Catching Up

Yes, yes, I'm still here. I have been getting my pictures posted on facebook but not on here, but I'll work on that. But for now I wanted to share my kids' personalities (ok, namely Jessica's)...

We were driving along and the conversation went like this...

Mackenzie: "Hey! Look at that weird orange car!"

Me: "That IS a weird orange car."

Rebecca: "Yeah, that IS a weird orange car."

Jessica: "That guy is WEIRD."

It's all in perspective, I guess.



So here's a little update on what's going on in our household:

Stan is working double time right now because he is now without a boss for the second time this year. But hopefully they'll get someone who is actually qualified this time.

The girls have started back to school. Mackenzie is in 5th, Rebecca is in 2nd and Jessica is in 1st. So far so good, but it's only the second week of school. Soccer started this week, and so begins the crazy season. Mackenzie will be getting her braces off next month. Rebecca is next in line.

Jake is holding his own with his terrible three's little self. But he's so dang cute. Last night I was tucking him in bed and he smacked his lips, wanting me to give him another kiss. So I kissed him again. Then he says "one more" so I give him another one. Then he says "one more" again. After that kiss he says "last one" and wanted one more. Funny little toot.

This summer we had the distinct pleasure of replacing the entire septic system. Nice. So this past weekend we planted more grass. Hope it takes!

I got a shiny new purple laptop!!! And I love, love, love it! Stan got a rough and tough dirt bike (XR 400R for those of you who know what that means). Jake really likes it. And so does Jessica. The other girls - not so much.

So there's the Reader's Digest version of what's a goin' on lately. I'll try to be a better blogger now that things are back to crazy normal.

Welp - gotta go switch the laundry...

Look it! Look it!

I know this is extremely and unforgivably a tad late...but look what I got for Mother's Day!!!

A fun bridge to go over our irrigation ditch seasonal creek!

And a wishing well to go over our real and unsightly well!!

I'm still trying to figure out what I want to do around the well. I want to make a flowerbed around it but I cant decide on the shape or size. Any ideas? I can't go too crazy because the driveway is there on the right.

And here's the flowerbed this year. We're still waiting for some things to bloom here since it's been such a cold spring.

This is the newest flowering addition! We put two rose plants in the back and I'm hoping the hostas hide the ugly concrete jutting out. The rest are all annuals. There are red, purple and yellow, even though you can only see the red ones.




These pots are my favorites for this year. It was fun picking out the flowers and arranging them.

Good Times!

Well I thought I'd update you on our latest and greatest happenings over here in the Estrogen Ocean. (I wrote this a few days ago, but am just now posting it...)





~ It's cold. Single digits, or less. I was really enjoying the mild weather we'd been having but I guess it's time for snap back to reality. At least we got our first snow. Finally. (update: we're back in the 20s again!! wooo hoooo!!!)


~ Jake learned how his hands feel when they get really cold and start stinging. He didn't like it. At all. Actually it made him quite mad.


~ The electricity went out (remember, single digits) and when it came back on, our TV wouldn't. And no, I promise that doesn't mean there will be any additions to our family. (Since by the 4th pregnancy people were asking us if we knew how those things happen. Yes. We do. Thankyouverymuch.)


~ I'm the worst mom ever. I saw the letter that Rebecca wrote to Santa at school. Other than the $80 stuffed animal that she won't be getting, she also asked for a new coat since hers is dirty. Doesn't that make a momma proud? I'll never be able to get a job at that school!


~ Jessica learned what happens when she sticks her tongue to a metal pole in single digit weather. She didn't like it. At all. The rest of us laughed because we're sympathetic like that. I'm pretty sure she freaked out, but by the time we headed out there she had unstuck herself and came in with her blood-tinged tongue hanging out.


~ I'm pretty sure Mackenzie planted that tongue-to-the-pole seed, but I can't prove it. Not that Jessica has ever needed prompting for anything, though.


~ In better news, our tree is still standing. (Maybe I should wait until after Christmas to report that?) And the dog hasn't peed on it. (Our dog is a girl, so I'm not too worried about that one. It just sounded so hopeful.)





Well, I ran out of colors so I'll stop there. I'm opting out of sending Christmas cards this year. That just sounds better than the previous years where I just didn't get around to it.


Sounds more proactive this way.


Not that I don't love all of you and wish you a Merry Christmas. I think you'll understand.


Jessica wouldn't be in the mood for licking envelopes anyway.


So, I'll keep you posted on any other wild and exciting times going on around here. In the meantime...



Merry Christmas!!



And that's "Christmas" -- with "Christ." Just in case you didn't know.

Why Neighbor, Why?

Why, neighbor, must you play your loud music at 8:00AM while you get ready for work? From your car! Do you not have a radio or CD player in the house? I mean, I like Magic Carpet Ride as much as the next person, but not when it comes in muffled through my house all the way from your driveway.

It's almost as annoying as when your husband cranks up his 70's Bronco at 6:43AM and let's it idle all REVVED UP for 20 minutes before he finally gets in it and taps the gas so that it can finally settle down into a more moderate blub blub blub.

And aren't you too old for loud music anyway? I mean, you have a teenage son who doesn't even play his music loud when he comes and goes.

While I'm at it, don't you realize that both houses on either side of you in this little cul-de-sac have babies in them? You remember babies, right? They like to sleep. Rather, their mommies like them to sleep. But when your very loud car jamming floods through their windows in an otherwise quiet house, it tends to wake them up.

I know you see my girls leaving for the bus in the morning but even they were able to get ready for school without waking up little brother.

And I realize that our other neighbor is an elderly couple who didn't hear the Life-Flight helicopter land in the front yard next door to them a few months ago. But I can hear just fine. And so can Jake.

Well, ok then. Good-bye neighbor. Go ahead and drive away in your very old, very loud, music-blaring car. See you at 4:46PM.

During Jake's afternoon nap.

Boo!

I've been booed! Jenni over at Conversations With My Hairdryer has booed me. Normally I would take offense to being booed, but with the great English language this is a different kind of boo (could we really not think of a new word for things? we just recycle words and give them various meanings? don't get me started on words that are spelled differently but pronounced the same...they're, there, their...or words that look the same but pronounced differently...read, read. ok, I'm done.).

Halloween and all.

So, what's a boo?

I'll quote Jenni who quoted Drama Mama who quoted...who knows!

Now, this is how the Blogging Boo will work. Go to as many friends as you want and tell them they've been "Boo-ed". Have them link back to your blog to pick up their Halloween Treat (picture) and tell them to "Boo" their friends. Then, put the picture in your side bar so everyone knows that you've already been "Boo-ed" and to send the pic to someone else.

So, are you scared yet!!?? BOO!!

Okay? one more time......

1. Take picture, put on sidebar
2. Tell people they have been booed
3. Link back to who booed you

Okay- Get to BOOING!

So there you have it! Enjoy!

A Personal Touch

I know most of my recent posts have seemed a bit..."commercial." Sorry about that! So now it's time to add the personal touch to this "personal" blog!

Stan went hunting on Saturday, so true to form the kids and I stayed in our pj's most of the day. (Well...the girls stayed in them all day and didn't even have to change into jammies at bedtime because they were already in them! They thought that was cool. I hoped they wouldn't tell anybody!)



Mackenzie still likes her braces and now has alternating pink and purple bands (hmmm...sounds familiar...her momma did the same thing when she was in braces, but the colors had just come out then).



Rebecca is just one of those kids who flies under the radar. She will take all the hugs you will spare, but when she's mad her fists start flying. But you wouldn't think it because she's usually so sweet.



Jessica hasn't provided too many "Jessica stories" lately. I think she's focused on not getting her name on the board at school. And the rabies shots. We have 2 more rounds to go. Yay!



Jake is broadening his vocabulary. Most things are still "puppy" but now he can ask for "cocky" (cookie) and a "cocker" (cracker). When he wants a drink he makes the "gung" sound like he's drinking. He also can sort of call his sisters by name, but what he actually says is hard to spell, so I'll leave that off. He says "ball!" (always with an exclamation mark) and "bear" (that's a new one), "out" (more like "oooouuuuuut", when he wants out of his chair), "go," "eat" (and when he wants you to eat he says "eat!" with his eyebrows down and shoves his finger at you).



The other evening we were watching TV while Jake alternated between jumping on our laps and smashing his nose in our faces to roaming the house doing whatever it is toddlers do. It was near bedtime.



We had the girls get ready for bed and got them in it. Then I searched for Jake.



Couldn't find him. Anywhere!



I searched the whole house three times and was starting to get freaked out. My mommy brain started thinking he got into something and...well...I thought the worst.



After making everyone (Every. One.) get up and help me find him, I hear a faint, muffled voice say "Ma!" (Jake either calls me Ma! or Momma).



We all stopped to listen.



"Ma!"



Where's that coming from?



We follow the little giggles to find him in mine and Stan's room behind my full length mirror sucking on a cough drop he found from who knows where, thinking he was being pretty sneaky.



Well, he was.



Little stinker! He thought he was pretty funny. I didn't think so.



(By the way, the ice cream pics were from the first day of school. I realized I hadn't shared them yet.)

Bat Education

*sigh*

I know I've been flooding you with book posts (and there's another one coming Friday, but it's also a giveaway). But there's been a bit of a saga going on here in our little school.

I've gone back and forth on whether or not to post about it. I haven't really wanted to talk about it, but I guess I will.

Alright...last week a mom brought her child to school and also brought a dead bat (that their cat had killed the night before) so the kids could see it.

Saw it, they did. And touched it.

The bat got to meet mostly Kindergartners and 4th graders and some soccer players. Quite the traveling (dead) bat. Then...

...someone had the brain fart to think "hey...this bat might have rabies...hmmm."

It did.

The solution?

Call in the state health department, interview all the kids to find out who touched it and where, take height and weight measurements, schedule a meeting for the parents, then proceed with giving all potentially affected kids the opportunity to get the 6 rounds of rabies shots.

You'll never guess which ONE of our kids touched it. Jessica. You're shocked, I can tell.

I asked the other two if they touched it...Rebecca said "what bat?" and Mackenzie jumped backward and said "no way!" Jake just sucked his pacifier, thinking we're all crazy.

The highlights of the school/parent meeting? Ridiculous questions. Some good (yet somewhat vague) information. And one dad asking how the school was going to compensate for the kids' emotional distress. Basically...what you'd expect.

Now, they said that since the kids touched it on its fur/wings that the risk was extremely low. But then they talk about how it's a fatal disease and that the symptoms may not show up for 3 weeks to 7 years. Yes, 7 years. And once they show up there's nothing you can do about it. Fatal.

Not a risk we're willing to take, no matter how small of a risk it is.

So Tuesday was the first round of shots. The good news is they don't give them in the stomach any more...it's the arm or rump.

They were giving the shots from 3PM-7PM. We showed up at 3:00, foolishly thinking we'd be early and get out around the time the other girls got out of school and then could make it to Awana. Well, 2 1/2 hours later we're done. We were #24 in line. There were around 90 kids total and we left at 5:30, so I wonder what time #90 got to leave.

While we were waiting our turn, Jessica doesn't quite make it to the bathroom on time and her pants are completely wet. I frantically check the vehicle...I had no spare. I found a long lost shirt, but no pants. And we live too far out of town to go home. So I run to the local consignment store and grab her a pair of pants and get back. They were on #22. Whew!

(Oh, and while I was gone I had to take a detour because we had some high winds...really high, for here or anywhere...and it knocked down a HUGE pine tree...on Pine Street --how's that for ironic--and the top of it fell on the house across the street.)

Anyway...

Jake did amazingly well while we were there (thank you, God!), but was in meltdown mode by 6:30. So was Mackenzie, who had gone on an all day hiking/field trip. I'm exhausted and in no mood for whining, tattling, or any loud noise of any kind. Stan is working out of town. I put the kids to bed 30 minutes early, built a fire in the wood stove, ignored the presidential debate (remember...I was in no mood for whining, tattling or any loud noise of any kind), and read a book. My solace.

Now, you're probably thinking the same things we were: What idiot would bring a dead bat to school and let kids touch it? And what teacher would allow that? And what school would let them in the door with it? I have no answers for that.

But when I picked up Jessica today, my heart wrenched for her teacher. She's a veteran teacher and she was a mess. I could tell she'd been crying (probably off and on all day) and as we walked over to get Jessica from PE she cried again, saying this has been the hardest thing she's ever gone through since her parents divorce. I could see the hurt in her face and she was just in pieces, but trying to be strong for the kids. She was in pain about what her kids were having to go through and it was all I could do not to start bawling right there, as we walked up to my smiling, laughing little girl who had no idea what the next few weeks would hold. Six rounds of shots spread out over nearly a month.

You could see (and hear) the bitterness in many parents faces while we waited for the shots (the waiting room was the gym/cafeteria and then they...the state health department...took each child to a different building for the shots so all the others wouldn't have to hear the screams).

And yes, it made me literally sick to my stomach for my baby to have to go through this. But I couldn't help but think about how I knew no one would have done this on purpose and if I were in their shoes...the lady who brought the bat, the teacher, the principal...how completely horrible I'd feel. How responsible I'd feel. How my big screw-up affected so many people. I'm not sure I'd get over it for a really long time.

There are so many bad things that happen in life that we wish hadn't happened and we just have to go forward...and not live in bitterness (easier said than done). But show compassion and forgiveness. Because I've had plenty of screw-ups in my time and will do more in the future. And I hope others would forgive me when I do.

And if you're exhausted after reading all of this, you have my sympathy. I am too!

Braces Braces Everywhere

Is it really true?! Tell me it's not! Please!!!

Tell me we don't have a child old enough for BRACES! Just. Not. Possible.

I mean, it was just the other day we were laughing at her wild bed head, right?

No? Well, "they" say enjoy kids while they're little because they grow up so fast. I guess "they" are right.

Mackenzie got her (ahem...first round of) braces yesterday. She was actually really excited. We'll see if she's just as excited on the next round a few years from now. (And if you mention we've got 3 more in line you better duck while I swing!)

Of course I got a before picture, considering she's going to be metal mouth for a year or more:

And here's the after pic. Naturally, she chose pink bands. And these days you can choose what shape of bracket you want...stars, hearts, flowers, footballs. Wow! What is this, Lucky Charms?

She chose stars. No! Flowers. No! Hearts. Yes, hearts it is. Definately not footballs. Ick.

She still has wild bed head. But she'd probably protest very loudly if I tried to put a picture of it on the www. (Even though I'm always asking her if she brushed her hair today...because it doesn't look like it...)


Mackenzie isn't the only thing in our life getting braces. Our backyard got braces too!


No open range on this land!!! Ok, so that really wasn't a problem. We're more interested in keeping animals and little boys IN.

I'm amazed that Stan got most of the wire up while I was out honky tonkin' reverently studying God's word with Beth. Not only did he keep all the kids that weekend. By himself. He also built a fence.

I mean, when he goes out hunting for a weekend the kids and I stay in our pj's all day. Not him. He got something DONE!

And Jake learned not to stand too close to a hammer in action. Life lessons are hard. And thankfully noses heal.

Weekend Update

Yesterday we went to Glacier National Park. Of course I have LOTS of pictures (yes, I actually remembered the camera) and I'll get them posted sometime soon. If you haven't been, you're missing out. It's BEAUTIFUL!!! This was our third time to go and we were just as amazed as the first time.

In case you're wondering what we're doing this long weekend...other than Glacier, we're working on finishing the girls triple bunk bed (L shaped beds on top, one bed on bottom). We might also go hiking in the mountains around here. Might. We've got a few this-n-that stuff to do like tar some unruly shingles, mow the yard, finish splitting the firewood, think about reworking another flower bed for next year, and of course just relaxing. Probably grill out. Wanna come?


Oh, don't forget to put your name in the hat for the book giveaway. Go here and leave a comment and you're entered. It ends Tuesday, September 2nd.

Pitiful Indeed

Isn't she pitiful? And what horrible person would take a picture of anyone in such an embarrassing state? As well as posting it on a blog which could very well humiliate her in front of her friends?

Me! Because she's a dog. And her only friends include 4 little people who have already seen her and pestered her in this condition. But at least I waited a day. She had it done yesterday.

If you'll remember in my list of exciting happenings last week was getting the dog spayed. Now it's done. Hallelujah!

I'm sure this dates me, but when I see her like this I can't help but think of that little girl with the ugly dog in that movie, One Crazy Summer. Please tell me I'm not the only one.

And even though I've fondly renamed her "Idiot-Dog" I do feel kinda sorry for her. She can be really sweet. Even if she is an idiot.

Poor thang!

Exciting Stuff

Yeah, I know. I hear the crickets chirping too because I haven't posted in a while.

But so much exciting stuff has been happening, I just can't wait to tell you. I'm bursting at the seams (or is it seems?).

Ok, #1 - we got our septic tank pumped!! Wooo Hoooooo!!! I know. You're SO jealous. You wish that your septic would back up into your tub, shower, sinks, toilet (the day before overnight guests arrive) so that you too could get it pumped and shell out nearly $300 for that wonderful experience. We've lived here 3 years...and we've had to have it pumped 3 times. Fun stuff, I'm tellin' ya. Sorry I didn't take any pictures of this event to post for you. I know you're bummed.

#2 - made an appointment to get the dog spayed. Doing our animal control duty. We're such responsible people. Ok, so maybe it's so that there will be less idiot-dogs in the world. It's preservation, really. BUT, in true fried mommy brain form, I completely forgot to take her food away the night before so we had to reschedule for next week. Nice.

#3 - made an appointment for Mackenzie to see the orthodontist. Oh no! It's starting! The million dollar teeth. As long as it's not as bad as her mommy's 12-year stint in the orthodontist's chair, we'll be ok. I hope.

#4 - signed the girls up for soccer this fall (because this is the north, y'all...they do alota soccer here). All three of them. On three different teams. This is their first year of soccer, though, and I hope they like it. Oh, that reminds me...I need to get them shin guards.

So you see, it's not like nothin's happening here. It's happening. Thrilling things.




And in other news...

When the girls say, "Hey mom, you know what?"

Why do I desperately want to say, "Chicken butt. You know why? Chicken thigh." ????

Maybe because they say "Hey mom, you know what" at least 999 times a day, give or take a few, and I like seeing them lose their train of thought, replaced with a dumbfounded look on their face.

Is that so bad?

More Hiking Adventures

The other day we decided to go hiking. We wanted to find a little out-of-the-way lake that Stan heard about from some other guys, but they said the trail is hard to find. It wasn't a difficult trail, so we could take the kids on it. It was just hard to find it.

With a few pseudo-clear directions (keep right the whole way, but when you get to a fork turn left...and...it'll open up to a clearing where an old hunting shack is...and...something about a cattle guard) we loaded up the backpacks, 4 kids and a dog into the Forest Service Green Bronco and headed out.

We drove. And drove. And drove. And bounced. And curved. Up and down. All around. We were comin' around the mountain when we come...but the mountain never ended. It kept going. Around.

The kids fussed. Mom got car sick. The dog barked. Dad drove.

We never found the trail. So...we decided to save this hunt for another day and headed off to the other side of the valley to the other mountain range to find a different hiking trail. One we had very clear directions to.

But we missed the turn-off because Mom was turned around fussing at the fussing kids. So we did what any great adventurous family would do.

We went home and put the kids down for a nap. All of them. While Mom and Dad had a relaxing time floating in the pool.



But I did take my camera this time.

Not A Book Review

Just so you don't think all I do these days are book reviews...

I'm taking a break from cleaning and the kids' fall-out day. My parents and nieces are coming up this week and we're SO looking forward to it!! Well, the kids aren't yet because they don't know about it.

We've found it's best to not tell them about visitors/trips until the day of...the day before at the very earliest. Because 1) if I hear "when are they going to get here? is it time already? how much longer? why aren't they here yet?" 1,000 times I will run through the nearest wall. And 2) too many times the plans have fallen through and I hear 1,000 times how sad and upset they are and the million questions of why.

But I guess that means I need to get the house somewhat ready. At least clear off the beds and get more food in the house. Maybe even mop the floors. I might even go crazy and have all the dishes done before they get here. Maybe.

I might even tell the kids about them coming the day before so they will be motivated to help clean the house that much more!





This past week Mackenzie went to church camp...her very first time! It was so strange not having her here and tucking her into bed. I missed her more than I thought I would. I hoped she was having a good time and not too homesick.

We went and picked her up this weekend. About two seconds after I arrived and asked if she had fun she asked if she could come back next year. Great! Ok...so she had fun. Check.

Then after a couple hours of her non-stop talking (I mean, she's always non-stop talking, but she had to catch up a week's worth) I asked if she missed us. She said...

"No, I didn't think about you."

Pause.

"You didn't think about us?"

Laughing, "I mean, I did! But I couldn't think about you much otherwise I'd get sad, so I didn't think about you."

Funny girl! I laughed and assured her that was ok. So, she wasn't homesick. Check.

Oh and she also said, "I don't know why, but I'm just dying to ask this...How many spankings did Jessica get while I was gone?"

I asked if she was keeping a tally or something. She also wanted to know what all trouble the dog got into. Yeah, she's our trouble police. So, she's still trying to control everything and be bossy. Double Check.

So anyway, that is the reason for the fall-out day. The camp is located over where we used to live so we stayed all weekend and visited with friends. The kids played hard and now it's recovery time.

Oh and by the way, in case you were wondering...I did in fact forget the camera. So I didn't get to take any pictures of Mackenzie at camp. BUT, her "secret sister" at camp gave her a disposable camera so we will get those developed and see. I don't hold high expectations of picuture-taking from a nine year old's perspective. I imagine they will mostly be of other nine year old girls whom I don't know. And pictures of feet. And the sky. And a blurry picture of what might be a flower. Besides, it's a disposable camera. I actually have to take it to town and get it developed. Ugh. :o)

Weekend Fun

Last weekend we made some Rice Crispy Treats and once they were handed out, it was the quietest the kids had been all day! I'm not sure why but they all sat on the floor together to eat their goodies. Funny kids.

Whatever the girls do, Jake has to do it too...so he followed right along with them.



Meanwhile, Stan was outside working hard on our fence (we saved him a Rice Crispy Treat, though).

See the lovely grey fence we had? He used a pressure washer to shine it up and we're going to stain it and make it purty.

You can tell the kids were a big help on this project.

After the kids went to bed, Stan and I sat outside and watched the sunset. I'm glad we didn't miss this one!

A Little Less Talk & A Lot More Action

That's us lately (in a purely wholesome way, that is). I'm not on here talking so much because we're outside living it.

I do have a lot of good pictures to share...but they are still on my camera and I need to upload them.

We went riding up in the mountains Father's Day weekend and had a good time. The kids started swim lessons today. We've been giving the outside of our place a nice little face lift. And we actually have to, you know, mow the yard and stuff.

After Stan gets home this afternoon we're planning on going on a little hike a few miles from here. We'll stop at a waterfall and have a sandwich supper and then hike back out. So the kids are all napping right now so they'll have all available energy to spare. They'll need it.

It will be a 3 mile hike round trip. We plan to do a lot of hiking this summer so this will be a good one to break us in on.

So, I haven't forgotten you. I'll be back posting some great pictures in the next day or two.

You Know You're a Mom When...

...ok, so I really don't have to tell you when you know you're a mom. But today was just one of those days.

I had to go to the dentist to get that fun little contraption that is supposed to help my jaw issue. Oh yes, it's just stunning, but if it helps I'm all for it. Still, I'm having braces/retainer flashbacks and even Mackenzie laughed at me and said "I still don't get it. Why did they give you that?" Never mind. Go do the dishes. (That'll teach her to laugh at her mom who now talks with a lisp. At least I have some power over my ridiculers, unlike in my teen years.)

I digress...

So I sent one child off to meet the school bus and loaded the other three in the rig to drop off at two different places. Don't ask why...it's just my life right now.

But right before I do, I sit down to put Jake's shoes on and I sit right in some oatmeal. Nice. You know how I knew it was oatmeal? Because when I stood back up I said out loud to no one in particular, "What did I just sit in?" Rebecca leans her head around my rump for closer examination and says, "Oh, that's oatmeal."

Run, go change my pants (not shorts, because it's only going to get up in the 60's...na na na na naaaa naaaaaaa). Drop one kid off then remember I've GOT to pay a particular bill TODAY.

Run back home. Pay the bill. Drop the other two kids off, go to the dentist and feel like a kid again myself.

I'll spare you my other 5 errands, but it was SO nice going into a store allbymyself! I felt like I was naked missing an appendage or three. Until...

I have to get groceries. Now, I'm a list person. Have to have my list or I'm lost. And have to mark items off the list or I stand there staring at it forever trying to remember what I got already. So I dig around for a pen. No pen. No pencil. No eye liner. The only thing I have in my purse is a crayon. I'm sure I looked lovely perusing the grocery store with my handy dandy crayon marking off items in my handy dandy notebook.

Actually, it only bothered me for about 11.3 seconds and then it somehow didn't seem strange to me.

Oh and to top off my "wondernous" mom day, I COMPLETELY forgot I was supposed to send a dozen of a baked item for a bake sale to school with Mackenzie. Dropped the ball on that one. I felt like a real winner, let me tell ya.

Not to mention the birthday gift I'd bought for Rebecca and then abandoned in another store. At least I realized it was gone, after I got home. I called and they are holding it for me.

Honestly...I thought I had a pretty good day...until I typed all this up. I wondered why I was so snappy with the girls when they were "helping" me in the garden this evening.

Sorry, no Jessica stories this time. She must be saving up for a good'n.

Friday Five

What is Friday Five? I don't know, I just made it up. Maybe because I had planned on doing the Thursday Thirteen and I missed it.

1) Today was supposed to be Mackenzie's Track & Field day but the school postponed it due to rain. I didn't schedule any tutoring hours today because of it, so this afternoon I'll probably do some much needed cleaning of the house and do some much needed reading to Jessica (the only one who will be here and awake this afternoon). Oh and they rescheduled the Track & Field day for next Thursday, which I have a dentist appointment. So I need to see if I can reschedule that, too. That's always fun.

2) Ok, well I called and guess what? They are closed on Fridays. I wonder if they will be also be closed on Monday because of the holiday. Yikes!

3) Three day weekend ahead!! What will you be doing? Considering it's supposed to only get up into the mid 60's and rainy all weekend, I doubt we'll do any grilling out or much outside stuff. Maybe we'll chill and watch movies. Maybe we'll install a ceiling fan in our bedroom and a switch for the new fan in the living room. Maybe Stan won't be too thrilled with this honey-do list I'm making up right now. Maybe we'll play the Wii. Maybe we'll run through the house in our underwear, singing "Don't you wish your girlfriend was hot like me." Maybe we'll watch Jake walk around the house with his blanket on his head and running into things. Maybe we'll be full of cabin fever by the time Tuesday rolls around.

4) The reason I have been frequenting the dentist lately is to fix my jaw...or at least relieve the pain and headaches. I'm getting one of those very attractive mouth guards to help. It should look just lovely (at least my family will be the only ones to see it), but I guess if I survived going to school with a bionater contraption in my mouth (much, much, much worse than a retainer...imagine having both top and bottom retainers that are attached to each other so that your teeth stay together...and then try talking that way) and enduring the ridicule of that I can endure another plastic contraption. Word to the wise: if your jaw pops on one or both sides when you open your mouth, go get it looked at. It's a little piece of bone that is being rubbed away or pushed out of place and the only "real" way to pseudo-"fix" it is surgery. No thanks. It may not hurt at first, but it will. And the daily, intense headaches? Not so much fun.

5) If you've read this far, well, bless your heart! I do have some fun stuff coming up. Next week (Tuesday) I'll post a book review...first of many to come. And with this particular review, I'm also doing a giveaway for that book. So after your fun-filled, three day weekend come back and win a free book!

Have a great weekend!!!