and saw us all, so it resolved. I felt sad that this guy wanted to help but, really, nobody was going to let him. It ain't worth the risk. Anyway, the kids were scared because I left them in the car for a whole whopping 5 minutes while I was on the sidewalk with the girl and the guy and the crossing guard. Claire was trying to get Charlotte to get out and walk the rest of the way to school. Hello - I'm right here on the sidewalk. You can see me. Calm yourselves. They weren't even tardy, by the way.

Gabe is bored with anything inside this house. He wants a playdate every single day. No. The end. Learn to cope. You have toys, crafts, tv, computer, books, and me. That should cover all your needs.

Andy isn't home much these days. I feel like I never see him. He leaves early, gets home late, and often travels. When did we get to this stage in life?

My library books are overdue, but I'm not willing to drive out there, even if I do want something to read. If I didn't have Gabe, maybe I would. Kids change the library drastically. I always imagine it as me sitting in one of the comfy chairs by the window, browsing magazines for a couple of hours. Then browsing the books for another couple of hours. Then me checking out a dozen. Then me reading for another hour or two at the library before coming home. Okay, even if I shrunk all of those activities down to one hour total, it is drastically different than library-with-kid. Reality consists of me dragging him by the hand to the specific books I already looked up and then hurrying back to the kid section to watch him play on the computer, watch him play with toys, watch him play with puzzles, and then, when it is finally time to check out, watch him frantically grab 10 books he doesn't even look at. Then either finding a penny for that swirly thing or dragging him past the swirly thing while he complains in order to leave. Not nearly as relaxing.

You know that tired feeling?

I have it all day. I blame the crow. I am about to go downstairs and launch into the homework-dinner-activity days-bedtime roller coaster that, once started, you cannot get off until the very, very end.

I feel like this year is very different from previous school years. The kids aren't having as much fun with their work. I understand that is to be expected. Except I didn't expect it. And I'm a little sad about it, too.  On the flip side, they work more independently than ever before. Hey, wait, maybe I don't feel as important and crucial! Whatever it is, it is different. I remind myself we are only a couple of months into school, and routines take time to gel.

We have been getting rain finally during this record drought in Texas. I thank the Lord daily for it. It's amazing that mankind, with our best efforts and intentions, can only pray for the Lord to make the elements work for our good. I'm grateful to Him and hopeful the rain keeps up until the land is healed. I'm also grateful for the experiences I've had with my kids praying and growing our faith.

It has cooled down to a tolerable 95 degrees, and I never thought I'd feel like that was bearable. And yet, after a summer in the hundreds and drier than dust, I feel like it is almost fall weather. It's all relative, eh?

Speaking of real fall weather, I wonder if we'll get any. I wonder if winter will hurt as much as summer did. I dread the cold ever so much more than the heat. Heat hurts, yes, but cold makes me want to cry.

Fabric Obsessed!

Note to self: DO NOT start looking at quilting fabrics online. You do not have the money to feed the raging beast.

I like making baby quilts. I'm only okay at it, but I really like it. The BEST part is picking fabrics. And there are SO MANY CUTE ONES, and they aren't cheap, so I can't buy any at all because I won't be able to stop myself. I will be floating in a sea of cotton fabric that probably won't ever get made into quilts at all.  I'll show you a few, and I'll try to stop myself from putting a million pictures on here.

Lovely Owls and flowers and checks!

I love these fabrics. They are just so wonderful and happy together.

SOCK MONKEY QUILT!

Birds and Chairs quilt.

Keeping the Sabbath and Passing the Final

So, you may remember a year ago I started taking a New Testament course online from BYU. FINALLY, today, I took the final exam! Woo hoo! I feel good about it.

Okay, so the thing is, here's the thing, that I'm not a finisher. I completed all my assignments in maybe December or January. So why the long delay before the exam? I kept getting discouraged by the lack of success in finding a proctor. Don't tell me it's easy. I called a multitude of places as well as requested a personal person to no avail. FINALLY, though, a place picked up the phone. And I made the appointment and ordered the final and took it and paid for it and it is DONE!

Because of the long break between classes and final, however, I had to basically go through the entire course again in order to study and prepare. Which leads me to keeping the Sabbath. Yesterday I spent the entire day reading the Bible. I went to church, took a short nap, made food for my kids, and read the scriptures. All all all day. I wish I were so faithful a Sabbath keeper all the time. Alas. It was a good experience, though, and so much easier to do with clear goals and objectives to my studying as opposed to just reading along on my own.

Just so you know, this weekend I read 100 chapters and 44 Bible dictionary entries along with the course material. A. Maze. Ing.

Conclusion: The gospel is true. Jesus is the Christ. I love the scriptures.

Pinterest Obsession

At first, I wasn't sure about this pinterest.com thing. What is it? Just like a picture and they save it for you? Okay, fine. See what other people like? I guess, could be interesting.

And then something happened. I realized that pinterest is akin to looking at magazines with my friends and exclaiming over all the stuff we like and then ripping out the pictures to save. Now that I've done. That I like.

And so I have been spending way too much leisure time browsing around the internet looking at floorplans and home blogs and furniture websites, just clicking my little "Pin It" button and writing a phrase or two about what's so great about this picture.

And here's where it gets gratifying - some stranger repins it. Which means I am not the only one who likes that thing, and how fun is it that some lady somewhere found something she liked on my board! Even better than that, a friend of mine repins it, and I think, "We have that in common!"

It feels very much like looking at wedding magazines in high school and preplanning the entire event. I have heard both of my 13 year old nieces do the same thing. Dreaming is fun.

The very best part, however, is that now I have an online file of all these home ideas that I love. Never to be misplaced. Never to forget what website I saw something at and try to find it again. And in order to include a picture on this post, here are a couple of things I've pinned:

Settling into routine. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh! (That's a satisfied sigh, not a scream.)

How I love school. This is the part of the year when I am not sick of signing things and filling out forms and whatnot. The kids are not sick of homework and reading time. Gabe is not sick of being at home alone all day. It is so awesome!

Homework time has been going great. I realize that I always think Charlotte is plenty grown enough to handle whatever the new school year throws at her. However, I always think Claire is too little for the same things one year later. Probably because Claire is actually 2 years younger than Charlotte but only one year apart in school, and because Claire is teensy. She's 7, sure, but she hasn't even had a loose tooth yet, and she is so small. It is hard for me to adjust to her having a binder with dividers and whatnot. Weird, I know.

We are headed to the library today for the last day of amnesty with 5 books due at the beginning of August. Hurray hurray for amnesty! I am also going to battle with them about a book I turned in that they have listed as lost. Grrrrrr. I ain't paying for it.

I got our first Scholastic book order form from school. Freaking yay! It came with Charlotte, and for the first time it is all chapter books instead of a bunch of picture books. How grown-up! Naturally I want about 30 things. I'll be culling that down over the week, slowly and carefully, until I make the first glorious order of books. My most favorite thing to buy!

I need to shower and get ready to leave the house. Gabe has about a half hour before he thinks cartoons are boring and is ready for some new activity. I better put a hustle on it.

Emotional Eating Works, or "I put cheese in my desk."

Let's just thank the Lord right now for making this funny, at least to me, because that is the only way I hung onto my sanity this morning. Let's begin:

I was packing lunches for the girls. I was hunting through the fridge for the Babybel cheeses, to no avail. I bought two packages on Saturday, and it is Thursday, so I'm a little confused. I start talking out loud to the open fridge. Gabe hears me and tells me they ate them all. Which is totally about to annoy me because the kids know to save them for lunches. Then Claire calls out, "I found them!" Yay! Thanks, Baby, where were they? "Um, in my desk."

Come again?

"WHY are they in your desk?"

"Um, I don't know. I just put them there and forgot them."

"WHEN?"

"Yesterday."

Launch into lecture about ruining food and wasting money and having no options for lunch while throwing $4.00 of squishy warm cheese balls into the trash. Ended it with No Cartoons After School. Her response? "I don't care about that." Great. Except the only acceptable answer is Yes Ma'am. "Yes Ma'am." Thanks.

So there we are driving to school, me in the front actively trying not to fume, them in the back starting to squawk. What is this I hear? Oh, it is Charlotte repeatedly doing something annoying to Claire while Claire repeats, "Please stop!" more and more frantically. Grrr. Launch into lecture about respecting others' feelings ending with No Cartoons After School. Charlotte's response? "I don't really mind so much." Repeat Yes Ma'am lecture. "Yes Ma'am."

We are still driving to school, me in front fuming but trying to hide it, and then I hear

Claire: "I don't get cartoons either, Char."
Char: "Why not?"
Claire: "I don't want to talk about it."
whisper whisper whisper
Claire: "I put cheese in my desk."
Char: "What?!"
Claire: "I put cheese in my desk."
Char: "WHY?"

A smile is cracking on my face by now. How funny does that sound? I got in trouble for putting cheese in my desk. HILARIOUS! Thank goodness, because mentally I was halfway down that road that leads to locking your fridge with a padlock and putting nanny cams on your kids to control their every moment.

When I got home, I was still a little peeved because, honestly, my kids have serious problems with taking things that don't belong to them. Seriously. I found my tweezers in Charlotte's jeans pocket once, my loose change disappears off my dresser and I hear Gabe jingle by, and, of course, the cheese.

And let me just digress and say it is SO MUCH BETTER that Claire turned herself in because can you even imagine how nuts I would have gone if I had found that cheese on my own? And I can't even imagine when that might have been. Need I remind you of the Easter Egg debacle?

Anyway, a piece of coconut cake for breakfast brought me back to reality. I decided that I will have a sit-down with the kids and implement the "you take mine, I take yours and you lose privileges" rule rather than the lockdown I had been fantasizing about. And I took out the trash because every time I walked by and saw that dang cheese I started steaming again. I don't have enough cake for that.

Blastoff! To school, I mean.

FINALLY school has begun, and it started off great! The girls were excited and nervous, but not so much that they didn't sleep in until 7:30am. YES! They were the very last ones into their classrooms. I am placing the blame on PTA, though, because there were like 50 of those ladies clogging up the foyer and I couldn't get through to the hallway. We were halfway down to their classrooms when announcements began and we had to frantically look around for a flag to pledge allegiance to. The teachers didn't care that they were late, and neither did I. I stopped in the school store to pick up the new school shirts (I am totally obsessed with school shirts. Love. Them.) and then headed on home to Gabe.

He was happily sprawled out on the couch watching cartoons. He did not care that his sisters were gone. He put on his new school shirt and lounged right on back down.

We spent the day with my sisters running errands. We didn't return to the house until after we picked up the girls. They both proclaimed that they had a fantastic day. HURRAY! Charlotte is freaking out because her teacher said she had to have her planner by tomorrow. Tough for teacher because the school store said they will be delivering them later this week. I'll write her a note to soothe her fears, though. Claire has a hefty spelling assignment due Thursday and a little bit of timed math. She's down there right now writing 21 words 3 times each. That's a lot, peeps. But she isn't complaining at all.

I don't know what to do for Family Home Evening. I am waffling between phoning it in with a story from the church children's magazine or a family game of Battleship. They had a big day full of instruction; I don't want to overload their little minds with even more lessons.

Gabe just wandered in making all sorts of sounds like, well, like cars crashing and stuff crunching. I asked him what he is imagining. Nothing - he is just beatboxing. Yipes.

It's five o'clock. Dinner is in the oven, but it likely won't be ready until 6:30. Andy isn't home yet. Cartoons are over. Claire is plugging away on her work. I wish I had a Virgil's Cream Soda. But I'm pleased with the day and looking forward to tomorrow. Welcome back, Routine!

Countdown almost over...

Monday school starts. SO HAPPY! We have absolutely everything we could need for it, have turned in the school supplies, met the teachers, and now we just wait.

I am not having any strong emotional response to another school year beginning. It is my last year home with Gabe, and therefore I refuse to send him to preschool. I can't hurry my baby out the door. We'll piddle around together as usual. Maybe he'll learn to pronounce his Rs better, who knows? I don't have any big goals for him other than just enjoy him. Charlotte has crossed over into big-kid territory fully and completely. She is goofy and nerdy and silly, friendly and happy and active - she's just wonderful. Claire still falls between the big and little kid groups. She may be entering 2nd grade, but she has yet to have a loose tooth, and that keeps her young.

They are all so tired that they fell asleep in the car on the way home from my parents' house this afternoon. I am going to hustle on down to fix dinner so they can shower and be ready for an early bedtime. Early. Like 6:30.

My biggest accomplishment this summer is tan lines. I haven't had them in YEARS AND YEARS, since I was a kid probably. I feel all islandy. Of course, my brother-in-law still says I'm pasty-white, but the proof is in the lines. Check it out:

Countdown to GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!

School. Must. Start.

These kids are cranky, whiny, and disobedient. They bicker all day. They moan and complain. Just one more week and then OUT OUT OUT!

Not Gabe, though. It is his last year at home. But I'll take one whiny mopey kid over three any old day.

We have one week to buy all Char's school clothes, both girls' shoes, the remainder of the school supplies (a hefty chunk), and school lunch food. With whiny, cranky kids. Grrrrrrr. I don't think I should have to mention the whiny, cranky mom.

Here is the part where I look at the bright side: The bright side is my girls haven't said a word about using leftover supplies from last year. Not one word about the bent up folders with the labels sorta peeled off the cover. Not one word about markers with no box. I love that part.

Andy said he put gas in my car - that's another bright side. Thanks, babe.

Happy Birthday Claire! and other stuff

I haven't been able to figure out my problem this week. No energy, icky tummy, no appetite. I am deciding that I've actually had a bug of some sort. It's too weird not to be. I've also had a tick in my back, like how you get in your eye, but in my back. ANNOYING. I decided it was all the non-eating I've been doing all week causing some lack of nutrients and hydration. Andy bought me some Special K protein shakes to try to force something in there. We'll see.

Today is my Claire Bear's birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She is 7 and FANTASTIC! I actually haven't even seen her yet, she went to donuts and soccer with her daddy before I woke up. And I woke up at 7:30, so it isn't just laziness standing in my way. Did I mention that I have a bug, too? Anyway, I can't wait to see her! She had such a hard time falling asleep last night from the excitement and anticipation. I will spend all afternoon making cake and cupcakes for her. She wants a giant leaf cake and ladybug cupcakes. I can't believe it's been 7 years - that is so big! The only thing keeping her little to me is the fact that she hasn't lost any baby teeth so her face hasn't changed. Thank goodness! It drives her nuts and she often asks when she'll get a loose tooth, but it makes me feel happy that she is still a little gal. Little, quite literally. She is pint-sized! She always looks a grade younger than she is. But she has attitude enough for a teenager. This time that year I was driving to the hospital after laboring at home during the night. I was feeling good, not too stressed. When I got there, I was already dilated to an 8, so I felt like a freaking champion of the universe since I wasn't getting an epidural. She came out all pissy and beautiful. Her hair was spiky and dark, but the tips were all blonde. I remember eating my entire lunch with my eyes shut and then falling right to sleep. Here are a few pictures to remind us all of how lucky we are to have a Claire in our world:

Bloggin' it out

Andy finally got home in the small hours of the morning after having been out of town since Thursday. It is a freaking MIRACLE the kids are still alive. [note to cps and the law: that ain't an actual threat, so lay off.] I actually told them not to talk to me last night because I was too angry at how disobedient they have been. And guess what - I woke up still angry. I will be DEPARTING this place when Andy gets home from work to do SOMETHING with nobody I grew. A recharge is definitely in order.

But what to do? I will contemplate it all the day long. Joyously. Longingly. I had planned on cleaning today, but I heard Andy telling the kids they would clean together later. Ha! Saved! So I think I'll just clean my room and bathroom since that is only my mess. With the music cranked up. Because my darling offsprings' voices still grate.

Hold the phone - Gabe just gave me three kisses; I'm feeling better. Granted, they were to pay for sips of my Izze Clementine soda, but they were sweet anyways.

I feel unprepared for August. Panicky, even. Claire's birthday is Saturday, and then school starts up, and Andy will travel again, and how is this happening so fast?? I wish Twix bars really paused your life. I'd still be in my twenties with the number I've eaten in my life. Wait a minute, I don't want to go back to the twenties. But my face would. My hairdresser recommended a place for me to Botox my forehead. Nice, huh?

It is almost noon. I will feed those small people downstairs and then hit up the mess in my room. I can do this. I can.

IZZE Clementine - 24 Pack - BeveragesDirect.com Online Ordering (clipped to polyvore.com)

AAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's August - I'm behind!!!!!!!

I haven't been computering because all of July was dedicated to the Summer Youth Musical at church. And I mean ALL of it. My girlies went on a grandparents trip for 10 days, and I divided the time they were gone between the musical and Gabe's abenchures ("adventures"). I foolishly promised him adventures while his sisters were gone, and being four and a half, he interpreted that as every single solitary dang-blasted day. We had swimming abenchure, eating at Sonic abenchure, playing with Minnie abenchure, playing with Lizzie abenchure, and a real actual abenchure at Brazos Bend State Park with his dad. The other abenchures - Hobby Lobby, Arne's Warehouse, etc. - were musical errands in abenchure disguises.

Welp, the musical is FINALLY FINALLY over, and that leaves me behind on everything else in my life! ARGH! And to make matters worse, I've found a series of books that I am way into reading rather than all the real-life stuff that awaits.

Thus, the library books are overdue, the kitchen is a pigsty, the clothes are unwashed, the girls are still packed , I have to ship something and get my car inspection sticker and a haircut and my hair dyed and blah blah blah.

PS I hear the musical went well. I was displeased with the results of my labors, but I think I'm biased against it. The kids did awesome, and they had fun so I hear, and isn't that all that really counts? So they tell me.

In other news... there is no other news. I gotta go make lunch for the kids and actually factually do my errands. But I wish I were reading.

Grocery Shopping

Gotta do it.

Sounds easy, I know, but first I have to think up things to eat, and I totally suck at that. I waffle between trying really hard to get a list together before I leave and deciding to just wing it once I get there thinking that maybe looking at food will make it appealing. Which never works.

I figured out we whities have a 2 hour swim limit at the pool or else we burn. And we surely reapply sunscreen at every adult swim break, but after two hours we burn anyway. I wish we could stay at the pool all day, though. Cuz that is called summertime fun.

My nails have gotten long so typing is hard. I keep having to correct stuff. Why do I not clip them? Besides the hygiene issue from last post, it is because I'm lazy. As Claire told Liz yesterday, "Mom's lazing around in her bed." Yep I was. And I plan on doing it again today. So there.

I read some cute books this week. "Our Only May Amelia" and "The Trouble with May Amelia" by Jennifer L. Holm. They are juvenile literature and historical fiction. I give them both thumbs up. If you like "Moon Over Manifest" and "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate," these are for you.

I think my husband wants me to take a shower.

Considering last night he said, "You need a shower." Huh? What? It's only been two days!

I seriously suck at hygiene. And, you know, productivity. And I'm beginning to suspect those two things are related.

Here's why: I got up Saturday morning with a full day ahead. Usually, I loll around in bed until 9am - not on weekends, on regular days. Weekends it is much later than that. Anyway, back to lolling: I loll around in bed. Then I loll around in the house in jammies or whatever I slept in. The point is, I don't dress or shower until there is somewhere I need to go. And Saturday, I needed to go somewhere early in the morning, and I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO! I mean it! I was standing idly in my bathroom thinking, "What am I supposed to be doing? Am I supposed to shower? Really?"

Okay, I used to work. I used to get up and get ready. Well, poorly, to be sure, but still. I can't believe I forgot how to have a morning routine! I had to talk myself through it like this: "Jennifer - just do what you would normally do at 10am. Start with brushing your teeth." It felt weird.

Which brings me to right now. 10am Tuesday. I have been lolling around until this "decent hour" so that I can feel comfortable taking a shower (you're welcome, Andy) and brush my teeth. But not eat breakfast. It's a little soon for that.

The point being, I'm finally noticing it might be a little weird that I am like this. The concept of getting out of bed and getting ready for the day regardless of my plans feels foreign and, dare I say it, slightly upsetting.

Best shower curtain ever! And indicative of my feelings toward the shower :)

In other news, I dreamed I was in college, which always makes me feel icky for hours after I wake up. Perhaps breakfast should be leftover chocolate coconut birthday cake. For medicinal purposes only.

I'm not good at responsibility

I finally forced myself to do those couple of things that were making me dread getting out of bed. My feeling of accomplishment just got squashed by remembering a dozen more that have me feeling worried and sick. I hate that, dang it!

Yesterday we had cake with the fam for Andy's birthday. It was so fun. First off, there was cake. Secondly, I just enjoy hanging out with the family so much. The kids were so happy they were playing together like champs for the rest of the night. Now, they keep asking me to eat up the leftover cupcakes. I should just let them so this doesn't drag on for days and days. And then I won't be sneaking them all the time. Yes, I sneak food. If the kids see me, it opens a whole can of worms that I don't wanna fish with.

I feel like I'm on top of and in control of my job for the Summer Youth Musical. Blacklight -check. Blacklight paint - check. Blacklight makeup - waiting for an email on that one. So half-check.

I couldn't sleep until 4:30am, so I watched movies on some tv channel. "The Women" with Meg Ryan and "Rachel Getting Married" with Anne Hathaway. Man, that last one is uber-depressing and bleh. No watchy. I like "The Women," though. My mom had told me it had zero men in it, and I didn't believe her, but it is true. No men on the street, no men in the restaurants, no men in the stores. Until the baby boy at the end. Nobody performs too well in that movie, but I have low standards.

I think I will force, yes force, myself to do two more things on the list. Just two. Then I can get on with my regular schedule of nothing.

NEW RULE

No blogging in the middle of the freaking night! I'm so depressing!!!

I hope in heaven we get our memories back

See this guy here?

I don't recognize him. Andy left a folder of pictures open on his computer monitor, and I didn't recognize this baby until I got to this one:

Yeah, I know it's Gabe. I figured it out from the context clues. Like in this one I recognize my hands. But not the baby:

I really wish I could remember him like this. I have lost all his first months. I don't know him in pictures at all. That is so tragic to me.

I get that I had a traumatic birth experience with him. I get that I had postpartum depression. I get that mental illness robs you of your memories. But I swear I better get them back in the next life or, really, I may start to question what this is all about.

Now I gotta go sneak into that little dude's room and lay with him so my heart will stop breaking. Hopefully, he'll wake up and make some rude remark and set my world right again.

Can't leave all that negative hanging out in the blogosphere...

Andy was out of town during that last post, so I was obviously having a little struggle. I feel better now that he's back and I've slept a lot and, frankly, eaten a lot of fast food and chocolate.

I'm about to take the kids to the library just to get out of the house. The family computer broke a while back, so this is their only opportunity to play computer games. Let me just say that their favorite is the one where they build a person. Wait, it gets nerdier: the computer provides all the different bones and organs, and my kids put them together into a skeleton with organs. No skin or muscles. Yes eyeballs. They love it. The fact they choose this over actual "game" type games thrills me. PS - they are very good at it.

Also, I will try to check out the second book in the 39 Clues juvenile series. It has an entire online world with cards and clues and I can feel another Webkinz-esque obsession coming on. I need a kid who is into it so that I can live through them. Because, even to me, buying a pack of kids collector cards for the code is going a little too far.

Okay, I gotta go help Gabe pick out some clean clothes. His current choice is a sweatshirt and size 3T jammie shorts that fit like biker shorts. Not happening.

This one's a downer

Everyone has been put down for a nap. Nobody has a nice tone or kind words for anyone. Therefore, they can lie alone and sleep. Or at least feel disciplined. Argh argh argh.

I need to pick up downstairs, I really do. I need to fold laundry and do dishes. I need to shower and shave. I need to veg in front of the tv and forget about how hard parenting is sometimes. Not that anything hard has occurred. It's just that same old story of running out of emotional energy before running out of daylight.

The crow came and left, if anyone is keeping track, so my energy is returning. Not so my "zest for life." Oh yeah, I don't have that. I was thinking about a post my friend Nat wrote about happiness. I don't really deal in happiness. I really need to work on that because that sounds sad to my ears. I'll start by identifying happy times:

The fourth of July was a happy day. Of course it was - I spent it with my family. We ate and swam and played Farkle and even cleaning up after was nice. We laughed a lot. We didn't even miss the fireworks that were banned due to the drought. It was kinda nice not to have to keep the kids awake until after dark, and it was certainly nice not having any neighbors popping off firecrackers until 1am.

My 12th anniversary on Saturday was nice. We ate out at the Swinging Door. That's where we had our wedding reception. It was fun to realize that we have planted roots in this place and grown a family here. It is fun to take our kids there and say, "This is where we had our wedding cake!" It is weird to be married so long, honestly. I mean, I feel old, generally, but that makes me sound even older to myself. I also made Andy and Craig and Jess watch "Sucker Punch" on our anniversary. It was not good, of course, but I'm glad I finally saw it. It is one of those movies that I will want to see until I finally get to, knowing that it is crap. Next up - "Season of the Witch" with Nicolas Cage. Better believe I'm looking forward to it.

This summer is a lot less enjoyable than summers past. The kids are so much less satisfied with their days. So much bickering and whining. But I feel like it is slipping away and they will be in school again before I know it and I'll have lost all this time with them. I don't want to send Gabe to preschool anymore. It his last year home, and I dread it ending. What will I do with him in school?? It's too sad to think about.

Well, it is 4pm and I still have that list of crap to get done. Good luck to me.

My girls are freaking famous!

Okay, not really. But they DID sing the National Anthem at the Astros vs. Rangers game last night with a church children's choir, and ROCKED IT! They had to walk all the way across the stadium to center field in Minute Maid park. Charlotte said it was scary. They were all very obedient and well-behaved and sang their hearts out. The best part was hearing the giant cheer that went up from the crowd when they were finished. What little rock stars.

On the flip side, Gabe has started telling me that he doesn't love me anymore every time he gets upset. Little jerk. He did get his cast off, though:

You may notice his right eye is a little black - he caught a frisbee with it on Sunday. Andy was afraid the doctor would think we were beating him. If that guy heard the way Gabe is talking to me, he may think we ought to.

Other than that, there is no news. Oh yes there is: I had a grownup girl sleepover with my friends! Well, our kids were their, too, but who cares? It was pretty much just like being a teenager: we ate junk food and drank soda and stayed up until 4am talking, and then we were grumpy the next morning when we had to wake up :) I loved it.

The Summer Youth Musical is kicking off next week, and since I don't have anything nice to say about it, I'll stop here.

FOR MARY ARLENE - JUST THINKING OF YOU!!!!

Liz and I made a playlist for you. We were gonna send a care package, but this is free :) ENJOY!

Where the (*#$&%9* IS THAT (*$#&*ING CROW:?!?!?

Welp, Gotta clean now.

Pththththtfffft.

I feel like crap. See the time stamp? 5am. Still awake. Blah blah blah.

The kids have been alternately making me laugh and making me crazy. Gabe is, in my opinion, slowly adjusting to his cast sitch. He totally acts like he is blaming me for it, and that is just rude. It's a misery to be around, too.

We are mostly bored. No swimming. One more week.

I am just waiting and waiting for the crow to leave, but it's sitting tight. So miserable.

That's it, really. Just keeping myself updated. Tomorrow we got some playmates coming, which is good, and I may even shower.

First Cast

Gabe fell yesterday while playing on the McDonald's playland. He cried mighty hard and long about his arm hurting, and then he wouldn't use it for the rest of the day. He wouldn't use it when he woke up today either, so off to get an x-ray.

It is awesome that nothing is broken. However, his elbow is sprained, and in order to protect the ligaments from further injury, he has to be casted for 2 weeks. You can see by his face how he felt about that. He is slightly happier now with some signatures to show, but he is pretty bummed.

No swimming. That's what I keep thinking. No swimming for 2 weeks. Something of a death knell to those words. Y'all pray.

Where's my picture of a crow when I need it!? *&%^$!

That's about all there is to say, peeps.

Grumble grumble

I feel grumpy. I'm supposed to be cleaning, which is probably why I feel grumpy, but I am frustrated that my cell phone has next to zero reception in my house so I keep missing calls and texts and whatnot. Grrr.

I have the kids watching "Rock A Doodle" while I fold clothes. I remember watching this as a kid, but apparently I didn't remember much because everything seems brand new. Except the Grand Duke of Owls. I remember his mouth munching on things clear as day. Creepy.

We are all tired. We are all a little bored. Apparently one week of summer is all it takes.

"She gots da sweet teef!" and "Dying to death."

Today we made cupcakes in order to use up some leftover icing. No really, that was the sole motivation.  Anyways. I suggested to the kids that we should share them with the Pabsts (or possibly they suggested it to me). However it happened, Claire nodded to me knowingly as we packed them up and said, 'Cuz you know how Liz is." Gabe chimed in enthusiastically, "Yeah! She gots da sweet teef!" Indeed she does. Sweet teef run in the family.

On the much less enthusiastic walk home seeing as how the Pabsts weren't there, Charlotte was bemoaning a cut on the sole of her foot that either suddenly appeared or started hurting, I don't know which. She told me, "It's bad, but not as bad as the cut on my head, or else I would be screaming and crying and dying to death." "Oh, well, I'm glad it isn't," I replied, "We can't have any dying to death." She responded, "It's just an expression, Mom. I didn't mean it literally."

Thank heavens she cleared that up. Now maybe I can direct her over to Hollywood to help the A-listers out with this term since I promise I heard a Kardashian say that her head was "literally exploding." Messy.

First Day of Summer

Let's just redefine that right now, because my geeky little kids refuse to call it summer until June 21. Fine, whatev, that's the first official day of summer according to the solar system. But the HIGHER authority, namely me, says it is when school is out and it is hotter than a two-dollar pistol outside. So, that is today.

And how are we spending it? Gabe is on a playdate with his buddy, and of course I feel a little sad that he's big enough to go off and play without me. Charlotte will have a playdate later in the afternoon. Claire and I will do something fun, but we don't know what yet. In the meantime, we cleaned out their desks in preparation for summer. They've come a very, VERY long way, my little packrats. They didn't cry or fuss one little bit about tossing out all sorts of trash. They were actually excited about it. That is mighty progress, my friends. They both hoard things (like the time Claire kept all the real dyed Easter eggs until we found them in the summer.)

After working hard tidying up the living room, they asked to relax. So they are watching some tv. I'll get up some lunch and then maybe even fold some clothes. Maybe. Looking doubtful.

I don't know if I mentioned that Charlotte is in a medical study for kids with unexplained tummyaches. It is a research study, so we don't get any feedback or medical help or anything like that, BUT she does get paid! By the end of the study, she will have $150. Whoa, right? Today she told me she is seriously considering buying a Kindle with it, after paying tithing. Now I am seriously considering going in on half of that thing so I can use it, too. We talked about having to buy each book and how much they cost. She was down with it. Plus, there is a library lending feature about to come out. Awesomely awesome. We'll see how she decides when the study is over in about 2 months. But I like it. A lot.

Congratulations Charlotte!

Guess what?! Charlotte was awarded the Principle's Award today at school!  Each teacher picks one girl and one boy who is outstanding in various ways - could be citizenship or most improved academically or something like that. Char was awarded for Outstanding Work Skills.  AWESOME!  Here's a picture:

I know it is blurry - my phone is crappy like that.  It is particularly special because the little boy she received it with is her very good friend James. They've been in the same class since kindergarten, and he has Asperger's syndrome. They always take good care of each other and help each other. He came to her baptism last October and has been a true friend to her. It was touching for them to share the honor today.

She was also on the All A Honor Roll!  Go girl!!  I'm very proud of all her hard work and dedication!!! Here's another blurry picture of her receiving the Honor Roll award: