A Happy List

Here are four things that are making me happy right now.

My aerobics class. It’s been years since I’ve been able to go to an aerobics class on a regular basis. I’ve finally been able to again and it’s my favorite. It’s certainly one of the silver linings of my kids getting older (Marlee is a kindergartner now, say WHAT?!). I love working out with these ladies.

3:05. That time when the big yellow B-U-S pulls up in front of my house. (Side note: Marlee is learning to spell all sorts of 3 letter words. She throws it out there all the time. “Did you see the C-A-T?” “M-O-M where’s D-A-D?” "Is the S-U-N up today?” It makes me smile.) Anyway, B-U-S time is my favorite part of the day.  I love watching my kids run into the house after a long day at school. I love hearing their stories from the day, looking through their backpacks and having them home again. They sorta make my world go ‘round. And they also drive me crazy…because, well, kids. D-U-H.

My eye covers. I have always had a horrible time falling asleep at night. And then when we moved into a hotel for 42 days (2 ½ years ago…I can’t believe it’s already been that long!) I invested in some sweet eye covers to block out the all night light of city dwelling. I haven’t slept a night without them since. They don’t cure insomnia, but they definitely reduce the symptoms. Plus, added bonus, they're sexy. Ha!

My husband. The older we get and the more life we live, the more and more I realize just how very lucky I am that he chose me to be his best friend. I’m pretty lucky, and he’s pretty dang amazing!

ABC Wednesday

{A}nother month. January is over. February is here. I say it’s time to make some heart shaped sugar cookies to celebrate, don’t you?

{B}aby Blessing & Baptism. It was a big weekend for the Povey Family. Lincoln got baptized on Saturday and Kyle got blessed on Sunday. Our family got to be part of both. I’m so glad the Poveys are our friends.

{C}hallenge accepted. Bryn’s elementary school did a reading challenge to try to get every student in the school to read 300 pages in 3 weeks. Brynlee read somewhere close to 2700! I’m proud of her.

{D}oggone it. Jace is absolutely terrified of Kyle’s dog. He really loves to play with Kyle but he expects 100% of the playdates to take place at our house. I don’t mind, but I wonder if Kyle feels a bit gypped by the whole playdate situation.

{E}xactly what we needed. Yesterday the kids and I bundled up and spent the afternoon running around {in the snow} on the golf course. I pulled Marlee in the sled the entire time. Whenever I would stop she would yell, “Let’s go, mom! Let’s go!” A bit of a bossy pants, that one.

{F}irewood. We are down to our last two rows of wood for the fireplace. Time for summer

{G}ood Riddance. Our house is no longer in a flood zone. Which means absolutely nothing to most of you, but to us it’s huge. Our required flood insurance payment was more than double our homeowners insurance. I like saving money! 

{H}airdo. I need to get my hair did like something fierce. Note to self: one year between hair appointments is much too long! Tomorrow’s my lucky day.

{I} read. I just got done reading Proof of Heaven by Eben Alexander. I loved it. It made me think about God, and why I am here, and what I believe. It’s good to have a reason to think really deeply about those things every once in a while. Don’t you agree?

{J}uvenile example. Brynlee has motivated both Spencer and I to read more. It’s been such a nice change of pace to sit down with a book.

{K}issable. Jace had his first kiss. It made him cry. Bless his little heart.

{L}essons of the swimming sort. Brynlee and Jace started swimming lessons last week. I sorta love me some January swimming lessons; it makes it feel like summer for one hour two times a week. Until the kids have to walk outside with wet hair, then the summer dreaming is over!

{M}emories. Brynlee and I have been playing Skip-bo a lot lately. Skip-bo reminds me of my friend Erin. We used to play that game all the time - including ever morning on the school bus.

{N}eck brace status. Spence's neck brace has been removed. I repeat, Spence's neck brace has been removed. Oh happy day.

{O}h my cuteness. We go to swimming lessons at a gym where aerobic classes are offered. On Monday Marlee stood outside the studio door and did the entire aerobic workout with the ladies. Spence asked if I felt like we should pay for the class since she certainly had taken part of it. I was hoping the extreme cardiovascular workout would exhaust her for the night – not even a chance!

{P}resently. The kids are eating a bowl of cereal and drinking hot chocolate totally unaware that we’ve got to stop by the grocery store before swimming lessons tonight. A surprise that they are no doubt going to jump up and down with excited about. NOT!

{Q}uotable. “A two-year-old is kind of like having a blender, but you don't have a top for it.” ~Jerry Seinfeld 

{R}elationship problems. Jace came home from preschool the other day and told me that sometimes he and Miley (his bff from his speech intervention preschool) have a hard time being best friends. When I asked him why he said because they “mostly can’t ever understand each other”. Ha. Adorable. Also, welcome to the real world of boy/girl relationships, my son. Sometimes dad and I “mostly can’t ever understand each other” either.

{S}olution. Jace then told me that he and Miley decided to only say short things to each other because they could understand short things much better than long things. I so love that kid!

{T}omorrow. It’s the 100^th day of School for Brynlee.

{U}ndecided. Today Brynlee and I painted a shoe box with primer. She’s decided that she can’t wait another minute to get our Valentine’s box craft on. Only problem - she thinks she maybe wants a frog, but maybe a dog. But probably a minion. But definitely it would be best to have a monster.

{V}alentine’s day looms. And speaking of Valentine’s Day. Brynlee has made all the girls in her class a rainbow loom bracelet with a heart charm for Valentine’s Day, and she is working on basketball, football and soccer key chains for the boys. That chick is a looming fool.

{W}ishful thinking. Whenever Spence or I run on the treadmill Jace calls it “riding the treadmill”. Today, when I did my workout, I tried to convince myself I was just out for a relaxing morning ride. It still kicked my butt.

{X}enic. As in H2XeO4. As in smart. As in Spence and I have been catching up on the last season of The Big Bang Theory. That show is genius-ly hilarious.

{Y}ipee. Did I mention that the neck brace is no longer a part of our family? Spence came home from work yesterday and wrestled the kids. The excitement in our house was through the roof. The kids have been missing some daddy wrestling. I’m so glad that he is feeling more himself lately. And so is he. But mainly the kids are!

{Z}iggy zaggy zonk. Zero. The end.

One, Two {skip a few} ninety-nine, ONE HUNDRED!

{one.} We are already eleven whole days into 2014! That makes my head spin. Time goes so fast.

{two.} Unless we are talking about how looooooooong it is taking for January 28^th to get here. Because that is taken eleventy million years!

{three.} January 28^th is a big day around these parts – Spence gets his neck brace off!

{four.} (Also noteworthy, January 28^th is my Grandma Marilyn’s birthday. Very important dates ya’ll should remember.)

{five.} Anyway, neck surgery. Did I tell you Spence had neck surgery?!

{six.} No? Well, he did. An anterior cervical discectomy and fusion.

{seven.} Here’s why, since I know you were about to ask. He had an old injury – a herniated disc - that he reinjured about 18 months ago. The dumb thing was doing a sweet job of making his arms and hands constantly tingle and go numb. Plus, he was losing mobility in his left hand.

{eight.} So he had surgery on December 16^th.

{nine.} And after he got over the nausea… {side note: puking + a fresh incision across your neck + a neck brace sort of mixes like water + oil}, anyway, since then things haven’t been too bad. The first week or so was absolutely miserable though {for all parties involved}.  It didn’t help that I got strep throat during that time. Because of that whole raining, pouring thing, I suppose. But now we are three and half weeks in and it is more of a nuisance than anything.

{ten.} He still can’t take off the neck brace. Ever! Even has to wear one in the shower. It’s annoying. Or at least that’s my assumption.

{eleven.} And he can’t pick up anything that weighs more than a gallon of milk. Things like firewood, and rambunctious little blonde haired, blue-eyed one-year-olds, and snow shovels. Or help carry laundry baskets or unload groceries. And he especially can’t drag 9 ft artificial Christmas trees down into the under house storage. Or take down Christmas lights.

{twelve.} But I’m not complaining. In case you were confused.

{thirteen.} But he {and this awesome neck brace} went back to work a week ago Friday. So that’s good news.

{fourteen.} Unless you consider the fact that he can’t drive. Cause that is a tiny bit, majorly, extremely inconvenient for his caretaker/wife/taxi driver. My lands!

{fifteen.} But again, just as a reminder, this is not me complaining. Just want to make that clear.

{sixteen.} Because really, I could be the poor sap in the neck brace that can’t drive or pick up anything heavier than 8 pounds.

{seventeen.} But, in happier news … Kate’s pregnant!

{eighteen.} It’s a boy, due May 13^th. Yea!

{nineteen.} And also exciting, Kate and Jake are almost done with their six months stint in Ohio! We’ve missed them.

{twenty.} Actually Kate came home from Thanksgiving to New Years. Which was nice, and very helpful.

{twenty-one.} Let see, what else.

{twenty-two.} Marlee is addicted to my phone’s camera.

{twenty-three.} The Young Women “snowflake” attacked our house before Christmas. The kids thought that was fun.

{twenty-four.} I think Brynlee managed to perform her entire school Christmas program without smiling once. Talent.

{twenty-five.} The kids got new rollerblades for Christmas and we spent Christmas evening at the church borrowing the gym floor. Good times.

{twenty-six.} And Brynlee has been saving money for a doll.

{twenty-seven.} A doll? It’s weird only because in all seven years and ten months of her life leading up to this point she has never showed an ounce of interest in dolls. It’s just never been her thing.

{twenty-eight.} But both her cousins, Brookie and Livvie, got Our Generation Dolls for Christmas and she decided that she would love to have one too.

{twenty-nine.} I told her if she saved enough money for half the doll I would pay for the other half.

{thirty.} I figured making her earn her own money for the purchase would be the telltale sign if she really, really wants a doll, or if it was just a fad because, you know, everybody else has one.

{thirty-one.} She started off really strong, earning four dollars in just a few days.

{thirty-two.} But the other day she was looking through the Scholastic Book order and started questioning the need for a doll. There were just “so many good books that she might like more than a doll”. Because “dolls aren't really that fun anyways”.  

{thirty-three.} It made me smile, because it didn't surprise me in the least.

{thirty-four.} But yesterday she came home from school requesting more “doll-money” chores. So I guess we will see how it all pans out.

{thirty-five.} She’s been a fool for the rainbow loom as of late. Making bracelets and rings and pencil toppers and animal charms and all manner of rubber band goods.

{thirty-six.} She brought home a weekend to-do rubber band request list that she has promised to friends. Long live the rainbow loom.

{thirty-seven.} I am Jace’s primary teacher again this year at church.

{thirty-eight.} He was pretty excited when he heard the news. Which was just the pick me up I needed, because when I asked Brynlee if she wished I was were teacher again this year (I was her primary teacher all last year) she smiled and said “kinda, but kinda not”. Ha.

{thirty-nine.} I taught Jace’s little class on Sunday and I couldn’t believe how much smarter and more mature they had gotten since I taught them in Sunbeams in 2012.

{forty.} One year is a heck of a long time in childhood years.

{forty-one.} Jace has been in seventh heaven with daddy being home from work for three weeks straight.

{forty-two.} It helped that I saw fit to remove the kid’s Wii time restrictions during that time. Mainly because a Wii remote doesn’t weigh more than 8 pounds and Spence and his BFF, the neck brace, weren’t capable of doing much else.

{forty-three.} Jace and Spence spent many of Christmas break hours defeating Super Mario  Brothers Wii. Jace thought he had died and gone to a heaven where the streets were paved with gold coins and one-ups.

{forty-four.} He enjoyed it so much that I was a little nervous that he would have withdrawals when school started again and Wii was removed from our list of daily things to accomplish. So far though, he’s been a super trooper.

{forty-five.} Jace and I were playing superheroes the other day and I went to grab Iron Man from him and in process scratched his face with my thumb nail. Poor kid. I got him good.

{forty-six.} At school yesterday his teacher asked what happened to his face and Jace told her honestly, “Mom did that!” I felt so bad.

{forty-seven.} Marlee still rules this roost. Boy Howdy.

{forty-eight.} She got a cozy coupe for Christmas and its provided hours and hours of entertainment for the little clown.

{forty-nine.} The amount of love she has for that little car actually makes me feel a tiny bit guilty that Brynlee & Jace were never gifted one when they were her age. I didn't want the excess clutter of a giant children’s car in my house. Parent fail, I suppose.  

{fifty.} But the good news is with age (or maybe with kids) I am becoming less and less bothered by things like that. It’s almost like I don’t even know who I am anymore.

{fifty-one.} Although, you better believe, come springtime I will be itching to make that car an outside only toy. 

{fifty-two.} Um, completely unrelated, Jace just came and asked me if we could make a basement in our house. I told him to go ahead and get started.

{fifty-three.} Let’s see, what else … our little family went seven weeks without eating out!

{fifty-four.} One Family Home Evening we decided that we were going to save money to help buy Christmas gifts for children that would otherwise not have a Christmas.

{fifty-five.} We started a collection jar the first part of November and the kids donated all their chore chart money from then until Christmas.

{fifty-six.} And, without anybody even making the suggestion, Brynlee threw in her tooth fairy money too.

{fifty-seven.} In fact, both the kids emptied their piggy banks of leftover birthday money and quarters they were saving for quarter machines and any other money that was saved in their piggy banks to add to “the giving jar.”

{fifty-eight.} And, as a family, we didn't eat out for seven weeks and put the money that we would have otherwise used on eating out in “the giving jar”.

{fifty-nine.} It was such a fun thing to do.

{sixty.} And that Saturday that we found ourselves in the ShopKo toy aisles buying gifts for children that were in need is not a day that I will forget anytime soon.

{sixty-one.} And I don’t think the kids will either.

{sixty-two.} It was definitely a start to a tradition that will be the center of many Christmas’s to come.

{sixty-three.} Both Brynlee and Jace asked if we could start sooner next year so we could save more money and buy more gifts. You betcha.

{sixty-four.} Kate took the kids to McDonalds, for their first time in seven weeks, while Spence and I were hanging out at the surgery center. She texted and said they ate every.single.bit of everything she had purchased. Ha. After a seven week void fast food tastes like manna from heaven.

{sixty-five.} Did you make New Year’s Resolutions this year? I made one. Only one! And it has nothing to do with losing weight, or working out, or eating right. And nothing to do with going to bed earlier or doing better at daily personal scripture study. I ignored all my usual resolutions and am focusing all my resolution energy on one resolve. It’s a super fun resolve too. One that I am so excited about putting into action.

{sixty-six.} Speaking of New Years and resolutions, do you pick a word for the year?

{sixty-seven.} I never have before. In fact, I had absolutely no intention of doing so this year either. The thought hadn't even crossed my mind.

{sixty-eight.} But then I was sitting next to Judge Smith at church on Sunday. He is such a kind and spirited man. Anyway, when the closing song started playing Judge Smith started whistling the tune, without control or reserve, in true Judge Smith manner.

{sixty-nine.} Carry on, carry on, carry on.

{seventy.} And then it hit me. I would chose a word for 2014, and that would be it. Carry on.

{seventy-one.} I’m not entirely sure what 2014 will bring our family. Maybe change. Maybe more of the same. Maybe it will be speckled with trials or a smooth sailing sort of a year? Maybe it will be one for the books. Or maybe one, come December 31^st, I want to wrap up and store away in a locked chest to not have to worry about any more. But whatever it brings I intend to do that: carry on, carry on, carry on.

{seventy-two.} Alan & Jaelynn and Jami & Zeb brought their kiddos and hung out on New Year’s Eve.

{seventy-three.} We actually took a break from our card game at the right time this year to celebrate the New Year.

{seventy-four.} Usually we are the dorks that look at the clock at 12:15 and realize that we managed to start the New Year running fifteen minutes behind. Typical.

{seventy-five.} Everybody, except for Marlee, toasted the New Year with sparkling cider. Even Chloe made it to midnight.

{seventy-six.} And then after we drank our sparkling cider and were getting ready to send the kids to bed, Brookie asked when we were going to start “the party”. Ha. Now that I think about it, the clock striking midnight is a little anticlimactic, isn't it?

{seventy-seven.} And then later in the week the Francis family came and hung out.

{seventy-eight.} We had to cancel our traditional sledding day this year {due to some dude in a neck brace} {lame}. But they came and spent the day with us anyhow.

{seventy-nine.} It’s always so fun to spend time with them.

{eighty.} And every time we hang out I add a new board game onto my wish list. Sarah has a knack for finding all the cool board games.

{eighty-one.} In December, before the neck surgery, Brynlee and Spencer went roller skating for their Daddy and me day. Brynlee had a ball.

{eighty-two.} And now that it’s January it’s Jace and my turn for a night out. We haven’t decided what we are doing yet. But I am pretty sure ice-cream will be involved. That’s always Jace’s first {and usually only} request.

{eighty-three.} Let’s see…eighty-three? Sheesh. Now that I think about it one hundred things is a lot! Why the heck did I have to be so ambitious when I titled this post? It’s like setting myself up for failure.

{eighty-four.} Speaking of failure … I planned on posting more often in December. I originally planned on posting a December Postcard daily all month long.

{eighty-five.} Then I only got around to posting three in the first week so I decided that I would keep that up and post a few a week.

{eighty-six.} I posted a grand total of three all month long! Three, oops.

{eighty-seven.} It is getting harder and harder for me to find the motivation to blog.

{eighty-eight.} I don’t want to quit this little family journal I've created, but at the same time I need something new and fresh to encourage and stimulate me to document. Ideas?

{eighty-nine.} You know, there are actually a few things I never told you from late 2013 and wished I’d written down. Now sounds like a convenient time to do so.

{ninety.} Like how Marlee and Brynlee both won first place at the zoo boo costume contest this year.

{ninety-one.} Brynlee can finally cross that off her bucket list. Phew. She's been waiting three years to bring home that title.

{ninety-two.} Brynlee also got second place, and Marlee third place, at a local department store costume contest. They won $50.00 collectively. The three kiddos divided the money and used it to purchase Christmas gifts for each other. Win, win.

{ninety-three.} Jace was pukey sick on Halloween. Did I already tell you that? Anyway, if you ask me, that totally falls under the Things that are NOT One Bit Fair in Life category. He didn’t even eat one piece of candy. Major childhood holiday fail.

{ninety-four.} So, what else ... fall soccer season. We had so much fun this go around.

{ninety-five.} Spence and I didn’t coach, and Brynlee and Jace played every.single.game at the exact.same.time. On opposite sides of the park. Every single Saturday. But it worked out, we made do, and we had a great time.

{ninety-six.} There is nothing more fulfilling as a parent than watching your children succeed at something. And for those few months this fall, soccer was that something. They both did such a great job. And more importantly, had so much fun.

{ninety-seven.} And here’s a few pictures since I never posted any.

{ninety-eight.}

{ninety-nine.} And, I made it. 100 things.

{one hundred.} The End!

What I Meant to Say – Back in October

The other day while I was in the shower Jace asked me where I had put the baby. 

“What baby?” I asked. 

“The baby in your tummy.” he answered. 

“Ummm. . .it’s still right here in my tummy.  How come?” 

He looked at me confused, thought for a little bit then said “because mom and dad’s take showers, babies take baths.”

Right. 

Anyway, I’m rewinding to October.  And I’m keeping it short.

·    Remember how someone broke into our bank account back in May and stole all of our money.  In October it happened again.  Totally awesome, take two.

·    Brynlee started writing her first, middle AND last name on every.single.one of her school papers.  Dang overachiever. 

·    Kali Jo and I went on a hot date to the Mystic Theater.  Prime rib, cheesecake and Jekyll and Hyde.  And although I was in the first stages of ummmm, this pregnancy may very well be the death of me we had a great time.  Fabulous time, even.  And since Kali is such a great friend she didn’t even complain when I requested that we go outside during intermission so I could spit without qualm.  Why yes, I am that classy.

·    Side note: A good portion of my pregnancy doom and gloom comes from the sheer amount of spit that I produce while creating a baby.  My saliva glands go into overdrive.  It’s disgusting.  I can fill an entire water bottle. . . too much information?  Yeah, I think so too.  Moving on. 

·    Spence introduced Jace to He-Man {circa 1983}.  Jace was smitten at episode one and every now and again convinces Brynlee to be Battle Cat so he can ride on her back in his quest to conquer the universe.

·    We brought home my newest love, my LG Steam washer and dryer.  Doing laundry has never felt so hip.

·    My sisters and I successfully threw a baby shower for Jaelynn.  Jessica brought Taco Soup.  I decided that Taco Soup was the BEST THING EVER and ate it for a week straight. 

·    FYI: And then Taco Soup joined a quickly growing list of foods that I shall never, ever partake of again.

·    Brynlee sang a solo in the primary program at church.  I Love to See the Temple.  Everything about it was perfection, says her totally unbiased mother.

·    Jace and I continue to love our one on one time while Brynlee is at school.  That kid, I can't get enough of him.

·    We found a huge beehive in our maple tree and had a good time dissecting it.

·    And of course Halloween festivities: painting pumpkins, volunteering at Brynlee’s school Halloween party, pumpkin patch and Halloween.



Brynlee and her VSP doll.

Kali and I after our night out.

My superhero.

Brynlee and her friend, Alyssa, after self decorating with the Halloween stickers.

A beehive from our maple tree.

Halloween party at Brynlee's school.

Kate and Jake filled the kids Halloween bags to the brim.  My kids sorta love those two.

And that’s October in a nutshell.

Oh My Quotable Friday: Laugh

 

Other things: 

• Spencer took his final yesterday.  This semester was so much easier for him than last semester.
•  I need my hair cut and colored.  Bad.  I haven’t had it done since May 12th.  That makes the hair stylist in me cringe.
• Jace has been a bit obsessed with the princess dress-up truck lately.  But honestly, he makes a pretty cute sleeping beauty and it’s given me plenty of opportunity to take pictures for future blackmail purposes.
• Brynlee loves Kindergarten.  Like loves, loves.
• I’m due June 15^th.  
• I haven’t gone to bed after 8:00 since the second week in October.  So not typical of the night owl in me.  Pregnancy makes you so weird.
• Speaking of weird, about week six of pregnancy I dreamt that I bought the local Jamba Juice.  So not kidding when I tell you that since then I am constantly dreaming that I’m the owner of Jamba Juice.  I’ve interviewed and hired, made smoothies, hung advertisements, even washed the Jamba Juice windows. It’s sorta like my night job.
• Brynlee lost her third tooth this week.  Uncle Jake coached her again.  That makes two teeth that the two of them have ‘co-pulled’.
• I deleted my facebook account.
• Alan and Jaelynn now have the cutest little bundle of pink living with them.  Chloe Jane.  Our weekend plans are to snuggle her.
• Spence is done with work this Friday and doesn’t have to report back until 2012. 
• Which also means that we will be in our pajamas from this Friday until 2012.  It’s just sort of what happens when we are all home together.
• I spent most of yesterday morning reading Christmas stories and watching Christmas on YouTube in preparation for my Christmas lesson this Sunday.  Christmas stories + Christmas music makes me cry.
• Cutie oranges are a fav at our house right now.
• One of my best friends is due a month and a half after me.  I’m excited to have babies the exact same age.
• Tonight’s plans: put together our gingerbread house.
• Today’s plans: do some laundry so my kiddos have clean socks.

Happy Friday-ing.

Excuse me while I pretend I’m FlyLady

Okay, so here’s the thing . . . this is loooonnnng, and boooooring aaaannnnd about cleaning and most of it is extremely unnecessary and for that I apologize.  Don’t blame me; blame the people that requested my monthly house cleaning list in the first place.  They should have known I’d get carried away.

So, first things first, I have two house cleaning lists {well, and a seasonal house to-do list, but I’m trying not to scare you}.  I rotate between the two of them depending on my mood.  One is set up in a daily format with a few things to do every day and the other is set up in a monthly format with a weekly cleaning breakdown.  I go through house cleaning phases.  For the last eight months{ish} I have been using my monthly format and setting aside one morning each week for house cleaning + laundry.  But for a long time before that I used my weekly cleaning list and did a little bit of cleaning every day. 

Again loooonnnng, and boooooring and I don’t know why I’m telling you this.

I guess to say that I’m attaching my monthly house cleaning list because it is what I’m using right now {and because I made it cute} but if you like more of a daily cleaning schedule and want me to post that one as a reference let me know.  And I cross my heart, hope to die that I will make that post way shorter.

Anyway, the chart. 

Oh but first, I’m attaching it in a read only file, but I realize that every household has different cleaning needs.  If you would like me to email you the Microsoft Word Document of my chart so you can edit it and make it your own {Jami?} leave me a comment and I will send it your way.  Alrighty?  Okay, the chart:

And in case you’re wondering here is what it means to me: 

I think it’s important to note that I don’t actually do every single thing on my monthly list every single month or every single thing on my weekly list every single week.  I might decide that the upstairs doesn’t need dusted that week or that I dusted blinds last month {or like three months ago} so they don’t need done this month.  My cleaning list is basically a reminder of things to-do.  And it serves the ever important purpose of giving me something to cross off in permanent black marker when I get something done.  Because that’s how I roll.

Speaking of how I roll, I also have a tendency to beat a dead horse deader {or whatever}.  So come back later to read a few cleaning tips that work for me.  {Talking about cleaning should not make me this happy}.  I was planning on posting them now, but the formatting was wrong.  And this post is already long.  And I'm tired.  And it's bedtime.  And tomorrow is Wednesday.  And Wednesday's are busy.  So for now, I'm off to bed.

Night.

This, that and the other

Canna Lily from my flower garden

• I planted some Canna Lily bulbs in my flowers beds this spring.  So glad I did.  That color burst of red is beautiful.  Might be my new favorite.
• I realized while posting my ABC’s of August post that my kids eat the foam blocks.  No kidding.  When I looked at the pictures I realized there wasn’t a single block without teeth marks.  I’ve said it before and I’ll probably say it again, kids are so weird!
• My washer is dead.  Dead, dead.  That makes me sad.  Is it tacky to admit you are a bit sentimental about your washer machine?  No.  Well then, I’m a bit sentimental about my washing machine.  [Hint: My friends nicknamed it my promise ring.]  We’ve yet to go shopping for a new washing machine because I’m not quite ready to label the old one beyond repair.  But I’m starting to feel lame mooching off my newlywed lil’ sis so I’m certain a new washer/dryer is in our near future.  Any suggestions?
• I’ve been feeling the need to create lately.  My mind is racing with ideas.  I love that feeling of idea overload.  Especially when you feel like you own the ideas.
• I’m loving the group of Young Women in my Laurels class right now.  Such a good mix.  Such a fun group.  So lucky to be their leader.
• Yesterday, four years ago, I experienced my first miscarriage.  Makes September 11^th a double whammy.  Terrorists and miscarriages.  They both suck!
• Spencer ended up taking a class for his master’s degree this semester, can’t remember if I mentioned that or not.  He’s taken a class at the college here in our town.  So far it’s proving to be a much easier class than his nightmare class that he took distant learning last semester.  Fingers crossed it stays that way.
• I can’t believe my Jace buddy is three.
• You know those days when you feel like you are discovering an entirely new level of ugly?  I’ve had an entire month of those days.
• Sometimes I wonder why I blog.  I mean, it really is such a strange phenomenon.  Writing your thoughts down in such a public forum for others to read.  To judge.  To form opinions.  To comment on.  Or not to comment on, even, but rather to read without the writer ever knowing that you are a reader.  It’s a strange thing, right? 
• Sometimes I think of quitting.  Possibly making my blog private and only allowing my own eyes to read.  Possibly writing in a more traditional journaling manner, with paper and pencil.  Possibly turning my blog into a place neglected - a place where somebody used to write. 
• And then sometimes things happen.  Like some blonde clutz disguised as a mother {read: me} drops the external hard drive that holds every.single.picture I have ever taken.  Every.single.picture, you guys.  And the pictures are no longer accessible.  And the only comfort I can mull up is ‘well, at least I’ve written it all down . . . at least I have my blog’.  And that right there gives me motivation to continue jotting down my gibberish ramblings on my silly little blog.  Because most the things I write on here mean absolutely nothing to a reader.  But to me. . . well, to me they are quite literally my life.
• One last thing.  Did you know that if you put an external hard drive that some blonde clutz disguised as a mother {read: me} has dropped and broken into the freezer {the freezer!} there is a very, very small chance that the external hard drive will be accessible long enough to get years of photo files off before it dies forever.  And that there is why Spencer’s bff, Troy, will always and forever be my bff.  Because between him and the deep freeze they saved all my photos.  I will never be able to repay him.  Or the deep freeze for that matter.

Enjoy your Monday.

It’s not like me to go this long without posting a list.

Me, Brynlee and Kate during the intermission of Annie on Thrusday night.

·         Brynlee, Katie and I went and watched the play Annie last Thursday.  We had such a great time and I’m not ashamed to admit that I cried like a heartbroken teenager when the cute little orphans sang “It’s a Hard Knock Life.”  I really am such a sap.  The evening was perfect though.  I’m so glad Katie joined us and I am so glad that my Little Miss Sidekick loves watching plays just as much as her mama does.  She can sit through about 10 minutes of a movie before she get bored silly, but a two hour play keeps her entertained for its entirety.  Makes me happy.

·         My kids hate tags on their clothes.  Like passionately hate.  You know, like the tag sewn into the back of a shirt that says the size, and fabric material, and little love notes like if you dare dry this sweater in your hoity toity drying machine it will turn to a size small enough to fit your lapdog.  Yeah, the kids hate those things.  Neither of them will wear any clothes until all the tags have been removed from the vicinity of their body.  It drives me batty.  I never know the size of their clothes, it’s hard to tell front from back, and it’s a pain in the keester to be on the tag removal crew at any beck and call.

·         Celebrating summer has become our full-time job.  No kidding.  We’ve been spending our every second basking in all that summer has to offer.  And it’s just as I like it. 

·         Speaking of celebrating summer we spent the weekend camping with Spence’s big sister, Sarah, and brother, Matt, and their families.  We didn’t go camping at all last summer and this trip reminded me how much I love camping.  Here’s to more summer 2011 camping trips. {clink, clink}

·         And also to cooking more dinner’s dutch oven style.  Every time we join Sarah & Brett for dutch oven chicken and potatoes I’m motivated to make it part of my summertime cooking routine.  And then I forget.  Actually, I don’t forget . . . it’s the follow through that I struggle with.  But this summer I’ll triumph.  Maybe.

·         I’ll be posting pictures from our camping trip in the next day or two.  Because it’s what I do.

·         Completely unrelated:  you know the self flushing toilets that are in most public places?  You stand up, and without any warning – no pulling on the flushin’ handle, no nod of the head or wave of the hand – they flush.  I hate them!!  I mean, sure they are convenient and arguable more sanitary for full grown adults, but for the miniature potty users they’re crap {no pun intended}.  My kids are too small to set them into automatic flushy mode.  Which isn’t a big deal if there is a handy toilet flushing button to push, but not all models are equip with The Button.  So instead I’m left waving my arms, and shaking my booty in hopes that my killer moves will trigger the automatic flushy feature.  Just sit down on the potty and stand back up, Brynlee will advise me.  Your behind is bigger, it will make it flush.  So I do the half squat, still no flushing.  So I shake my butt in front of the sensor, still nothing.  And just as I’m about to give up, to admit defeat, I turn my back to the toilet to walk away and ta-da dumb thing flushes.  Just to mock me, I think. 

·         And with that I’m off to bed.  And I believe it’s high time.  Don’t you?