Oh, Gabe! You kill me!!!

It's Red Ribbon Week at school. You know, so the kids are all pumped up about being drug-free. And pumped up they are. Each day they have a different theme to wear with some kitchy phrase to remind them to be drug-free. For example, yesterday they wore neon because they are too bright to take drugs, got it?

So, my Gabe. So excited. All week talking about drug-free, drug-free, drug-free. And then, yesterday, during his sweet morning prayer while we were driving to school, he just got a little confused, and prayed,

"Dear Heavenly Father, Help us to have a good day, and to have good dreams, and to have free drugs."

OH MAN! I almost wrecked the dang car! I was laughing so hard, and trying so hard not to let him know I was laughing so hard, because honestly that is the sweetest prayer, but HILARIOUS!!!

Craptober, so far, is more of an Okaytober. I thank the universe for that

We had the annual Green Family campout, wherein my family left a day early and therefore missed the big rainout. Ha! Score one for us!

We had General Conference, which I am now basing our Family Home Evening lessons on, so I feel less like I'm just sorta swarming around and more like I have a direction. Point 2.

We had our Primary Program. It is most likely Charlotte's very last one ever as her birthday is at the beginning of October, and our ward usual has the program after that. Touching. She wrote a talk all by herself about her testimony of prayer. She was very nervous to start (sinking down behind the podium until the wonderful Primary president talked her back to a standing position), but she was clear-spoken and did a great job. As did the other two with their lines, and all of them had great success singing in their small groups. Point 3!

The shorter days are catching up to my good spirits, and this is even before the time change (November 3rd, people, don't forget). I'm trying to overcome by tapping into my kids' happy feelings about the "cool Autumn breezes" as Gabe puts it. They like not being sweltering at the playground during recess. Since it is still in the mid-70s during the hottest part of the day, I am not in that panicky cold-weather place. I still wear long sleeves, though, because I am cold-natured and stubborn to boot.

It's only 6pm, but I desperately want to close my eyes for about an hour. But I know if I just push through, I can have the kids down early (since it is darker outside, they don't question me. Ha! Point 4!), and then watch "Sleepy Hollow" (the series) and "Blacklist" on tv. I can eat candy and drink the two sodas that I found rolling around next to the up-ended cooler on the back patio. I can fall asleep on the couch if I want. Or I can read them another chapter of Harry Potter, which I should probably do before they forget where we are in the story. Yeah, that sounds good.

Is it too early to call it "Craptober?"

Probably, but I feel pessimistic. That ain't a good way to start the month.

Nothing to report, really. Gabe keeps saying cute things, but I'm so tired that I keep forgetting them. Alas. Just remember that he says really cute things.

George and I fight a lot. That bunny. Apparently he thinks he should have the run of  the downstairs, and when I pen him up, he pouts and ignores me. Rude.

Our house is cracking into three pieces. Foundation repair on the horizon.

Fall allergy season. I've had it easy, except today I'm feeling sneezy. That wasn't intended as a poem, but I'll go with it. Because my lunch has made me queasy. I think my burger was too cheesy.  Wish I had a legit reason to use "sleazy."

Still can't force myself to do any hobbies. Except play Candy Crush on my phone. And watch tv. No reading. No sewing. No smiling. I guess that last one I could try. In fact, I do try every day. I make it a point to be smiling as I pull into the car pickup line at school. I like my kids to have a shot at a happy afternoon. They like it. I can tell because they smile and wave as I pull up. That feels good. Good mom point for me.

I have to scrounge up some dinner. I have to put away yesterday's groceries. I have to make like a million appointments. That makes me want to go to sleep under the desk. Which reminds me of Gabe's cute thing he said today. He decided to do his homework sitting on the floor of my room under my desk with a box to support his paper. He said, 'It's like my own little office." Never mind the desk he has in the actual office. It was cute anyway. But only a little, because he had just had a fit over writing a sentence using his spelling word "has."

Gabe: "It just doesn't make sense, Mom. 'I has...?'"

Mom: " You are right. It makes no sense like that. Why don't you try using it in a sentence about another person."

Gabe: "Mom! Ugh! I don't KNOW another person! It's too hard!!!"

Mom: "Really. You know no other person. At all. Not one. You are all by yourself right now. You gave yourself that homework assignment. I think not."

Gabe: "I can't do it!"

Mom: "Then you will suffer the consequence. I will think it up now."

Gabe: "How do I spell, 'Dad has a job?'" 

Mom: "Great sentence, bud. Sound it out yourself. In another room, please."

See how the office thing isn't so cute after that? Because it isn't really in another room. You see how he did that? Gabe and George. They are both against me.

That's it. Pancakes for dinner.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sucktember

Well, that about sums it up.

Andy was out of town 17 days. The days he was in town, he was not home. The days he was at home, he was working in his office. It. Was. Rough. PS - ALL of the trips were over weekends. Not a single weekend home. I had high hopes for the last one, but I was bamboozled by non-updating technology and there was indeed a trip where no trip appeared on my Google calendar on my phone. We are back to a paper calendar due to the extent of my irritation. A girl likes to know how much energy she is rationing out. I was sorely lacking.

Now, though, I am feeling a little better. It appears Andy will be in town most of October, which is a relief. I have been doing my morning routine created by FlyLady, so I feel somewhat productive and the house is under control, at least for us. I am preparing for the church's bi-annual General Conference plus Charlotte's eleventh birthday this weekend. Chocolate cake, so nothing too fancy. I guess she is being merciful after Claire's rainbow debacle. I can't read or sew or anything these days, I don't know why. I'm leaving that comma splice in there even though it is bothering me.

Today I took McDonald's up to the school for all of my kids in honor of Charlotte's birthday. I also took brownies to her class. And since Claire's birthday was before school began, I took cookies to her class as well. They no longer let me sit at the class cafeteria table with my babies. They now have a "parent" table where your child plus one friend can come sit with you. A little ostracizing, but whatever. At least it is easier to ignore the calls for total silence from the cafeteria wardens. Nobody is going to tell me I can't talk to my kid I'm eating lunch with. Charlotte and Claire share a lunch time, so I sat with them both and their friends (Chloe for Claire and Sydney for Charlotte). Chloe told Claire I am more fun than her mom. Which isn't true because her mom gave her an American Girl birthday party at the store in the private room where the girls ordered lunch off a menu and everything. But it was during the summer, and kids like what is right in front of their faces more than anything else, so. It still felt good. Gabe didn't invite a friend to sit with us because Jade invited herself. She is my friend from his kindergarten class who held my hand the entire field trip I went on. She loves me. Gabe didn't care. He didn't care about anything besides his Batman happy meal toy. Anyway, it was all a fun time. I even sneaked off to the book fair between lunches and bought these sweet babies:

Man, I LOOOOVE these books!
Well, I guess I need to start dinner. Chicken or tacos. Grumble grumble grumble.