Is it my house?

Why do all my "energy efficient" light bulbs have a shorter life than the cheap ones I get. Yes, I even check the wattage thing. Seriously, they only last like 3 months. I've had some old cheapies that have been in ever since we moved in, almost 4 years ago.

Most carpet cleaners don't get out "kid pudding", as McKell says, or more commonly known as Hunt's pudding in a cup. Bleach, however gets kid pudding off of the sheets nicely. The 'scrub' and vacuum off the dirt claim doesn't work. Neither does my steam cleaner, both in getting the stain out, and now, turning on and heating water.

Shoes get swallowed in the depths of my walls. Usually one one of a pair. It really stinks, especially when it's all the same side of the foot.

Offices should be renamed "The room in the house that you can fool yourself into thinking is organized and clean, but really isn't and never will be". I think the same can be said of my laundry room.

Hanging on to the rope

I'm hanging onto the rope right now. Life is brewing below me, ready to swallow me up, but I'm determined to keep holding on. It's so busy this time of year - the schedule is crazy and add to that any 'unscheduled' activities and it can throw your day into a tailspin.

I've been watching Tinkerbell and the Lost Treasure for the past three days, holding a 2 year old constantly and attending to her little burned hands. A 'push off' of the fireplace glass on Saturday night had us at the hospital's burn unit on Saturday night and Sunday night, scraping and cleaning her burns. She's been really good, only crying when we change her dressings and wash her poor, raw skin, but she'll just say, "Hand, hurt" and hold her bandaged hands up.

I have many things to do, none of which are getting done, but I don't mind. I've realized lots will slip through the cracks, some important, most not, but I can't resist when she says, "Hold you". So I do, and we watch Tinkerbell again.

I caved...

Yes, I caved, after my no-candy Halloween mantra. I did add candy to my wax lips and sticky eyeball combination after repeated emails from males (mind you, no women said going sans candy was a bad idea). I heard, "you're going to be THAT house, the one that no one comes to", or "some one's going to egg your house or smash your pumpkins". I must say, none of which happened, and it wasn't because I had candy, it's because we are a 'cool' house.

And, since we're in confession mode (we meaning me), I did go to the local Walgreen's in between school carnivals and parties and trick or treating at the office and bought a bag of Halloween candy and started eating it...and I haven't stopped. This is why I don't like Halloween, OK, the constant sugar rush isn't so swell either, but I have no willpower.

And I forgot to take pictures of the kids on Halloween night. In fact, I don't even know where my camera went. This is very bad news. So, instead of pictures of my kids on Halloween night, I'll give you a small sample of some family pictures we had earlier in October.

I've become one of those moms...

Yep, I'm getting old. Two things this past week have made it pretty clear that I've crossed the line.

1. I have gray hair - not just one or two, lots. It became very apparent when I parted my hair to put into a very sleek and modern ponytail (I can't do my hair worth a lick) and smack dab in the front was a small 'skunk patch' as I call it. Horrified, I tried to part my hair someplace else, that darn skunk patch was everywhere. You'd better believe I called to get my hair done.

2. I didn't buy Halloween candy, nor do I plan on buying any. I've not gone as far as handing out toothbrushes, but we are doing wax lips and some sticky, slimy eyeball things you throw against the wall. I bought mini granola bars for Randy to hand out at the office. I just couldn't do it for several reasons:

1. Mostly because I eat all the candy and I've been working hard at exercising. Last year, Halloween was the beginning of my downward spiral which bottomed out just after New Years, it got so bad that I had convinced myself that it was completely fashionable if I wore maternity pants for the rest of my life.

2. My kids eat enough junk anyway. Yes, my kids will still get Halloween candy from all the neighbors, but they really enjoyed the pencils and erasers they got last year.

3. I don't like sucker sticks or candy wrappers all over the floor. I REALLY hate half-eaten candy. Isn't it a problem when your kids have so much candy they don't even want to finish once piece before starting another? Talk about over-indulgent.

4. Ellie can't eat half the candy out there. You'd be surprised at how many things have wheat and gluten in them. Odd things. Which is another reason why we are doing the candy thing different this year - I can't have her getting into their candy and is it really fair for her to have to be relegated to the not as yummy stuff which consequently is mostly suckers - which I hate? So, the kids can eat all they want on Halloween night and the next day, after that, it all gets thrown away. I've made a little treat bag for Ellie so she can have some candy.

Lest you think I am a Halloween Grinch, I am planning on dressing up - I'll have to post pictures after, but I plan on wearing a costume to a party and something else to the kids' school on Friday.

One more thing - I'm not a health nut, I just ate a carrot cake cupcake and washed it down with Coke. Hypocrite, probably - but I'm the Mom.

Does it matter?

Now I'm not looking for hundreds of comments (or am I?:), but the thought of updating my blog, which is essentially a journal, is not the most appealing to me - no wonder why I stink at journal keeping. I mean, how interesting am I really? Nothing super exciting happens (minus our recent trip to China, pulling our kids out of school for a family vacation for a week, chasing down the H1S1 or whatever vaccine, etc.) Does anyone want to hear about another Mom blogging about her life? Do my kids want to read about it? Am I really that funny? Who knows... just feeling like it doesn't matter, three people read my blog (and I know it's not about the readership) and they all know these stories and what my kids look like.

Just some thoughts. Now I'm tired and I need to clean my office.

Why I have gray hair

One two year old who continually tries to exert her independence - mostly through refusing to take off her Halloween Costume I ordered (side note: confirming the fact I HATE glitter) which I'm sure will be in threads next week and throwing herself on the ground and going limp. Or, getting up as early as she wants and then refuses to go back to sleep, when I do, she sticks her finger up my nose and scratches. Visual: not pretty.

One six year old boy who refuses to get ready faster than a snail in the mornings. I think he finds secret joy with me getting so frustrated when he's eating breakfast or in the bathroom after everyone has been loaded into the car ready to go (and we're always running late as it is). I won't mention the times I've found him in the bathtub when we've been loaded ready to go places - just because he wants to take a bath.

One eight year old who misplaces everything. "Mom, where did my (you fill in the blank) go?" I must have super human radar abilities since he keeps asking me where things go I've never seen before.

One four year old who uses the "I don't feel very well" line a lot. Like in school so she gets sympathy. Or when she collapes on the soccer field because the ball goes past her and she didn't kick it and then screams out for all to hear, "Now I don't get to get an ice cream because I lost the ball" - like I'm some sort of obsessed soccer parent (BTW: I never told her anything about ice cream) and crumples into a heap and sobs. Coaches check on her, parents give her that sweet, "Oh, poor child" look and her mother - dragging her off the field for the 10th time with a screaming Ellie in a football hold in the other arm and telling her to "Cowboy Up". Probably doesn't do much to dissuade someone that I'm not a crazy sports obsessed parent. Mostly It's because I've already dealt with 2 boys who have to go to the bathroom...bad..and it's not the easy run to the trees type..a baby who throws all the contents out of my purse, it's hot, I've lugged all the chairs, blankets, and other paraphernalia to the game...realizing I look like a disheveled woman who has far to many kids for her abilities.

Seeing how fast they are growing up, I'll take gray hair any day.

Bumper Crop

Butternut squash, zucchini, spaghetti squash and beautiful ruby red tomatoes.

What a wonderful way to celebrate the end of the summer.

Emotions.

I am not usually an emotional person. I've been told I have the emotional equivalent of a rock...no emotion. Right now I am sitting at my computer, at 10:32 pm after just finishing an appeal letter to our insurance company to reconsider their denial of payment for genetic testing, feeling a bit heavy-hearted, for some reason and tears welling up in my eyes.

Maybe it's because in writing this letter I reviewed medical evaluations, re-read tests and charts that showed how my little boy's nerves in his arms and legs are not communicating to his muscles. I remember vividly going into the Neurologist's exam room and watching her conduct the tests on my little six year old. I remember him laying on the exam table, trying to distract him as he was repeatedly shocked with something that resembled a glorified cattle prod. I remember the Neurologist having to increase the voltage because she was not getting a reaction from his nerves. I saw my brave little boy try his best not to cry, but wiped a few tears that streamed down his face. I remember looking up at the computer monitor, knowing that the way the graph was measuring that something wasn't right. I deduced that if one was having a nerve test to see how fast nerves were communicating to the muscle, that a long lapse and then a movement wasn't a good sign.

I sat there as he whispered to me - "Is it over yet?" with a quivering chin. I do remember afterward the Neurologist talking with me and words hanging in the air like degenerative nerve disease, no cure, muscular dystrophy, surgeries, MRIs. I remember trying to wrap my head around what was happening. I was given a script to schedule Tyler's MRIs, which I held in my hand as I walked numbly to the Radiology department.

I will never forget waiting to schedule his brain and spine scans and looking over at this little boy playing in the corner... my boy, who happened to look up at me and smile and wave, having no idea how much my heart was breaking for him. It took all I had at that moment to not collapse on a chair and cry. I was sad for him. My sweet blond haired, blue-eyed, gray-toothed monkey had a bit of a long row to hoe, and it wasn't just for a little while. This would be a challenge he'd always physically have.

As we walked out of Primary Children's hospital that afternoon, his hand in mine, I knew that this would be a defining moment. I was to choose how I would act when life happens and plans change - which they always do. I decided this was not going to be any easier if I fell apart in front of him. It was time to walk the talk. It was time to 'put my shoulder to the wheel'. So we walked out of the hospital, hand in hand, talking about Star Wars. My tender-hearted warrior and me.

The race is on...

(Yes, these are exactly what my abs look like...Jealous?)

School's in session. New year, new homework load, new schedule to keep. My 3rd grader brings home more work than I was prepared to do. I know eventually he'll be doing it all himself, but all the kids are on the 'hands on' level for school work and it seems a bit much. It feels like we are running a marathon from 3pm till I drop at night. We have our own version of 'morning rush hour" at our house.

Publish Post

Shameful.

I just broke into the school snacks I purchased today that I told my kids were "off limits". Zebra cakes aren't even that good. Shameful. Just Shameful.

The BEST cookies!

It's time to post a recipe for our new FAVORITE cookies. I picked this one up off of mykitchencafe.blogspot.com. The kids gobbled these babies up, and I might have had a few myself. We've made these three times this week. Randy likes them crispy, I like them super gooey. Either way, these sure are yummy. Make sure you have some milk!

Perfect Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
from mykitchencafe.blogspot.com

1 cup oatmeal (not quick)
2 1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoons vanilla
1 cup coconut
12 oz. semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put the top 4 ingredients into a food processor or blender and blend about 30 seconds until coarse. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat the butter for 30 seconds until light in color. Add the sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Next, add the dry ingredients then add the coconut and chocolate chips. Shape cookie dough into balls and place on cookie sheet. Bake for 12-13 minutes. Let the cookies cool slightly before removing them from the pan to a wire rack. Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

My Big Girl Baby...

This little cutie is growing up way too fast. She turns two at the end of next month but has grown up in leaps and bounds the past month or so. She sleeps in a 'big girl bed'. She really didn't have a hard time transitioning from crib to bed after our trip at the beginning of July. She doesn't like her diaper, only Dora or Princess (Disney) underwear. Most days I can put her underwear over her diaper but the days are becoming more frequent when she wants only 'Dora" or "Princess" on. Today is one of those days. I'll take her to the bathroom every 20 minutes. She's been fine today, but I'm not ready for potty training. She just looks so cute with it on and she feels like a big girl.

Ellie knows the names of Ariel, Belle, and Cinderella. She also knows the songs that are associated with Cinderella and Ariel. It's the cutest thing. She LOVES 'pincess' (as she calls it) Dora, Franklin, and Little Bear (the last two are TV shows). I frequently find her sitting on the floor, looking at the kids books - especially Tyler's easy readers.

This fall she'll be my little buddy with the three older ones gone all day at school - well, at least three days a week. The other two days the girls and I will play and go to museums.

Before you think Ellie's super advanced, she has colored on our floor with permanent marker in the last week and continues to climb on the table and throw all the fruit out of the fruit basket.

Summer

I love summer. I love the warmth, the sun hitting your face. I love the smell coming off the mountain in the summer. I love the breeze at night. I love the casual schedule. I love chubby feet that are dirty from running in the grass. I love sunburned cheeks, evidence of a fun day. I love the accumulation of Creamie and other Popsicle wrappers and sticks on the ground. I love watching my kids play with each other all day. I love seeing the three amigos smashed like sardines on the top bunk every night because they want to sleep together. Summer is when there is time for battles with dragons, knights, forts, light-saber battles and late night ice cream treats. I love it.

Not too shabby

Our family's been enjoying a week here. Well, not just in Coeur d'Alene, but in Kellogg, Idaho. We've had many beach days, hiking, biking and lots of cousin time. It truly is beautiful up here and it's been relaxing.

Off to enjoy the last day....

Is it bad?

I'm looking at three very yummy cookie plates for teachers. I've eaten all the 'extra' cookies that were made. I'm trying to restrain myself from sneaking a cookie off of each plate and shuffling the others around to fill in the gap. I also had a fleeting thought to just not give the teachers the cookies, eat them myself and give the teachers a lame gift instead. After all, I won't see them for a whole summer and they won't remember that I gave the lame gift. I then get mad at myself for not having any control and wanting to eat cookies after I've had plenty today.

I do the same thing with Christmas goodie plates. I think I have a problem.

The Final Countdown...

Ever hear the song, "The Final Countdown" by Europe? I'm probably dating myself, but hey, the majority of my readership - all three of you, are in the same era as me. That's what I'm feeling. The final countdown. School is over tomorrow for one boy, and next week for the other. We can make it!

The final countdown has lots of meanings right now. Maybe I'll post on that at some point, but right now, it's time to motivate myself with a sugar cookie and a swig of Coke.

Food.

I like to cook. I LOVE to cook. I dream of having my own cooking show and hiring someone else to clean up my kitchen. I pour over cookbooks like others do books, I dream up spice combinations, I rework recipes in my head. My favorite Disney movie is Ratatouille. I identify with Remy the rat (yes, I did just admit I am like a FICTIONAL rat). But, I love to cook for people other than my kids. I am tired of cooking for my kids. I am tired of making inventive lunches for school. I am tired of making dinner and no one eating it, and instead everyone eating a bowl of cereal - gluten-free cereal in Ellie's case. I'm tired of leftovers. I'm tired of cooking lunch for myself. A nice, chilled can of Cherry Coke Zero is much more appealing.

Confession: I didn't cook dinner last night. I don't know what the kids had for dinner - I think Austin had s'mores in the microwave (some of the baked on marshmallow is on the turn style and I'm too lazy to clean it off). I didn't fix lunch today. The kids had tortilla chips and granola bars and whatever else was in the pantry. In my defense I did start the week out with Grilled Italian Chicken and Rice, which no one ate, another night I made Coconut shrimp on Spaghetti Squash, which no one ate, and Chicken Lettuce Wraps (think PF Changs) which no one ate, and Grilled Monterrey Jack Turkey burgers. No one ate anything -- it's all 'gross' or suddenly the hunger pains go away, only to emerge right before bed accompanied with groans. At which time I either say "Sorry, you eat dinner when it's available" or I'll say, "Go get a granola bar", at which time they'll say, "No, I want something cooked (meaning: hot)". Apparently all the above items I've cooked for dinner during the week are 'cold' (tell that to my arm hair that was singed when I started the 'cold grill').

Don't tell me to fix kid meals - I do my fair share of pancakes, plain noodles, boring chicken, chicken nuggets, and hot dogs - I do my part with filling my kids with nitrates and preservatives.

I did, however, make 40 mini chocolate cupcakes with a peanut butter frosting. Those taste good washed down with Cherry Coke.

My proud mom moment from last week...

Such a proud Mom moment last week at the doctors office. McKell had her four year old check-up last week, scheduled at the same time as Ellie's well baby visit (albeit a few months late, but hey, we're lucky to feed kids around here). As a side note, McKell turned four two weeks ago and no, I haven't posted on her birthday, nor Austin's eight year old birthday in March...I know, bad mom, but I can live with it.

Anyway, the nurse was testing McKell's eyes with the shape chart. McKell would say, "heart, circle, star, etc". The nurse then pointed to a picture of the American flag and McKell, without skipping a beat says, "A tattoo". I laughed so hard. The nurse then said, "Oh, does someone in your family have a flag tattoo?"

If I was to have a tattoo, I certainly wouldn't pick the American flag - maybe a motto like, "There will always be something on your to-do list" or something on my head that says, "Say please first". I told the nurse that we didn't have any tattoos of flags or any other things on people in our house. This while Ellie was running around the hallway in only a diaper and socks with three suckers stuck to her belly and her neck frozen in one direction because her neck crease was 'glued' together with sticky sucker sugar with fuzz hanging off.

I'm not sure the nurse was convinced.

Things that make me sad

Blue 'kids' toothpaste on white berber carpet...all over the carpet in clumps and then smeared in. How does this happen? Apparently the tube is too hard for most of my children to squeeze to get the toothpaste out. My ingenious little ones decided to lay the tube on it's side. stomp on the tube to launch the toothpaste out, then walk over to the place where the glob lies and put some on their toothbrushes. Clever indeed.

I'm still very sad...

(Notice how it is a 'neat squeeze')

Mr. Broken Arm and his "Florida" test...

I'm posting a picture of Austin and his broken arm, which he broke in early March, due to a daredevil attempt that went wrong. He was playing downstairs and decided to rope two crutches together and jump from the downstairs kitchen counter onto the crutches ( a unicycle sort of trick). It didn't work so well and he wound up on the floor in a crumpled mess. I saw his arm and knew instantly that he'd probably broken it. We then called Randy, who was on his way home from several days of work travel to pick Austin up from the house and take him in to get his arm X-rayed. I thought I was pretty darn handy when I fashioned a homemade splint out of two wooden spoons and ace bandaged his arm up, even making a sling. Man, I'd be a good pioneer woman!

The following picture is of him right before he was getting his cast off on April 13th. I'm surprised that thing held together,it was so smelly! If you look closely, we actually taped it up with blue tape because it was literally falling apart. He would try to put his arm around you during our 'movie nights' and we would always have to ask him to put it on his lap. I won't soon forget the 'cast perfume' as I call it.

As the cast was taken off, he had part of a mechanical pencil top stuck in his arm from where he had been itching his arm with the pencil and had come apart as he scratched. This was maybe one week into the cast. Austin had told me he had something in his cast. I thought he said "pencil lead" he said "pencil head". Bad mom award... Well, that pencil tip left quite a large open sore that is now 'drying out" (sorry for that gross image if you were eating while reading my super updated entries - I usually eat brownies while catching up on blogging, but that's besides the point) so it does not become infected. So, not only did Austin break his arm, but he'll have a cool scar on his arm for his life in the shape of a mechanical pencil head (that's how I'm selling it). Isn't he handsome?!


In other Austin news...I was going over one of his geography tests. This one was on Florida. The question was "What is Florida's most famous natural feature? Describe it in at least two sentences" Here is what Austin put:

"Florida's most natural feature is old people because they want to relax and go to the beach."

I laughed so hard. He got the question wrong but he should have gotten at least a few points for creativity.

Maybe I'll update my blog this weekend. So much to post about.

Randomness

The day began at 1:30am with Ellie screaming in her bed. I go in her room to find her sopping wet. She had opened her bottle and poured it all over herself.

I was up at 5:30 am. I should have exercised, instead I cleaned the basement and mopped the floor for my dad coming into town this afternoon.

I made dinner with a screaming child at my feet, mitigated fights between brothers - one who finished his homework early and the other who continues to drag his feet while having tears at the table.

I"m tired and I have invoices to create, and a baby who's crying in her bed again, mad because I put her to bed.

And I smell like soy sauce. From dinner, not naturally.

In other random news for posterity's sake:

• Tyler's gray tooth got punched out in a boxing match between him and his friend (a friendly one)
• McKell is with her dad at Disneyland for a little "McKell/Daddy time" pictures to follow ( who am I kidding, I won't post them, I can't even eat a full meal by myself)
• I was lovingly referred to as a 'silly rat' by McKell. I feel so honored.
• Nothing like finding a butter knife in the sippy cup drawer that has old, rancid peanut butter on it. Maybe my house was the origin of the salmonella outbreak.
• Every apple I purchased from Costco has had a bite taken out of it and put back in the container, bite side down.
  

Ellie is now mad screaming in her bed - we all know the type - where they start coughing and you know gagging is just around the bend.

I've also realized I have Gothic white skin. I must find some sun and get my Vitamin D intake. How's that for randomness.

My Tyler

Our sweet Tyler did so well today with his two MRIs. We went to the Children's Hospital very early this morning and he had his IV and drifted off to sleep while they took pictures of his brain and spine. He was scared but did a great job. I think it helped that Dad hugged him while they put in the IV and I read stories to him.

We are sure proud of our resilient, tender hearted boy. He doesn't seem to mind all the poking, proding, and annoyances of doctors, vials, and tests. He takes it all in stride.

Tyler, you are very brave and we hope to have answers and an action plan for you soon!

I will update my blog someday

Yes, I will update my blog at some point, and it's not because nothing exciting has happened. There's always something brewing at my house, I just don't have more than two minutes to sit down and record it.

A preview of things to post about:

• Ian's Australian move
• Valentine's weekend
  
• A post of 25 things about me (I keep getting tagged on Facebook but don't stay on long enough to respond) that I know all are DYING to know about me.

Off to shower and go listen to Austin's presentation on Arkansas for his state report, complete with a glitter poster. Whoever invented glitter is NOT my friend. It must be a man who has never had children or been around children.

My baby's not a baby anymore and other happenings...

You'd think I'd realize by child #4 that when a child hits 17 months old that they are officially a toddler. Ellie's always been 'the baby'.

"Pick up your toys or the baby will eat them"
"As soon as the baby wakes up we'll go and do so and so.."

Today, I officially declare that Ellie is no longer a baby, she is a toddler and a BUSY one!

This past week she had done the following:

• Climbed to the top of the boys' bunk beds several times and tried to launch herself off the top bunk
• Taken several showers by herself, just happy as a clam playing with toys
• Climbed onto the toilet and tried to shimmy on to the sink
• Climbs the outside of the stairs -(no doubt learned from older siblings who climb the outside of the stairs and hang off the stair spindles)
• Climbs from the chair onto the table and proceeds to THROW everything off the counter - bananas, beverages, tomatoes
• Loves to put on lip gloss - on the floor, her face, anything in front of her
  
• Gets a cup and lid out of the designated drawer and hands it to me (and my cue to get her a drink)
  
• Can open any drawer and throws the entire contents onto the ground with a squeal of delight
  

This, is her new thing...she can be found going into the pantry at any time during the day and doing this...


Notice the OREO cookies that she will open herself..and her blue eyes...Grandpa Ryder, you should be proud.

In other happenings this past week...

Wonder dog has terrorized several people - apparently she's wanting to test her shock collar limits outside. The low point was when the dry cleaning man called me from his van outside our house yesterday asking to put the dog away.

Lots of sick people with the flu. Always a fun weekend when each evening another person bites the dust with throw up. My personal favorite, when McKell was sitting next to me and tells me her tummy hurts and then does the gross burp where you know something bad will happen, as I'm telling Randy to throw me a towel, she throws up in my lap.

Wondering why on earth I fix any sort of meal. I HATE that the kids try to snack all day, and that my pantry door is a revolving one - I can't lock it - and are at this moment coming in the house with orange soda (and subsequently yelling at wonder dog to stay outside or "I shock you really hard" says McKell...such violent words, surely not learned from her mother) and telling me they want to eat something and then say they have stomach aches...hmm.. crackers, beef jerky, stale sandwiches from lunch...I wonder. Maybe you should wonder about my mothering skills because sometimes I just don't care and let them eat because at least they aren't fighting or arguing with me about doing homework, picking up, etc. Let's face it, I'm a broken lady by 4:45 pm. A frazzled, broken lady.

On another note, I just made a very fabulous brownie pudding - like a big, yummy chocolate molten lava cake that we will have for dessert (and my breakfast tomorrow) with ice cream and a mixed berry sauce - yum.

Time to roll up the sleeves and rally the troops. We must focus for the next two hours.

Reality...and why I don't love dogs

I'm recording my day, since this is my journal, I want to remember all the good, bad and ugly times so that I will always remember how I survived it all.

Today:

8:30 am - Late dropping Austin off at school (not really late, but late for my next carpool pick-up)

8:55 am - Pick up all little girls in preschool carpool

9:05 am - Take girls' to preschool. McKell slips on ice, crying in the driveway. Me - rush to help her in my cute red shoes (flats, not heels) slip on the ice and do a body slam on top of her. She's crying, I want to cry - partly because I hurt myself and partly b/c three other little preschoolers are looking at me and I'm humiliated because I don't have time to change before I rush off to other appointments and I'm soaked from the bum down.

9:15am - Take McKell with me to errands and appointments because she doesn't want to leave me because she apparently is traumatized because I fell on her. After much dissuasion, I give up and have her come with me. Me, frustrated that my 'free' two hours will be complicated now.

9:45am - Late for an appointment, which means we'll have to re-schedule because the timing won't work with having to get back for preschool pick up and Kindergarten pick up

10:00 am - Frustrated from my plans being totally thrown off and the fact that I will now have to wear nothing but ugly, clunky boots the rest of the winter, order a Large Coke at McDonald's and suck it down.

10:30am - Decide I must visit a cupcake store because: a. it sounds yummy and b. I have a playgroup over soon and little girls eat dainty, cute cupcakes. I buy a dozen (remember, they are small and totally overpriced) and a few extra for me!

11:00am and 11:10 am - Respective pick-ups for Preschool and Kindergarten

12:45 pm - Corral kids to car after not eating lunches and only eating the frosting off my dainty, cute, overpriced cupcakes.

1:00pm - Drop girls off at houses

1:30 pm - Well-kid visits for Ellie and Tyler. After taking off Ellie's clothes and looking at her in her diaper I ask myself when the last time I changed her was and what she actually ate for food today. I rummage through my purse hoping I have another diaper because it is REALLY full...no such luck. I'm hoping even more the doctor won't notice.

2:00 pm - Doctor comments on Ellie's really full diaper saying, "Wow, she's really hydrated". I laugh a nervous laugh. Doctor asks what Ellie usually eats, "For instance, what did she have today?" I didn't have the heart to tell her two McDonald's chocolate chip cookies, some sips of my Coke, a dum-dum sucker, and a bottle.

2:30 pm - Leave the doctor's office with Ellie screaming from getting shots, McKell screaming because she slammed her fingers in the door, and Tyler asking me why he got a shot. Diversion: Tyler was very nervous to get his shot. He kept sitting up right before she gave it to him and said, "Wait, wait wait". He did this a few times and the last time, he started crying instantly as soon as she stuck in the needle. He stopped mid-cry and said, "actually, that doesn't hurt" and was totally fine.

3:30pm - Come home to a total mess. Realize the dog has jumped on the table (apparently she's over getting shocked when she gets near it) and spilled everything on the ground - making the strawberry milk in the cups shoot across the kitchen, all over the floor. Tyler, while lying on the floor near the strawberry milk mess says, "Mom, the milk's all over the floor. " Thank you Captain Obvious. I ask him to get me a diaper to change Ellie's overloaded one. He brings me a pull-up. I worry about the reasoning ability in that boy...

Honestly, after all the hiccups in my day, the thing that bugs me the most is the dog. Can you really not think of anything else besides food?! Get a grip, dog...

I really am not a dog person. Don't ask me why I don't' sell her...it's a fruitless argument.

And, if you are still reading this then you are either a mother, have been a mother, or a family member of mine and are therefore obligated to read my entries.

The day's not over - we still have homework, wrestling carpool and a shower to re-caulk.

Light bulbs, the Joker, angry grunts and burning eyes...

Scenario: Me, putting on lip gloss before going to church and Tyler watching. It's a new color (a bit darker than my normal nude color) and I'm thinking it looks pretty darn good.

Tyler: "Mom, you look like the Joker with that lipstick on your face"

Thank you, Tyler...this is the comparison you chose?! A deranged, scary, psychotic man who's entire being spews darkness? I knew which Joker he meant because he'd seen the preview picture for the Dark Knight - don't try to make me feel better.




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McKell asked me if she could do something the other night, I don't remember what but she was standing at the bottom of the stairs and once I said "Yes" she clapped her hands and ran over and said, "You a nice mommy, thank you" and showers my legs with kisses. I then said, "I'm so happy that I'm such a nice mommy". She then said, "No, sometimes you do this" and proceeds to put her hands on her hips and grunts an angry grunt and has a scowl on her face.

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Mom of the Year Award...


"Mother who has her boys sleep on top of burnt out light bulbs". Yes, that would be the title for this award. Last night I forgot to take the used bulbs off of the top bunk, where both boys love to sleep. I had a vague recollection this morning that I didn't take them off the bed and I asked Austin this morning if he saw light bulbs in his bed. He said, "Yep, I didn't know what they were for, so I threw them off the bed. They're probably behind the bed or on the ground". Ok, I've always prided myself on my son being bright and very logical - why would he not put them on the dresser or tell me? Throw them on the ground?!


"Mother who burns her child's eyes out" . This particular award would be for my scarring experience of putting ear numbing drops in Ellie's eyes. I was totally traumatized, the entire time I was washing out her eyes thinking she'd have one eye and she'd have to wear an eye patch or a glass eye, which really doesn't 'fake' any one out and that she'd have horrible wedding pictures with an eye patch.

She was fine - just screaming from the shocking cold water and the stinging of the numbing drops.

Just keeping it real people, just keeping it real.