Mouse Trap

Its 9am on a Friday morning. I've been up since 5:30. For those 3 and 1/2 hours...I have nothing to show. I've gotten a shower, true, had breakfast, true. I surfed the web. I made Little Guy his breakfast (which he is now refusing to eat for some unknown reason.) Sweetling has been making a penguin family since 7:15. (And the "What were you thinking, Mommy?" question from yesterday is totally forgotten in her little mind.) We did have a short discussion about multiplying both sides of an equation by a reciprical fraction when a variable has a fraction as a coeffiecent....but you know, that was just light morning time conversation.

But the real reason I'm blogging is that my sink has a stack of four stinky mouse traps sitting in it. Oh yes it does. Stinky like, there might still be a dead mouse inside of one of them. That degree of stinky. We have a mouse in the laundry room somewhere. he nibbled on a bag of brown sugar in the downstairs pantry and I heard him making his mousey noises yesterday morning, when I was awake at 5am. I told the Jedi we needed to pick up some mousetraps. (Meaning of course, that he needed to pick up some mousetraps.) The Jedi went out to the garage this morning and found this four box like mousetraps from a few years ago. He brought them in to show me them at 7am....cause that's exactly what I want at 7am. He said, "They're going to need some cleaning, then I'll set them up when I get home tonight." Appparantly by that he meant "you are going to need to clean them so that they are ready for me to set up when I get home tonight." I found them stacked in the sink when I went in to make myself some hot chocolate.

Let the universe hear and tremble, for I am NOT touching those things.

I sprayed them with Lysol, which didn't help. It will, however, probably be enough to render them useless as micetraps. (Is micetraps an acceptable plural of mousetraps?) I'm working up the courage to go in, unload the dishwasher, put the breakfast dishes in the dishwasher, put the stopper in the sink....and fill the sink with bleach water. That is as close as I am willing to come to cleaning the things. Even then...I have to be much nearer to them than I want to be. I'll just have to keep adding water and bleach to the sink throughout the day, cause the stopper doesn't totally seal the sink.

Vaya is going to have all kinds of animal right fits about this post. Fine. Vaya can come remove the mice from my house if she wants to.

What were you thinking, Mommy?

Sweetling, in theory, starts school at 7:30 am. Little Guy, in theory, sleeps later...then wakes up and watches a PBS show. At 8:30, in theory, the tv goes off, and everyone goes to the kitchen for breakfast and devotions. (Though for Sweetling, its a morning snack, cause she eats breakfast with daddy before school.)

So, at 8:30 today, I went it to turn off the TV and collect Little Guy for devotions and breakfast. He was watching Little Einsteins on Playhouse Disney. Now, the thing with turning off the TV is that you have to do it AFTER the closing credits of the last show but BEFORE the "stay tuned" clips for the next show. Mommy, who is timing challenge, loses at this precision based task quite often. So he caught enough to know that Mickey's Playhouse was next. "Mickey Mouse? Mickey Mouse? Mickey Mouse please Mommy?"

Now, I'm pretty sure that he has never watched Mickey Mouse since coming home with us. I don't know how he even knows who Mickey Mouse is. But, I...being the great educator that I am...immediately decided that Little Guy absolutely needed to be familiar with Mickey Mouse. That's like foundational American culture and history there. I said as much. It totally counts for school for Little Guy. Sweetling, who had wondered into the room, was looking at me like I might be an alien in disguise.

I brought Little Guy his breakfast at the table in the living room. (Breakfast, by the way, was pink eggs on toast with green juice. Hooray for food coloring. Yesterday it was green eggs and pink juice.) Sweetling is still staring at me. Finally she says. "I can't believe you're doing this. What were you thinking, Mommy?"

I then proceeded to remind the little girl of the number of times we suspended regular lessons for any of a number of creative projects...the most recent was an entire webkinz village made out of boxes and paper grocery bags decorated with tissue paper. This consumed the whole afternoon and took up the entire floor of the game room. She challenged me to name another time. Here was the very incomplete list I rattled off. Maybe tonight or tomorrow, I can get Sweetling to help me add to it.

--a spaghetti restaurant for advarks complete with dishes, play food, menus, drinks, tablecloth, and of course, aardvarks.
--beds for cyberworms and paper clothes for the cyberworms to wear
--a pet sitting business
--multiple lunch time diners
--inumerable paper puppets drawn, cut out, and attached to popsicle sticks
--math word problems that develop into 90 minute imagination games with fisher price people
--Cyberchase marathons
--Fetch marathons
--Jo Jo circus marathons

Now, its just gotten unnaturally quiet. Mommy senses are tingling. Have to find Little Guy.

Penguin, Mommy, Penguin!

I just need to make note of the fact that if a penguin is spotted anywhere, in any format, whichever of my children has spotted it (or both if they are together) immediately start crying "Penguin, Mommy! Penguin!" This earnest plea is repeated frantically until I drop whatever I am doing and come running to see the penguin. Tears occur if I don't make it in time. Cause they love me.

Little Guy has legos. He loves the legos. He is discovering certain engineering principles the hard way. Rather, certain engineering principles are demanding to be taken into account, despite how much Little Guy whines or gets frustrated when his towers break apart. There are whimpers coming out of his bedroom now. He wants an exact lego duplicate of his fisher price castle. Now, his a tiny bit used to handing me a crayon and a piece of paper and having me draw any cartoon character or other object that he names. He doesn't understand why he can't hand me a bunch of legos and say "Dinosaur, Mommy." Mommy therefore should build a dinosaur, right? Wrong. Mommy tells him that I am not the Lego engineer he is looking for.

Sweetling is wearing her hair in pigtails today. This is significant cause its the first time she's worn pigtails, ponytails, or braids since getting her hair cut to donate to Locks of Love.

I need a new wall paper. I'm tired of the unfinished Richard and Fawn sketch. And no, the solution to this is *not* to finish the sketch. Foolish mortal.

Chocolate bars left in the van in the summer time melt.

Also, I should get xp or drama points for walking out to my van *all by myself* last night after Smurf subjected me to the movie "Perfume".

How long do chocolate bars need to stay in the fridge before they become edible? And, should I do anything about the tears in Little Guy's room over the legos? He hasn't asked for help. Mommy instincts say go in and make it all better. My brain tells me not to be a helicopter mom and to let him try to work it out himself. The rest of me just says go get the chocolate bar and a straw.

Snips, snails, sugar, and spice

We dropped the Jedi off at work this morning because the drum brakes on his car have fused to something and are being stubborn. Anyway, I turned the wrong way coming out of his work, forgetting that I wanted to take the back roads to avoid the highway construction. "Shoot," says I.

"Shoot," says Little Guy.

"Mommy," says Sweetling, "you need to watch your language around small children."

"Shoot," says Little Guy.

"You're right," says I as I turn the car around. "I should be more careful."

"Shoot," says Little Guy. "Shoot, shoot, shoot."

Now, I'd like to point out that this word was, in fact, "shoot," and not another variation thereof.

In other news, we've started school, so expect more computer time from me. I also have two yummy containers of Heggy's hot fudge in the fridge. (And a Webkinz chocolate lab named Heggy....for those of you who are Webkinz challenged, that makes my third...all of them gifts from Sweetling, who now has 19. Nine and teen.)

The airconditioning in the house has died. After running for nearly two weeks straight because we had days that were ranging in the high 90s to low 100s with 90% humidity and nights that barely got below 80, our air conditioner has finally died.

More stories later. Going to pick up Sweetling's good friend....who has yet to be blog named. That's like a special Christening ritual. Blognaming.

Or an old norse ritual. It has the consonents for that.

Catching Up Is Hard To Do

So much for regular updates. I just don't sit at the computer in the summer. Summers are made for playing, not sitting at the computer being semi-productive.

Since I have so much to write about and catch up on, I'm not going to try. Yes, that's the sort of lazy pathetic person that I am.

I'm just going to skip to the current topic of interest. A few years ago, I got a book out of the library called Nurture by Nature. It uses a simplified version of the Meyers-Briggs personality index to help identify your child's natural inclinations along with some strategies and tips for better relating to your child. Its actually a lot more interesting and helpful than that boring sentence made it sound. Anyway, I got it back out from the library a few weeks ago to reread the INFJ section that pertains to my Sweetling, and to see if I could narrow down what personality type Little Guy *might* be so that I could maybe relate to him and understand him a little better.

Here's some notes on the Sweetling:

The chapter's subtitle is "My Secret Garden" and the opening quote is "He's always off in his own world, which must be a fascinating place." After that, here are some super relevant descriptions of the Sweetling...

The fundamental quality of INFJs is their vivid and rivate imagination, their unique vision of the world and their place in it. They are driven to see the pattern and connection between things and are comletely faxcinated with their own view. They are sensitive and warm children...

The most important part of INFJ is their rich inner life, which is highly imaginative and capable of seeing unique possiblities everywhere. Often reserved and caustion children, INFJs may be reluctant to reveal their true and usually highly creativ selves wit others. Even then they are slective about whom they risk sharing thier ideas with, and they need to first make sure these special people are wll known and deeply trusted. Quiet, gentle, and sensitive, INFJs like to watch first and join in after they feel comfortable and safe. They are rarely very assertive except as regards their personal values, about which they can be quite forceful and passionat. Intellecturally curious, especially about theories...INFJs often have a uniqe vision about themselves and their projects. ...

INFJs tend to love fantasy in their play and their stories. They often speak early and with a sophisticates style that belies their years. They usually like and creative activity... They may have imaginary firens or close friendships with their stuffed animals.... They have a strong need for harmony, especially in their treasured ersonal relationships, and can be deeply wounded by insensitive or cruel comments...

Organized and efficient, INFJs are most comfortable with order, structure, and consistency. They are unnerved by constan ot raid change and need plenty of time, advanced warning, and loving support to adjust to it. They like to be on time and prepared for all of thier obligations, and they respect rules and authority. INFJs really like to be in control and can run the risk of being overly perfectionistic. The are frightended and stressed when too much changes too fast. Determined to stay in charge and unwilling to go against what they believe is right, they can have real trouble compromising or backing down. Some time alone, or quiet compaionship that reasures them they are supported and loved, helps INFJs regain their sense of optimism and balance.

(Ages 5-10) By the time most INFJs start school, they are eager to lear as much as they can...Elementary school INFJs tend to be great readers, with ecclectic tastes and interests...They like philosophical or tehical discussions and are able to grasp complex concepts quickly...INFJs are generally very resourceful children who enjoy creating things out of other things....INFJs are usually well liked as quitely friendly children, but they continue to prefer to have one best friend at a time....But while INFJs may be slective about which people they connect with, once they do, their commitments are often strong ones and thier feelings of friendship and concern depp and passionate. They tend to be sentimental and guided by their deeply felt sense of right ans wrong. Toward the end of elementay school, parents may notice that their children's value system is gaining increasing focus and strength...They want to know and obey the rules and are alarmed in others encourage them to bend rules.

(Joys and Challenges) Parents of INFJs often find that once their child has made up her mind, it is vitually impossible to get her to change it. INFJs like structure and are uncomfortable leaving their options open for too long. Since they would rather err on the side of decisiveness, they can get a bit stuck in their ways. Solw to adapt to change, they need plenty of time to switch gears once a plan has been made. While they may appear to be annoyed with you or not glad to see you unexpectedly, this is more often a reaction to pulling themselves out of thier inner world and reentering yours. Generally concerned about being on time, they can be alarmed and worried if you are late... While they may be intellectually adventurous, that quality is rarely expressed in the physical world.
Since most INFJs are so intensely private, they may be hesitant to participate in activites unless they know the other children well. This stems from thier strong need to be liked. if they don't know the children in the group, for example, they will often hang back and watch. Only after they have made a connection with one child will they feel more comfortable about joining in.
...[they] are well likded by most of thier peers for their quiet strenght sincerity, and integrity. In fact, many INFJs deomstrate excellent leadership qualities, and other children are drawn to them for the high quality of thier ideas and for their interpersonal warmth.
The time INFJs spend alone is not only happy time, but necessary time for them ot formulate thier thoughts, process the many new things they've experienced during the day, or simply engage in nourishing and satisfying daydreaming. However, this internal quality of the INFJs can make it hard for them to stay conntected to the external world: "One morning, eight-year-old Paticia and her mother were making Englis muffins, as they did most mornings. Patricia suddently looked a bit startles and asked, as she looked up at her mother, 'when did we get a toaster?' Of course, they'd had a toaster, and used it nearly every morning--for four years."
Parents who understand this quality of INFJs can help rotect them from a demanding and high-seed world. By crating private times and places, parents communicate a respect and understanding of thier child and help foster a close and intimate relationship that lasts a lifetime.
INFJs also need privacy to make the many intuitive connections they do and to develop thier creative ideas and visions. for them, the createive process is essentially a solitayr one. n fact, a high and procuctive level of creative endergy very often requires that they work alone. Percolating thier ideas inside allows a sort of positive pressure to build up, enabling them to push the ideas futher than they would if they shared it prematurely. Bringing the idea out inot the light (and noise) of the external day defuses some of its energy and its power. Therefore, many INFJs will avoid showing thir creative writing or drawing to anyone until it is finished. Comments or suggestions from caring onlookers may spoil the wole project for them. Well-meaning parents assume they are actively encouraging their child by offering compliments or suggestions and may be understandably confused when the child balls up the paper or loses interst in the porject. It is usaly best to stay silent until the project is finishes or the child seeks a reaction. Then compliments are welcome and are, in fact, an important form of appreciation and praise. INFJs like to hear that thier work is good or pleasing or interesting. Just wait until they ask. Parents can encourage their INFJs by simly providing the time, space, materials, and the essential quiet to create. Those actions speak much louder than words.
But perhaps the most confounding quality of INFJs is thier tendency toward perfectionism. Becouse they are most interested in projects that are complex and substantive, they can find themselves in over their heads... They will work so hard, reworking, adjusting, correcting, refiguring, and erfecting what they do, they run the risk of exhausting themselves or becoming discouraged if the product never truly measures up to their expectations and ideals. And since their ideals can be unrealistic, this is a real possiblitity.

(In a Crystal Ball) Lasting self-esteem for INFJs develops in a wamr and nurturing home where they are appreciated for their uniqueness and their original ideas. INFJS thrive in a crative and open-ended environament were they feel free and encouaged to explore, perfect, and produce their vision of how things might be. They need gentle guidance and constant affection.

(What works)
--Respect their need for quiet and time alone to play, think, or dream.
--Allow them to watch from the sidelines or begin participation on the periphery of the action before joining in.
--Speak privately and quietly when you are discussing or correcting their behavior.
--Try not to raise your voice or yell; apologize quickly if you do.
--Listen to their ideas and refrain from correcting or offering feed back that squelches thier imagination and zeal for the idea.
--Provide a variety of creative materials and encouage open-ended exploration.
--Give them plenty of physical conatc and affections; express your love for your child in little, thoughtful ways like love notes.
--Encourage them to express their feelings in words or through drawings.
--Listen and rephrase their feeling to help them clarify them; talk on-on-one as much as possible.
--Help them see that life is both fun and funny.
--Respect their privacy.
--Offer regular, qualit private time with one parent at a time--take your INFJ on a date!
--Ask for thier input and iedas ahead of time; include them in decision making.
--Don't interrupt or rush them through their talk.
--Don't tease them about thier heads being in the clouds--they hear enough of that from the rest of the world.


So, that tured out to be more than "some" notes. But the whole chapter is dead on in describing the Sweetling...and much of it is the exact opposite of how I operate. I needed to type it all out in hopes that I'll absorb and remember and adjust my own methods accordingly.

I'll try to get info on Little Guy's personality up as well. He's much harder to identify with a specific type though...partly because he's younger, partly becuase I haven't known him as long, and partly because this is such a time of transition and change for him, its hard to know if some of his behaviors and preferences are natural or induced by the upheavals in his life. Also, I think that his experiences in his first year of life have left a significant scar in how he operates. So, the questions is---is he an E with strong I tendencies because of the trauma of what he's been through? Or is he an I with strong E tendencies because his confidence and trust were so shaken that its made him more needy of constant reassurance from others? Personally, I think that he's acting more and more and more like an E as he becomes more comfortable and at home in his environment---so I think he is naturally an E who reverts to some I tendencies when confronted with a new and unfamiliar situation.

But now its 9:30 am. I'm in my nightgown and BOTH my children are sitting on the couch watching TV and NEITHER have been fed yet, so I'll save the rest of the notes and discussion of Little Guy for later. (Like maybe three weeks later....cause its still SUMMER baby. Little Guy has taken to saying "yeah, baby!" about things. I don't know where he could have picked that up.)

The Force is Not with Me

We were over at Mango's the other day (where Little Guy and Dash had a great time playing together....and Sweetling and Violet disappeared into Violet's room for a few hours). At lunch, Mango asked Sweetling if everyone in our family was a jedi. Sweetling said, everyone but Mommy....because the Force is not always with Mommy.

I'm taking a break in reading the Anne of Green Gables series. I got up to the eigth book...Rilla of Ingleside, and I know that WWI is going to break upon the idyllic lifes of the Blythe family. I'm not quite ready to face that, so a short break from the books is in order.

Transitions here have been going really well for Sweetling and Little Guy. Little Guy is a bit more in need of near constant attention and interaction than I'm used to. He just loves to share the wonderful things in his life with his Mommy and Daddy.

Sweetling wants to have a Fourth of July party. She had summer Sunset Camp every evening last week, and I think that was really good for her.

Little Guy went to the Newport Aquarium a couple of weeks ago. He liked it, but was a bit overwhelmed by the length of the outing. (Sweetling, of course, had to read and digest every informational sign in the building). We all got to touch sharks! *That* was totally cool.

As you can tell, I'm not in a very, um, yeah...I'm struggling with writing today. But its been forever since I updated, so I'm pushing through my block.

Little Guy brought a stuffed octopus home from the aquarium. He pronounces "octopus" in something that sounds closer to "apple toes". Its very cute. He also has a super sling shot monky with elastic arms that can be stretched and sent flying across the room, howling its jungle monkey war cry as it goes. Daddy brought that lovely gift home for him. Daddy also ordered one for himself to "dispense monkey justice" upon the occupants of neighboring cubicles at work. Sweetling got an elastic frog of the same design. Fortunately, it's ribbet isn't nearly as loud or annoying as the monkey war cry. Super Monkey lives in a bug box, suspended by its handle from a hook in the wall. The box is now Super Monkey's treehouse.

We're down to one car for a week. Now, I didn't have any plans or desire to go somewhere today, but the very fact that I can't makes me feel restless, coped up, and bored. Its too hot and humid to go on a walk. At best I'll send to little children through the sprinkler in the back yard.

The 30 minute PBS program has come to an end. Maybe I'll just chase the children around the yard with a garden hose. Till later.

Peas and friends

Let me begin with the pea funeral at dinner last night. Little Guy sat at the table. He picked up a pea with his fingers, squished out its middle, then ate both the squishy middle and the skin. Sweetling sat pushing her food around her plate while alternating disbelieving looks at Little Guy and reproachful glances at her terrible mother, who had so unlovingly set a wholesome dinner of chicken, rice, and peas before her. Sweetling claims that what happened next was an accident. Her spoon, which was not at all busy conveying food to her mouth, squished a pea flat. She was distraught by the tragedy. I kindly suggested she eat her pea, so that its death might not be in vain. She maintained that she couldn't eat the pea now that its middle was all popped out. I pointed out that the middles come out in her mouth anyway, but that was an irrelevent point apparantly. All the other peas had to gather around the squished pea, forming a nice circle so that they could have a funeral for the dearly departed.

(Little Guy, meanwhile, had transitioned from eating his peas individually, to cramming every last bite of chicken in his mouth at the same time. I didn't think he's mouth would close enough to allow his teeth to meet so that he might chew. I was debating the advisability of suggesting he take a sip of milk. On the one hand, adding any further mass to the overload of substance in his mouth seemed like a bad, bad, idea. On the other, his glands couldn't possibly produce enough saliva to masticate that mess, so perhaps a little fluid would assist in producing a swallowable substance. In the end, he wound up storing portions of his chicken in cheek pouches I never knew existed on humans while he chewed and swallowed the rest in sections.)

At this point, Sweetling decided that the peas were entirely "too sad to be eaten". Dinner concluded with Sweetling gathering her peas off of her plate to take them to the garden where they could have a proper funeral for their late comrade. Sweetling wanted to know if the peas would all grow into new peas. I told her that peas would at the very least go back into "the circle of life".

After dinner, we all watched Finding Nemo together. Then I stayed up till midnight (or later) reading Anne of Avonlea. I have decided that Anne Shirley is my favorite fictional heroine. First, because she is such an imaginative dreamer. She lives and moves in a fantasy world, which only occasionally intercects with the reality of others, most often with uniquely amusing results. Second, because I understand and sympathize with how it feels to have one's beautifully dreamt up vision go so awry sometime between its conceptualization and actuallization. In short and in Anne's own phrasing, I find in Anne a "kindred spirit."

Here are two passages that I think illustrate my favorite Anne qualities admirably:

"...Anne keenly enjoyed her walk througt the great gray maze of the beechlands; though alone she never found it lonely; her imagination peopled her path with merry companions, and with these she carried on a gay, pretended conversation that was wittier and more fascinating than conversations are at to be in real life, where people sometimes fail most lamentably to talk u to the requirements."

The second passage is considerably longer, for its really more of a typical Anne escapade. To provide the setting, Anne has borrowed an old and rare platter from an elderly friend. In a chapter titled "A Chapter of Accidents", the platter is broken. Anne's good friend Diana has located two other possible families who have similar platters, that Anne might try to purchase to replace the original. Anne and Diana arrive at the first such family farm only to find the two grown sisters who own the property gone. Not sure whether to wait in hopes that the absent sisters will return soon and do indeed have a platter in question, or whether to drive to the second, further own location, Anne and Diana decide it is permissable, under the circumstances, for Anne to climb up on an old duck house in order to peer through the pantry window in hopes of espying the platter.

Much to her delight, she saw, as she peered through the pane, a willow-ware platter, exactly such as she was in quest of, on the shelf in front of the window. So much she saw before the catastrophe came. In her joy Anne forgot the precarious nature of her footing, incautiously ceased to lean on the window sill, gave an impulsive little hop of pleasure...and the next moment she had crashed through the roof up to her armpits, and there she hung, quite unable to exticate herself...[There follows several paragraphs of the girls unsuccessful efforts to free Anne from her predicament as well as whether or not Diana should leave Anne to drive for help. Then, as Anne is speaking...]
...'Fancy what the Copp girls will think when they drive into their yard and see a girl's head and shoulders sticking out of the roof of one of their outhouses. Listen...is that a wagon? No, Diana, I believe it is thunder.'
Thunder it was undoubtably, and Diana, having made a hasty pilgrimage around the house, returned to announce that a very black cloud was rising rapidly in the northwest.

Now, lest I leave you thinking that Anne is fated to be a perpetual victem of unfortunate circumstances, and worse, that I indentify and idolize her because of that, let me assure you that this is not at all the case. Anne is my favorite heroine because of her imagination, her ability to see beauty in the mundane, and for her tireless efforts to work to bring her ideals to fruitition, despite many setbacks and hardships she endures. Yes, I am entertained by the humor inherit in those setbacks, but Anne is in no way a comic figure. Neither is she in any way a perpetual victim, despite the fact that she occasionally wonders if she wasn't born under an ill-fated star. Rather, Anne is a woman of sensitivity and compassion balanced by vision and ambition. She works hard and acheives many academic honors as a teen. Yet, as important as these achievements are to her, as a young woman, she sacrifices a scholarship in order to stay near home and care for her adopted 'mother' who's eyesight is failing her. There she takes up a position as a teacher, eager to "make an impression for good" in the lives of her pupils. I admire her for both the ambition as well as the ability to prioritize and adjust her goals based on the real needs of those she loves. In Anne's words, " 'I'd like to add some beauty to life....I don't exactly want to make people know more....but I'd love to make them have a pleasanter time because of me..to have some little joy or happy thought that would never have existed if I hadn't been born.' " In L.M. Montgomery's words, "Anne was one of the children of light by birthright. After she had passed through a life with a smile or a word thrown across it like a gleam of sunshine the owner of that life saw it, for the time being at least, as hopeful and lovely and of good report."

So, enough of my mini essays. I'm going to go paint my toenails corral pink. If I thought I could get away with it, I'd be picking up a bottle of sunless tanning lotion. But you know that any attempt I make in that regard is bound to turn out dissastrous. I can just imagine me *streaked* in an unnatural orange color, with my fingernails stained an ugly brown. No, thank you. I'll keep to my sad pale self, and avoid the humilation of the later.

Nemo update-- Nemo came down with a mystery rash. Mystery because I can't for the life of me figure out what caused it. Between waking up in the middle of the night with it, and taking benedryl before nap to help clear it up (which results in an extra long nap) his sleep schedule for the past couple of days is totally thrown off. We called the Jedi's mom about it (she's a pediatric nurse.) Its looking much better now, but it bothers me that I can't figure out what caused it. I'm afraid to let him have any more strawberries, in case those were the culprit.

Sweetling update-- Sweetling is a little stressed by the changes in her life. She hasn't complained, but she's been spending a lot of time (even for Sweetling) alone in her room and her appetite has been pretty depressed. Tonight was the first night since Saturday lunch when she cleared her plate. I'm taking Sweetling out for a mother-daughter dinner at the metling pot (along with Telephone and her daughter) on Thursday. The Jedi took her out for lunch and a shopping trip at Borders yesterday. (Sweetling used a birthday gift card to get Codebreaker: The History of Codes and Ciphers.)

Me update--I've been spending most of my days with nearly all of my focus and attention on Little Guy when he's awake. During his naptimes, I've been either doing housework or doing soemthing with Sweetling. Last night, the Jedi and I watched "Planet Earth: elusive animals of the world's deserts", just because the Jedi was channel surfing and neither of us had the energy to pick something more interesting from our dvds. Sweetling gave me a new Webkinz, so now I have two of these little guys. I spent Little Guy's nap time yesterday adopting Genevieve the Unicorn and letting Sweetling help me decorate Genevieve's room. So...essentially, there isn't much to put in a "me" update. It's been all about the Little Guy recently, with some efforts to make it all about the Sweetling as well.

Smurf the "Ant"

I have more blog entries from Guatemala, but I'll have to wait till I'm motivated enough to fire up the laptop and pull them off of there. That motivation is obviously not hitting me today.

We got back on Saturday. The Jedi videotaped Little Guy coming into his new room. "Look it! Look it!" said Little Guy, as he kept turning around in his room and finding something else really cool that exited him. I had been very concerned that one of the biggest causes of sibling rivalry between Little Guy and Sweetling was going to be centered around the sacredness of Sweetling's room and Sweetling's stuff. But Little Guy had already demonstrated respect for Sweelting's things in Guatemala, and he quickly transferred that ability here. In his room for the first time, he needed to establish for sure that these were his things. So he'd extend his arms and hands over something and ask, "Mine?" I'd assure him that those were his stuffed animals. "My books?" Yes, those are Little Guy's books. "My toys?" Yes, those are Little Guy's toys. "My trucks?" Yes, those are Little Guy's trucks. "Wanna play with my trucks."

The rest of the evening was spent with Little Guy going from one activity to the other. He needed to get everything out, establish what was and wasn't his, examine the things that were his, then put that thing back and move on to the next thing. The good thing was that he was careful to put his things neatly back before getting something else down. The Jedi, after having seen the haul I brought home from the shower Telephone threw for me, had had the foresight to put about half of his toys up for now. That way, said the Jedi, Little Guy wouldn't be overwhelmed with stuff when he first got home. The Jedi, as usuall, was totally right. Even with just the few, by comparison, things down, Little Guy was in new toys and new things overload. He couldn't even sit still long enough to eat his dinner at one time. Instead, he'd take a few bites of pizza (alfredo, no tomatoes), then hop down and explore. Then he come back to the table later for a few more bites. He did really, really well going to bed and going to sleep that night. I was worried that our first night might be rough, but Little Guy was absolutely comfortable, more than comfortable, going to bed with his Nemo pillow and Nemo blanket.

Sunday we went to church, which was a little overwhelming for Nemo, but totally needed by the rest of the family. Nemo stayed right with us in the sanctuary for the first part of the service, then the Jedi and I went up to preschool and stayed there with Nemo, who made a craft and had a snack, and played with toys and enjoyed himself. Sweetling, of course, went to Hiz Kidz with her friends.

We had our first real conflict of wills Sunday evening. Sweetling and Nemo were watching a video together in the living room. The Jedi and I were sitting on the floor of the school room talking. We heard, from the other room, that the video had ended, and Sweetling was trying to explain to Nemo that it was too close to his bedtime to watch another video. So, we went on in there. I told Nemo that there wasn't time to watch another video, but that he could do a puzzle or play with his dinosaurs for a few minutes before bedtime. Nemo was not happy with this decision and began to cry. I said I was sorry, and that we could watch another video tomorrow. More tears. I suggested, one at a time, other fun activities Nemo could choose. Nemo shook his head at each one and continued to cry. I told Nemo, he could choose to cry if he wanted to, or he could pick something fun to play with. Nemo chose to cry. I said ok, and went to the school room to work on my monthly dinner menu and grocery list. Nemo crawled down the hall so that he could cry outside the open school door. I suggested again to Nemo that he come in and play a puzzle. More head shaking and tears. I put on some music. Nemo would calm down, so I'd look up at him to see if he was ready to do something else. As soon as he had my attention, Nemo would cry again. I put a toy next to him, in case he decided to make better use of his remaining play time. He crawled into the school room to sit and cry near me, since crying in the hall wasn't producing the desired result. After 15 minutes of this, I told him he had two more minutes until bedtime. He cried through them. I picked him up, told him very nicely that it was time to brush his teeth, and carried him into the bathroom where the Jedi brushed his teeth while Nemo sat on my lap and cried. I continued to talk to him nicely while we got the teeth brushed and psuedo rinsed and while I sat him on the toilet to go potty. Carried him, still crying, into bed and read him his two bedtime stories. We said prayers and gave kisses to the still crying boy and tucked him into bed. he went to sleep not too long after that. Since then, we haven't had any more issues about only watching one video before nap and one video before bed.

Yesterday the Incredibles visited. Violet and Sweetling quickly disappeared into Sweetling's room to discuss and play all things Webkinz. After a failed bubble blowing time in the driveway, Nemo, Mango, Dash, Jack-Jack and I went to the back yard where there is a swing set and a sandbox. Nemo wanted his bucket filled with water so that he could fill up his little watering can and then wash off the swings and slides. I did that. That eventually turned into, lets splash Mommy, to Dash's great delight. That turned into, let's Nemo and Dash both splash Nemo's Mommy. Nemo decided he was far to dry for this game, so he dumped his watering can down the front of his body. Then the game became, Nemo and Dash throw water at each other. The Jedi came to the door and looked out. He said, "At this point, do you want me to just hook up the sprinkler?" Mango and I decided this sounded like a capital idea. We then stood in the sandbox (the only part of the yard not hit by the sprinkler) and took pictures and videos while Nemo and Dash ran back and forth yelling and screaming, getting drenched, and having a great time. At one point, Sweetling and Violet emerged, took one look at the dirty, wet, boisterous playtime, and decided it definitely wasn't for them. So the first meeting between Dash and Nemo went really well.

Later, on Monday afternoon, Smurf came over. She gave Sweetling two Little Kinz and three packs of Webkinz trading cards (ooooooooo). Then I dragged her to the grocery store with me while Nemo was napping. After Nemo had woken up from nap, I introduced my sister as Nemo's aunt...Nemo shook his head and I, thinking he was still tired, decided to leave off the rest of the explanation until later. Well, by later, I was busy skinning chicken and getting meats packaged up to go in the freezer. Nemo and Smurf were playing happily together in the school room, so finishing the explanation of who Smurf was just sort of slipped my mind. She called me today to tell me that Nemo had been calling her something in Spanish while they were playing together. She looked up "aunt" today, thinking maybe that was it. No, "aunt" is "tilla", and that wasn't what Nemo was calling her. A light bulb went on. Realizing Nemo didn't have a lot of experience with family relationships, Smurf looked up "ant" in Spanish. "Hormiga." Yes, that is exactly what Nemo called her numerous times yesterday.

Now, understand, that I am *not* laughing at Nemo. It isn't his fault I didn't explain things well to him. I am, however, laughing at Smurf. You see, when Sweetling was a little girl, and her vocabulary was very limited, she had about 4 words that she could use to refer to any creature in the animal kingdom. Mommy, and only Mommy, was "Mama". Daddy, and only Daddy, was "Dada". Every other human being on the face of the planet was "fren" (friend). (Including the teletubbies, which aren't human, but you know). Sheeba our 80lb German shepherd was "dog" as was every other 4 legged creature. Smurf was also "dog". No one knows why to this day, but Sweetling was very insistent about it and refused to be swayed from this appellation and categorization of Smurf as "dog". So, the fact that once again, one of my children has been calling Smurf by an animal name is highly ironic and amusing.

Don't worry, I'm not so amused by this that I won't make sure Nemo understands. As tempting as it is to let him call her "Hormiga" for a while longer, I've got a book in Spanish about Los Famillas that we'll read together this afternoon. It has a page with aunts, uncles, and cousins on it. We'll not poke fun at Smurf at Little Guy's expense. At Smurf's expense? Absolutely. Any chance I get. But not at Nemo's expense.

Finding Nemo

My good friend wrote this in her blog. I read it and cried, so I'm sharing it here:

"Finding Nemo"
Once upon a time, there was a the sweetest, cutest little fishie named Nemo. Nemo had a problem: he needed a family. Nemo lived in a school of fish where there were some very nice grownups who took care of him, but sometimes late at night, Nemo would lie in his little bed and wish that he could have a mommy and a daddy all his own. Beyond that, though, Nemo had a secret wish... that when he got his family, it woul dbe a family that had a sister just for him. Nemo had always wanted a big sister to love him and take care of him, who would play with him and smile at him and make him giggle.

One day, the grownup fishies who took care of Nemo gave him a picture of a family. They said, "Nemo, this is a picture of the family who is coming to get you. They are going to be your very own family, but you will have to wait a while to see them." Nemo looked at the picture. There was a beautiful mommy with lovely, long hair , big brown kind eyes full of love, and a kind smile. There was a daddy who looked like he would take very good care of Nemo no matter what. Nemo liked the tiny hint of mischief in his eyes, thinking that he would be a lot of fun to play with! And..... best of all, there was... a LITTLE GIRL! A SISTER! She looked just like Nemo had dreamed her. She had big, beautiful eyes and a great big smile. She looked ready to play! Nemo loved them right away. He wouldn't wait to see them, for them to be his.... but how long would he have to wait?

Oh, for two year old Nemo, it seemed like forever! Then one day, Nemo turned three. And then another year, and it was close to Nemo's fourth birthday. Still he dreamed about them and wondered, would they ever come?

Meanwhile, across the world, the family in the picture was longing for Nemo! They had many pictures of him, even a couple video clips of him playing. They had been waiting to be able to get him so long. every day, his mommy and daddy and his big sister prayed for Nemo, that he would be safe and healthy, and that they would be able to go to get him soon. But, sometimes deep down, they wondered if the day would ever come when they would be allowed to travel to find Nemo and bring him home.

Just a couple weeks before Nemo's fourth birthday, the news came to Mommy and Daddy: They would be able to go get Nemo soon! They flew into action, and travel was set up for just after Nemo's birthday! All of their friends and family got so excited, that they decided to have a great big "birthday party" for Nemo to shower his family with gifts for Nemo so that he would have everything he needed when he got home!

The day to travel finally came, and Nemo's family traveled across the world. When they got to Nemo's town, the grownup fishies met them... and they were surprised to see a sweet, shy, cute little fishie with a very familiar face there too... it was NEMO! They had found him!

Nemo loved them right away. His mommy and daddy were everything he had hoped for, and his sister was even more so! She was so loving and kind, fun and giggly, and took such good care of him that Nemo's heart was fairly bursting with joy.... and the feeling was mutual on her part!

The next few days passed quickly as they took time to get to know each other and play together. then they got to go finish the paperwork, and Nemo was officially part of their family! They had a very rocky time getting home, because Mommy, Daddy and Big Sister got sick on the way and Nemo was very nervous, but they made it home.

Tonight, Nemo is going to bed (what else... his Nemo bed in his Nemo room!) in his new home with his new family. He has a forever family, and they have a forever boy. And their friends the Incredibles could not be happier for them (or more impatient to meet Nemo!) :)

And they all lived happily ever after.

Congratulations to Chocolateer (whose name on my blog will forevermore be Mary Poppins, because I think she is "practically perfect in every way" ), the Jedi, and Sweetling on Finding their little Nemo!

We got back from Guatemala on Saturday, June 2nd. I kept a blog on the laptop in Guatemala, but of course couldn't post it. Its way too long to put into one post on Blogspot (I think). So here it is.

Good Morning

Good Morning, world, how are you?
I hope you're feeling fine...
I've been up since four, but I'm really not that tired,
'Cause I'm really, really wired.

The suitcases are packed. The carryons are packed. The luggage tags are filled out and attached. The passports are in their own little travel wallet (with a string that goes around neck or waist).

Today, I need to call Erin and ask to borrow a suitcase. The suitcases are packed, but the biggest suitcase is pushing the 50lb weight limit. We have three carry-ons. We have one Big Honking suitcase, one reasonable suitcase, and one overnight bag to be checked. We think we should borrow two more reasonably sized suitcase and repack the Big Honking and the overnight bag into two reasonable suitcases. (The original thought was to not have to drag three suitcases through the airport....but getting to the airport and being told that Big Honking is over its weight limit is going to stink even worse than dragging three suitcases.)

Today, Sweetling wants to play on Club Penguin because they are having a member party.

Today, I want to take Sweetling to the library to get her a nice chapter book for the plane ride.

Today, Sweetling needs to take a dose of malaria medication. Its a pill to be swallowed...so this ought to be interesting.

Today, I'd like to get the house clean and ready for us to come back to a clean, tidy dwelling.

Today, I need to fill out medical papers for Sweetling and I to put in our passport wallets.

Today, I have the attention span of a squirrel.

Today, the Jedi wants everyone in bed by 7pm so we are reasonably rested when we have to get up at midnight to drive to Columbus. There's no way Sweetling will go to sleep at 7pm. So really, what will happen is that Sweetling will lay in bed reading for a couple of hours, the Jedi will go to sleep, and I will lay in bed thinking and daydreaming. When I finally do fall asleep, I'll wake up often in a panic that we've overslept and totally missed our flight....usually after having a dream about some similar disaster.

Today, today, today.

Today is our last day in Cincinnati for a while. This trip will be the longest we've been away from home since our honeymoon. And, really, this trip has our honeymoon beat for length by a day or two.

Today, I'm going to go through my day certain that I'm forgetting something critical.

Today, I'm going to need lots of chocolate.

Today, I'm going to pick up some easy novels to read this afternoon when everything is done (yes, it totally could happen) to keep myself sane.

Today is the last day of one chapter of my life. Tomorrow, I start a new chapter.

Thursdays are for Sparring

The back space button is getting a lot of use tonight.

Attempt at a blog entry---take three.

I may as well include all of Energy's journey in this blog. I'm never going to keep up two blogs....and todays blog is all about Sweetling anyway. "Hooray!" says Sweetling behind me.

Thursdays are the sparring days at Tae Kwon Do. Sweetling is now a yellow belt. ("Hooray!" says Sweetling, still behind me.) Sweetling had a belt test a couple of Saturdays ago. She broke a board with her foot. ("Hooray!") Master W worked with her specially on breaking the board.

But Thursdays are for sparring. They all get pads that cover their chests, stomachs and sides and foam helmets. Then they spar. Now, there are two other little girls in Sweetling's class...("and they are both very cute"). Ususally Sweetling is paired with one or the other of the little girls. The girls are smaller than Sweetling, but one is one belt higher, and the other is two belts higher. There is often a lot of giggling going on during the little girls' sparring matches.

Last Thursday, there was perhaps a bit too much giggling, because during the next round, the little girls were not paired with each other. Sweetling got paired with a boy only slightly bigger than her who has a high red belt. (The belt order goes...white, yellow, orange, green, high green, blue, high blue, red, high red, junior black, black.) Against the high red, Sweetling resorted to the time honored technique of running away....which in this case meant that she ran in circles around the edge of the ring. The high red just stood there and watched her. The assisstant instructor said, "Sweetling, why are you running around?"

Sweetling replied, "Because he's trying to kick me!!"

The assistant instructor convinced her, after some talking, not to run around in circles. He demostrated dodging and the side step thing that they do. Sweetling stood there. The high red decided it was time to land a kick.

Now, I've seen in movies where a person gets kicked and gets sent flying, but I've never seen it in actuallity....at least, not before Thursday. The high red landed a kick. I think Sweetlings feet did hit the floor twice before she hit the wall behind her, but they mostly just skimmed the floor like a rock skipping across a pond. But, she got back up, and went right back into the sparring ring.

So, I was a little concerned this Thursday when Sweetling was paired up against the same high red. But Sweetling did a really good job of holding her own. She took a couple of hard hits, and she went down a couple of times, but she didn't give up and she kept trying to land her own kicks and punches. I saw her face twist up on the verge of crying once or twice after the high red had landed a solid hit, but she didn't cry, and she didn't whine, and she didn't fuss, and she didn't give up. She stuck it out till the end and I was really really proud of her and of the progress she had made.

On Tuesdays, by the way, they work on their forms and practice various kicks and punches on pads. Last Thursday, Sweetling was struggling with this elbow thing and this sucker punch looking thing (yes, Mommy knows so much about this subject). Master W pulled Susan aside for private instructions. Sweetling still wasn't quite getting it with the pads, so Master W put the pads aside and showed Sweetling how to elbow him across the face and how to sucker punch him in the gut. So Sweetling practiced her elbow thing and her sucker punch thing on Master W's face and stomach rather than on the big thick pads. I just had to throw this one in there.

Why I hate gardening

Yes. You heard me right. I love gardens. I love flowers. I love designing and planning gardens. I hate the actually gardening. Why?

How do I hate thee? Let me count the ways.
I hate thee to the depth and breadth and height
The weeds do reach while seedlings hide out of sight
For the ends of Hopes and idelic dreams.
I hate thee to the level of pointless days
Most uselessly spent in hot sun and mosquito filled night.
I hate thee truly, for you look a fright.
I hate thee purely, you mire of a plight.
I hate thee with a passion poured at first
In my visions of what you could be, and with all my broken hearted faith.
I hate thee for what I tried to bless, you cursed
Through bitter betrayal, --- I hate thee for the worst
Repayment of all my love and labor! --- and, if my plans be ever shattered ,
I shall but hate thee as the Round-Up I sprayeth.

Cadoo

It's 9:45 am. I have four girls in my living room playing Cadoo. They are all still in their jammies. They are surrounded by piles of sleeping bags, pillows, and assorted articles of yesterday's clothing with a few stuffed animals and baby dolls thrown in for variety. The only bare patch of floor is taken up by Sweet Streets buildings and people. The downstairs is covered in dress up clothes, play dishes, and more stuffed animals. I have a bowl of oatmeal sitting on my back patio because someone spied a stray cat during breakfast. The little school desks are covered with cake racks upon which tiny little clay tea sets are drying.

All is right and well in the world.

I need to make a decision though. I have several people who have asked that I keep a blog about Energy. I think this is a fantastic idea. Here's the tough one though...I originally started this blog as a "me time" sort of thing. I really want to keep it that way. But, I know me, and I know that I wont keep up two seperate blogs...one for me, and one devoted solely to Energy. So, which should I do? I thought also about posting twice on this blog...one for me, one as an Energy update...but, I'm not thrilled with that option either. At that point, I may as well have two separate blogs. The Jedi wants to run the blog for Energy off of our own servers...but I don't think that would allow for comments. I like comments. I'm needy that way.

We fly on May 26th :)

We leave Cincinnati between midnight and 1am to drive up to Columbus OH, arriving at the airport around 3am. Our flight departs at 6am. We have an hour and half layover in Houston and then we arrive in Guatemala City at 11:35 am local time (which is two hours earlier than our time).
We get picked up at the airport by the director of the orphanage where Energy lives. We'll be staying at the mission house attached to the orphanage so Energy can get to know us in a safe and comfortable environment. Then on Tuesday, the director drives us with Energy to the Mariott in Guatemala City. We stay there overnight with Energy. Our appointment at the American Embassy is at 7:15am Wednesday, May 30th. We get Energy's visa on Thursday afternoon.

We fly home, departing at 12:15? pm on Friday and arriving in Columbus at 11:35pm. We're spending the night at a motel in Columbus. On Saturday, we're meeting with the Jedi's parents (who are driving down from Canton OH)...hopefully we'll have a picnic or something at a park with a playground. Then we drive back to Cincinnati Saturday afternoon.

I figure the more I repeat this, the more real it will seem. Right now, it still has a very surreal quality to it.

Energy's drawers are full of clothes and his shelves have fun toys. I just finished the last of the fish on his walls. There's a table in the rec room/computer room stacked full of stuff that needs to go with us on the trip.

I just kissed my Sweetling for the last time as an 8 year old. Tomorrow she'll be nine. We need to bake and decorate her cake, and tomorrow night three of her "bestest friends ever" are going to spend the night.

Vaya got married on Saturday. I about held my breath during the exchange of vows, and then again during the exchange of rings. I did *not* however, cry. Again, the whole surreal quality.

Vaya got marred, Sweetling is turning nine, and we're flying to Guatemala.

See, you can't tell me that any of that sounds real.

Christopher Robin's life movie would be....

An animated musical!

Your life would be the kind of movie where a guy and girl sing mushy songs and birds flutter and flowers bloom and little bunnies giggle and hide their eyes. It sounds too good to be true and, in fact, it is -- but that doesn't stop you from dreaming. You're a true romantic and your friends wouldn't have it any other way.

Certainly this friend wouldn't. My face hurts from grinning as I typed that in. Here's the scoring system they used:

1. c--2
2. a--2
3. b--2
4. c--4
5. d (one of my only girlie traits)--4
6. b--3
7. c--2

You just barely missed "A goofball comedy" (12-17 points). But strangely, I'm thinking pegging you as "animated musical" is more amusing than a "goofball comedy". Here's the description for the other category:

A Goofball Comedy
All your life, you've been makin a whole lot of funny. Firends know they can count on you for the perfect smart-aleck remark, so, of course, the movie of your life would have them rolling in the aisles. Remember, they're not laughing at you, they're laughing with you.

Just for Christopher Robin

So, Christopher Robin, who is totally *not* high maintenance, is feeling left out because she hasn't been the star of my blog in a while. Not only has my entire blog not centered around her, but I had the audacity to write about someone else...twice! The nerve of me! (See, I can tease like this on my blog, cause she can't reach me until she's had a few days to calm down.)

Therefore, I have a blog that's JUST for her. No one else. This is all about my non-high maintenance friend. Nevermind that I introduced her as the woman who was in the delivery room with me when I had Sweetling. That, apparantly, doesn't count as a sign of my deep friendship and appreciation for her presence in my life.

No, no....its all about blog time baby.

And, since Christopher Robin just loves girly girl things, I have a personality quiz for her. Just for her. Too bad for the rest of you.

Without further ado....presenting........

Christopher Robin's Life as a Movie!!!!!!

If your life was a movie, what kind of a movie would it be?

1. Which of these signs would you hang on your bedroom door?
a) I *heart* kittens.
b) I'd rather be skydiving.
c) Warning: Contents Under Pressure
d) Private! Keep out! This means you!

2. If you could be a superstar athlete, which sport would you choose?
a) basketball
b) skateboarding
c) figure skating
d) gymnastics

3. You get a aper cut at school---what do you do?
a) ask to go to the nurse's office--immediately--before you die
b) gross out your friends with your blo-o-o-o-ood
c) put a bandage on it
d) pass out

4. Which fictional character would you most like to eat lunch with?
a) Bart Simpson
b) Prince Charming
c) Harry Potter
d) Black Beauty

5. There's a nasty insect in the shower. You....
a) squash it
b) name it
c) rescue it
d) scream

6. You and your date want to make a big impression at the dance. How do you arrive?
a) on a motorcycle
b) in a horse-drawn carriage
c) in a helicopter
d) in the Oscar Meyer Wienermobile

7. Surprise! Your parents redecorated your room. The worst color they could paint your walls would be
a) black
b) plain white
c) pink with flower stencils
d) no new paint---they left the walls as is

Now, Christopher Robin gets to pick the answers to her questions. Then I'll score her quiz for her and post with a sneak preview of the genre of her life movie.

"Perfect"

You know the scripture, Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father in Heaven is perfect. Well, I think the definition of perfect we generally think of is wrong and I think Heavenly Father's perfect is that he accepts all of His children just as they are, so in that way I can be perfect and accept others and myself just as we are.

Flybaby in UTAH

I lied

I'm not answering my questions from the last blog. Not today at any rate. Those of you who know me aren't surprised.

Another big non-surprise... All spring I've told myself, "I'm not gardening this year. I don't have time for any gardening this year. I am not going to be sucked into starting a gardening project that will fail miserably in August anyway."

I caved.

It was mother's day. The Jedi has been mowing the yard all spring. But the grass by the edge of the lamppost had mingled with the daffodils around the lamppost and was looking really gnarley. So, it was mothers day. I was only going take care of the tiny tiny area around the base of the lamp post. Its at the end of the driveway, near the street and the sidewalk, and one of the first things people see when they pull up to our house, and it looked terrible. One quick weeding project. That's it.

But it turned into, while I'm out here and I'm wearing old jeans and have my gloves on...

Theres a strip of ground on my side yard where I had smothered weeds and scraggly grass last fall and planted daffodil bulbs. But the daffodil flowers are gone now, and here's this bare piece of earth that is threatening to turn back into a weed patch. And there were packets of flower seeds in the butter door of my fridge from last year. So, I figured I should put those two things together. I had a bag of humus in the garage. I made need little rows of rich humus for my seeds and I edged each little row with white rocks that I had dug up from the path in the butterfly garden in April (remember...the strawberry patch was supposed to be relocating to the butterfly garden). I trimmed the little bed with these logs/branches that were blown down last winter but were too big to fit in the shredder. The Jedi had already stacked them and trimmed off all the side branches. So, now I have a little bed of seeds in neat, cute, little rows all tucked in. Will they grow?

And of course, while I was going through the leftover seed packets, I came across a packet of pumpkin seeds that Sweetling had picked out last spring that we had never planted. I had another bare patch of earth that has been waiting for three years for me to start a container herb garden. I sent Sweetling to the back yard with a spade and a bucket and told her to dig up some of the nice earth from the strawberry patch. She did and then made little mounds of it to plant her pumpkin seeds in.

Everything got watered yesterday and again this morning. We shall see. We shall water and wait and see.

It turned cold again before we could get the strawberries moved. Now they've already flowered and started to form berries....so its much too late to relocate them. Maybe in July after we've harvested their June berries.

Mom tag

from Cranium. I'll even answer these sometime.

What better way to spend Mother’s Day than learning something new about the lady of the hour? We came up with 12 fill-in-the-blank questions to ask mom (or grandma - or, hey, even dad!). Check them out below, along with responses from some of the moms here at Cranium Central …

1. I’m giving up my name and nicknames, so from now on I’d like you all to call me ________.
2. What’s the longest stretch I’ve ever gone without sleeping, in hours?
3. I may not be perfect, but everyone knows I’m excellent at ________.
4. The strangest thing I’ve ever eaten is ________.
5. Next year is the year I’m going to learn how to ________.
6. If I were stranded on a desert island, the one thing I’d really want to have with me is a ________.
7. The best costume I ever wore on Halloween was ________.
8. I used to hate ________, but now I love it.
9. If I could travel back in time, I’d want to meet ________.
10. If I was a superhero, my secret power would be ________.
11. If I landed in a vat of food, I’d want it to be full of ________.
12. If I ruled a country, the national anthem would be ________.

Ball-point pens

I haven't blogged in a while. I mean, really blogged...not just putting up webkinz screen shots or posting lists of busy-ness. I think its because the things that are really on my heart and mind are just too difficult to write about. So instead, I use activities as a shield.

One of the women in my bible study group on wednesday was sharing an annalogy about the healing process. Its like scrapping off wall paper in an old house. You start to get the first layer off, and realize there is another layer of older, ugler paper under that, and maybe another layer under that. Each layer has been put up to cover the old, ugly stuff that no one wanted to look at or deal with anymore. But, to truly get a fresh start, you have to get every layer off, sand the wall down, and start over. And the process is hard, hard work. And the process is messy. And things are going to look and feel worse for a while before complete healing is possible. But once you start, you need to stick through it and finish the job.

But I think its all right too, to close the door for a bit, take a break. Go drink some water, get refreshed, and then come back to it. That's where I am right now. I've had enough of the layers of wallpaper. I'm not even sure, in some points, what the real wall is supposed to look like or when I know I might have reached it. So, I shut the door, and took a break. I will go back to it. I have to. But not just yet.

And in the meantime, I'll post my lists, whine about my losses to stuffed animals, and buy two packs of different kinds of pens before deciding that ball-point pens are just not worth the money, even if they are cheaper, cause I'll never write with them. Yes, it took two packs to figure that out. Anyone want some pens?

Dogbeard's Bathtub Battles

I'm losing again. This time to Piggy the Pig.

Today was a 'be careful what you wish for' day. I complained to Smurf that Sweetling's dress was taking a lot longer to make than it should, for no good reason. Fate then decided to give me good reasons for the dress to take longer.

My nice little break was losing an animated version of battleship to Piggy. The dress isn't finished, but the bobbin thread ran out, and I don't feel like messing with it anymore tonight. Tomorrow is a new day to overload with activities.

'Cause its the...second... of May

Not nearly as catchy as a tune.

Good news:
--We'll have a date for flying to Guatemala sometime next week. Is it sad that I've already picked out my entry title for the blog on that one?
--My dress for Vaya's wedding came. Its a little too long, and I don't know what to do about that, because the bottom edge is covered with embroidery...so I can't just cut it off and re-hem the dress. Well, I could, but at the loss of the embroidery.
--I bought the pattern and the fabric I needed for sweetling's dress. I still need buttons and some trim, but I thought I'd take Sweetling to the fabric store with me to pick those out. Plus, I need to get the dress made first, so I can measure exactly how much trim I'll need.
--Mango Margarita called me on Monday just to say hi and chat. (insert small victory sound byte here). I sent her a vase of red roses on Webkinz world. I hope that wasn't too forward of me ;)

Other news:
--I'm trying to avoid stressing and panicking. I tend to do that when I start feeling overwhelmed. I really want to enjoy the cool upcoming events in my life. Right now I'm taking more of a 'lets get this over with attitude' and not only does that not match the many blessings going on in my life, it means I'll miss out on a lot of events that should be bringing me a great deal of joy.
--Sweetling wants to have a birthday sleepover. There is not a single weekend that we can do this in before the Guatemala trip. I think we'll stick to the original plan of a park birthday party. I have no rain plans. As it is, I think the plans are, the Jedi goes and scouts a location. I stay here and wait for most mom's to drop off and talk one mom into following me over and staying to the party. The Jedi calls me when he has a location, and we head out. We asked the park about reserving a pavilion. On monday-thursday, you can reserve a pavilion for half the cost of a weekend rate...only $57. We're going with the scout and squat option instead. I still need to come up with a craft and a game for the girls. You know, if I HAD a flippin weekend night open at all, the sleepover would be the much easier option.
--The other option that I take when I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed is to say "forget this" and go read a book. I have a box of VC Andrews that MIL sent back from Canton with me. And you can all get off your literary high horses about the author (I'm looking at you, Smurf)....these are my mind-numbing alternatives to facing responsibility.
--Telephone really really wants to come over and paint fishes on Energy's wall. So does Smurf. I don't think I need to spell that one out any further.
--I'm putting off going to the grocery store, because the prospect of trying to come up with a dinner menu for May is just daunting. I'm envisioning a lot of spaghetti in our near future. I am, however, almost out of cocoa...which means my hot chocolate is in jeapordy. Am I a bad mother if I come home from the grocery store with mutliple boxes of spaghetti, jars of sauce, peanut butter, bread, and two or three tins of cocoa? Oh, and cookie ingredients. Maybe a brownie mix or two.
--Mother wants me to go the to bank, take cash out of my account in the drive through, then use a deposit slip to go up to the tellar and deposit it in her account, so she can use her check card to get gas to get home from work. I'd make a few comments there, but I'm feeling rather guilty that so many of my blog entries have turned into venting sessions recently. (She doesn't know her account number, so I don't have that to put on a deposit slip either).

Oh, more good news. I'd scroll up, but maybe putting this at the end will off set my little pity party (with snacks).

The light is visible at the end of the school tunnel. We need to reach 90% completion on the core lessons, and we're at 86%; 75%; 81%; 81%; and 78%. That's doable right? That's 7 math lessons, 15 literature lessons, 20 total language skills lessons (includes vocab, grammar, and comp), and 12 history lessons. Those of you who are particularly observant will notice that I skipped that 75%. Yeah, that's in spelling. We're taking a new approach to that for the remainder of the year, so I'm not too fretful of the percentage there.

Speaking of which, Sweetling is finished with her math, so I'm going to go do grammar with her.

Tra la la la la

I had a totally awesome weekend, but only have a few minutes, so I can't blog about that now. I actually sat down, because I just finished unpacking from both this weekend and last weekend, and figured I could take a couple minutes to check my emails.

Sweetling just went tra la la la la-ing down the hallway, with ka plunk ka plunk ka plunk following along with her. I looked up to see what the ka plunks were. She had a cup of glass marbles (the kind you put in vases for flower arrangements and the like) and was strewing the marbles all over the hallway like they were flower petals.

I just turned back to my computer without asking.

Mango Margarita OR I'm a stray cat

In the past couple weeks I...

...completed my first scrapbook ever. Key word here is completed. I've worked on scrapbooks before, but you know I'm not down with this completion thing. I got the pictures in the mail for the scrap book on Tuesday afternoon. The Jedi went through them with me on Tuesday night and scanned the ones we were going to use in the computer. On Wednesday I sized some photos and did a little photo editing because the photos were old, and their quality was low. On Wednesday night (after church), I got my first double page spread completed. I did a full day of school on both Wednesday and Thursday, and then on Thursday afternoon, between 3:30 and 11:30...I got all the other scrapbook pages done. Go me. About 18 pages (nine double spreads) in all. Yay :)

...discovered that red and green really do make a yucky color together. We went, as a family, to ColdStone last week or the week before (its all a blur.) The Jedi bought a strawberry cake, which had huge honking whole frozen strawberries on top that one could break a tooth on, but not eat. Sweetling wanted a smoothie, and I through the frozen strawberries in the blender. I didn't rinse the icing off of them, because I figured, bonus sugar, right? Well, red icing and green icing results in grey smoothie. Sweetling and I drank our grey smoothies anyway.

...drove the wrong way down a one way street on purpose with a van full of little girls. I told them to close their eyes. So, maybe that doesn't quite count as corrupting a minor. Endangering maybe...

...decided that as soon as my life calms down, I really need to spend time with my friends. Realized that my life isn't going to calm down until maybe July. Maybe.

...told Telephone that I was NOT working Veteran's Day and that if she signed our troop up for working the Veteran's Day program, I was anticipating being sick that day. Telephone laughed, but she didn't sign us up for Veteran's Day.

...wore matching shirts with Telephone to church on Wednesday. Our camporee theme for the weekend was "Extreme Home Makeover: Camporee Edition." I really really really wanted a shirt. They were so cool. They were also reserved for the workers and the organizers of the event. Which, you know, I wasn't. (see above for a clue as to why). Telephone nabbed me a shirt anyway.

...discovered that getting your thumb smashed by a hammer weilded by a 7 year old really hurts and birdhouses aren't as easy as they should be to build.

...was amazed that 400 girls could spend all day working at stations learning to use tools (including some power drills) and didn't have any injuries worse than a scrapped knee after lunch.

...got my picture taken for the local paper at above events.

...went stargazing with 7 little girls after campfire. Found the Big Dipper, the Little Dipper, Polaris, Draco's tail, Orion, Venus, and Saturn and was able to point them out to the girls. (Saturn involved calling the Jedi and having him run a starchart on the computer to tell me where to look and how to find it).

...was the absolute last group of little girls to get to bed.

...became enamored of Mango Margarita and want her as a friend in the worst way. Like grade-school, please oh please oh please be my friend.

...shuffled across the courtyard of the 'fort' in the middle of the night with Mango Margarita because neither of us could sleep for worrying about the seven little girls in the other room. Mango Margarita decided it was too cold to get out of her sleeping bag, so she did the sleeping bag shuffle across the grass. I stepped into my shoes, wrapped my sleeping bag around my shoulders, and through my flimpsy camp cot mattress over my back like a mutant turtle. Just outside the door of the room (which we reached after a great deal of giggling), Mango accurately observed, "We are the biggest losers *EVER*". She creaked open the door, and whispered "Girls, don't be scared, its just us." No one answered her, because the girls were all alseep. Not a single one was lying on their cot in a dark room feeling homesick, needing to go to the bathroom, or too cold to sleep, as we had imagined. Mango slept on the last cot open in the girls room, and I slept on my sorry camp cot pad on the floor. We still slept fitfully, waking up when the girls would turn over. (Which really was noisier than it sounds.) In the morning, we further proved our dorkiness because between the two of us, we couldn't get Mango's sleeping bag rolled up and back in its nifty duffle bag. The two of us were outside, trying to wrestle the sleeping bag into submission long after all the 7 and 8 year olds had rolled their sleeping bags up and packed up for the day.

...drank more hot chocolate than I even want to think about.

....have successfully made many dinners in the crockpot, which I remembered to plug in and turn on. Now I just have to work out this whole "turn it off" part at the end.

...am two weeks behind in my Beth Moore bible study. Haven't decided if I want to try to catch up, or skip it.

...am sleeping through the night, for 7-8 hours, but still feel sleepy through the day. The answer of course, is to maybe exercise to get my circulation perked up. Or something else that just isn't going to happen.

...learned that "putzed", which I've always used as a synonym for "puttered" has a *totally* different meaning.

...have been so very very glad that I didn't order any seeds or bareroot plants for the garden. The outdoors is just going to have to fend for itself this year. Its getting NOTHING from me. Nothing.

...tried to tactfully explain to Sweetling why its important that she get her foot up high enough to kick the little boy she is sparring with *above* the belt.

Next week, I'll...

...keep up the amazing progress Sweetling has made in school the past few weeks. She's gone from being behind (from missing a lot when mother was in the hospital and had appointments all over the place), to being on track to finish within the first week of June. I'd like to get finished before the end of May, but that's a long shot.

...get fabric and a pattern to start sewing Sweetling's dress for Vaya's wedding.

...hem 14 sashes for girl dancers.

...finish painting fishes on Energy's wall.

...clean Sweetling's fishtank and take her to pick out a couple new fish as a reward for the school progress she has made.

...wish I was able to celebrate the first of May properly. Nothing in our yard is conducive to that though.

...go on walks or scooter rides with Sweetling. Post our minutes on FlyLady's 'bless your heart' club to participate in her 'virtual walking tour' of America.

...make three dozen cookies for the reception after the Children's Musical on Sunday.

...call Mom to tell her about the Children's Musical on Sunday.

...get together a grocery list for May and go shopping. When I'll get to go shopping, I don't know. Maybe the Jedi can take Sweetling to Tae Kwon Do on Tuesday and I'll go while they're in class. Maybe I should do the May shopping week by week, since there's so much craziness going on. Maybe trying to go shopping every week would only make it worse.

...realize my plans for the week have a distinct lack of fun or interesting activities. Drink more hot chocolate to compensate.

Stuck

I'm writing a letter about the Jedi to someone who is very important to the Jedi. The Jedi asked me to do this, and I agreed. BUT, I'm stuck. I can't explain in a whole lot of details, because the Jedi is so very private, and I'm not sure he wants his story posted on my internet blog. I've gotten two paragraphs finished.

Stuck.

Suggestions?

And yes, I've been scarce. If it makes you feel better, I went for days without being on Webkinz either. Christopher Robin will tell you its because its spring.

Yes, it is Spring. Hooray for Spring. Glorious Spring. Wonderful Spring.

It also happens that every spring my life gets really busy. This spring is more busy than most. Now, I'm trying NOT to sound like a helpless victem of circumstance. I think that's a broken record that has been skipping along the same sorry rut in the women of my family for a while now. TPTTPTPTPPPPtttt to being a victim. I'm all freaking done with that.

But, in the priorities of my life right now, sitting down to spend time at the computer isn't high on my list. Not that I don't love all of you. Just that computer time is pretty far down there on my list at the moment.

Cleaning out my Yahoo mail

It isn't on the list, but the laundry is nearly caught up. and anyway, I have to hang out in the school room to help Sweetling not get distracted.

Anyway, I came across a Cranium "newsletter" (read graphic advertisement with a code for free shipping that's already expired.) And, being the productive, non-sucker that I am, I click on the link for their new blog site.

I read...

she asked him a couple days ago how stoplights changed color, he asked her to put forth her theory.

“I can think of three things that make stoplights change colors,” he said. “Can you tell me what any of those might be?”

“People can push the button …” she said.

“And?” Adam asked.

Lucy paused for a moment before answering.

“Gnomes?” she suggested.

And Sweetling (remember, I'm in the room so that she doesn't distract herself from school) immediately begins drawing me a possible circuit for the interior of traffic lights. Then we went on to read about the gnomes together.

Hey Vaya, check out the dress I found for me for your wedding. Go me. I should post this as an image so Christopher Robin gets to see it. No, nevermind, I need to beg her for favors. I shall not tease her with dresses.

About Completion

Just a little thought of encouragement for myself:

Getting it done IS the "right" way of doing it...NOT "doing it the right way"

I have a lot on my list. I just need to get it done, not fret myself into paralysis over getting it done 'perfectly'.

Vaya is my foster daughter. We got guardianship of her just before she turned 18, only because they wouldn't let us adopt her. But everyone assumes that we're sisters, because I look 15 at best, and Vaya looks 12 ;) Sweetling looks, um, sweet enough to eat. I think I'll go do that now. Better run little girl who is reading over my shoulder. Your stuffed eagle isn't going to save you.

Ding, dong, the list is here...

It does *so* work as a title. You just weren't trying hard enough.

Sweetling's birthday: May12th
cake
location
games
craft
party favors
decorations
invitations
snacks
guest list

Energy's room: ?
sort clothes, fill drawers
paint fish
toys?
books?
figure out what IS that STUFF on the shelf of his closet
comforter for bed
scrape vaya's stickers off the windows
items for shower: car seat, big wheel, baby monitor?, church clothes

Sewing projects:
flower girl dress
my dress
1850's outfit?
-find patterns (Simplicity 3987)
-buy fabric and notions
-shop around for dress for me so I don't have to sew one

Vaya's wedding: May 19th
procure tableclothes (9 round and 2 rectangular)
beg and borrow glass bowls (8)
buy floating candles (8)
buy ivy 3 runners, 8 circles
get plates, utensils, etc- 60 people
plan menu with Mollie
drinks, coolers, ice
outdoor seating arrangements (Christopher Robinnn....)

The Jedi's scrapbook

Girls' Dance May 7th
--figure out where in the world I put the CDs
--hem sashes
--borrow streamers from Guappa

Guatemala!!!!!!!!!!!!
-get list from NiceLady of needed items
-get said list to Office Jewel
-pack medicine bag (sounds so tribal)
-list of materials for plane ride
-get second Hep B shot (ooops, hope the first one is still valid)
-disposable cameras
-get vacation fish feeder
-ask neighbor to grab mail

Summer
--darn schedule
--Sweetling handwriting
--Spanish
--summer reading list
--scrapbooks

Garden
--move strawberry patch
--reseed lawn
--mulch under swings

Computer
--rename and save photos

School
--math
--history
--literature
--grammar
--vocabulary
--spelling
--art

Ok. I'm stopping now. I was excited when I sat down to make my list...but I can sense myself turning sarcastic. So I'll stop now. I have BIG news to share though. I put it last as a special treat for everyone who loved me enought to read trough my list....

Energy's adoption case has been approved by the Guatemalan government! Hooray! We'll all be flying to Guatemala to get him at the end of May, beginning of June sometime. Woo and HOO!

I'm editing this entry and greying things out as I get them done.

Me want spring!!!

I don't have a lot of room to complain, cause we don't have snow here...on the other hand...we have cold and mud here. Of the two, snow might be preferable. That would at least give me an excuse to send Sweetling outside to play while I did many productive things....none of them involving Webkinz. ;)

I was going to say that I have nothing to write about, but that's not true. I have plenty to write about. The truth is just that I don't feel like writing.

I want the magic house fairy to come in and clean my house. Or at least pick up and put away all my clutter. I can clean, I can't declutter. No, that's a lie. I can clean, and I don't like to declutter.

And I want chocolate. I should take five minutes and do just a few exercises. Because you know, five minutes of exercising totally negates a chocolate binge, right?

Sweetling is dressing herself out of clothes in "buckets". I had, several weeks ago, put away all her winter clothes and put out all her summer clothes. The Jedi, in his wisdom, didn't take the large storage tubs out to the garage just yet. Which is good, cause he'd have been bringing them back in from the garage a week after I packed everything up. Now Sweetling is living out of two plastic storage tubs till the weather changes back to what its *supposed* to be.

We put on music after devotions this morning and got 15 mintues of cleaning done. We did a five minute room rescue in the school room. We got math and some history done. We're having egg salad for lunch. I lit candles to bring some more cheer in...but there's still a distinct lack of cheer and enthusiasm over here.

Nonetheless, I'm being a good little girl and staying home to do school and housework instead of giving up and heading to Christopher Robins house. My reward for being good is that I get to stay home and do school and housework.

I need to pick a better reward? Do I want to reward myself this afternoon with Buffy, Malcolm, or webkinz?

Beedy Red Eyes

This is a "collectable" dice game inside the webkinz world. Its a strategy game...you try to knock out your opponent's move dice, defend your own move dice...and at the end of the turn, each player advances...if they have any move dice left.

In this lovely photo, I'm in the process of having my sweet pink bottom handed to me by a tree frog controlled by an eight year old. Notice the beedy red tree frog eye's staring at me in mockery.

Webkinz

Forget World of Warcraft. This is where the action is, baby.

Tadpoles and Accountants

One of these two things are absolutely adorable and a blessing from God. The other is the embodiment of slow, cruel torture. Can you guess which is which?

I didn't blog on Tuesday. I should know better than to make predictions. You should know better than to believe me.

It was a beautiful day :) We had had a "spell" with mother that morning that was a bit worrisome. But, by the afternoon, she was doing much better. Smurf had come over to be with me and Mom, cause Mom's health was still a bit iffy and she needed someone with her just in case. (The anti-coagulent level in her blood was dangerously high, any bleeding or bruising or signs of spontaneous internal bleeding was cause for an er trip). But, like I said, by the afternoon she was no longer weak or dizzy, and was in fact, pretty perky. I was restless. Smurf wanted to take Sweetling for a walk. Mom wanted to go. I wasn't going to stay cooped up in the house when it was sunny and 80 out....so we took our health frail mother to the local nature preserve. That's right. But, in fairness, its not a 'rugged' nature preserve. It has a paved asphalt path and I had a wheelchair in my van, so we thought we'd go for a walk and let Mom alternately walk and ride when she needed to.

There's a little pond there, and it was *full* of tadpoles. I have never in my life seen so many tadpoles. The pond had a small wooden deck so that we could stand on the deck and lean over the rail to look straight down at the shallow edge of the pond. And that's where all the tadpoles were. Fat tadpoles lazily hovering over the rocks at the bottom of the pond. Every now and then one would slowly swim up to the surface. We who were leaning over the railing decided that they were coming up to say "hi". They were just adorable. I loved them :)

Accounting on the other hand, is a very different story. Mom is taking Financial Accounting and Business Stats. She's not very computer savy, and has trouble getting her homework to format correctly on the computer. She asked if I would type the problems up for her after she worked them out on paper. I thought, hey, I can type and use a computer. I said sure. Foolish mortal that I am. Accounting sucks. Accounting sucks so bad that even excel, which was created to do accounting, hates to format accounting homework problems.

Tadpoles good. Accounting bad.

Back to Life, Back to Reality

You know, the next time anyone hears me whining about wanting a break from my life, smack me upside the head.

I had a break from my life for about a week and a half now....AND I WANT MY LIFE BACK!

There. I'm done with my temper tantrum. Almost. Can I just say that getting excited about being able to do laundry and housework again is a *bad* sign. A very bad sign.

I got to clean my kitchen today and pick up a bunch of clutter in the living room and I am thrilled. Its like the Easter Bunny came early :) I can't wait till I get a chance to get some of my laundry in the machines. I'm totally serious. I know I'm often sarcastic, but I swear I'm serious this time!

Spring happened while I was at the hospital with Mom. Literally. I went on a walk in the hospital courtyard on one of the first days I was there, and the ground was bare and the trees had just the faintest of buds on them. I went down with Mom when she was allowed to push her IV into the elevator and go on a short walk. There were daffodils and baby leaves and sunshine and pear blossoms. It was beautiful. It could not have happened in so short a time, but it did.

I spent Saturday morning puttering outside for a little. I cut back the dead growth from last fall and did some early spring weeding. I have to move the strawberry patch though. boo hoo. The strawberry patch is directly off the back patio. Sweetling is very careful to go around the strawberry patch. The worry is that E is for Energy will go THROUGH the strawberry patch on his way to the lawn. Its a valid worry. And the lawn isn't that big, so having that area as lawn space will be better for a little boy to kick a soccer ball around on.

I'm moving the strawberry patch into the butterfly garden. Now, the butterfly garden has been, to date my most successful gardening attempts. I felt like crying as I ripped up the path in preparration for moving things around. It started to rain, and I was sitting in the mud digging up buckets of decorative rocks that were in the path. The Jedi (who had spent the morning changing the oil in the van and car) came around to make sure I had enough sense to stop what I was doing and come in out of the rain. I wouldn't have left to my own devices. Sitting in the mud in the rain digging up rocks fit my mood for most of the past couple of weeks. But I stopped. The Jedi took my trowel and my bucket away from me and put them in the garage. And I did feel much better after a shower.

The plants still need moved. They are already nearly too big to transplant. Spring happens FAST.

Lushgirl tagged me with songs, I think. I'll try to get back to that tomorow. (And hooray for having a tomorrow when I *know* I can sit down and blog.

For now, my little timer has gone off. Fifteen minutes are up. I'm going to go start dinner. (Monkey bread, bacon, eggs and canteloupe).