did I tell you...

...what the boys got for Christmas?

They sure have fun with them.  And so does Brian.
There is this dog, Ladybug, she is a barker and kind of scary when strangers or Brian is around.  She'll bark at me but if I walk towards her she puts her tail between her legs and slinks off.
Brian is not an animal lover anyway, so the fact that Ladybug "picks on" him doesn't help.  When I saw these gifts I was a little worried for poor Ladybug.
It was so hilarious though.  They went out to shoot the guns for the first time and Ladybug showed up after the first pop and was sooooo excited!  I told Ladybug to "Run for your life doggie!"  But she was hopping all around NOT BARKING at Brian and having so much fun watching them shoot.  Oh man.  It was astounding and so funny.  Hopping hopping hopping all over the yard.
I think Ladybug is safe.  Phew.
Now let's just keep the rest of us safe from these...these...guns.  ugh.

(I don't know that it was such a good idea to put guns into the hands of boys who as of yet still struggle with cutting their own meat.)

mood-lift

I'm home and I'm a little sad.

So I need a mood-lift.
Here is my plan.

I shall eat a cup of Activia yogurt to regulate my digestive system.

I shall fold laundry while watching the Duggars.  Because having folded laundry does make me happy or at least contented, and no matter how much laundry I have I know those Duggars have way way more.

I shall recall Erin's and my conversation just now.  Remember she is the only girl in her preschool class.
"Mom, some one brought a heart balloon to school today."
"Really?  Was it for Miss Ginger?"
"I guess, because I sure didn't come home with it."

I don't know if that came across as funny right now as it was when we had the mini convo a moment ago, but she sure cracks me up.  I think she was a little jealous.

I shall remember that I can be sad a little tomorrow and the next day and the next, for little pinches at a time.  I have a lot of things that make me happy, but sometimes I think I need to be a little sad.

(Side note:  Did you know I can be happy and sad at the same time?  I'm multifaceted.  Multidimensional.  Like a diamond.  Like a very skilled lady who can do a lot of things all at the same time.)

Aaaand...that is probably all I have time for before the kids get home from school.

So I'd better get to work!

forever

I am so grateful today for forever families.

It's been a rough week.  No more so than for my friend, Heidi.

Phil the Brave.

He was a great example of Christ-like living.  He was kind and concerned, comfortable and pleasant to be around.  There were so many today at his service.  It is not surprising how many lives he has touched here alone.  He fought hard.  He served well.  Faithfully.

I love this family.
I really will miss having my friend here.
My dear sweet Heidi.
And her funny monkey of a princess girl, Eden.  Such a smart and entertaining little one.

So grateful.

breakfast in bed

Erin has been talking about having breakfast in bed for a while now.  It comes from her primary teacher, I found out.  Erin insists that her teacher's kids bring her breakfast in bed "only on school days".  Ummm...lucky lady.  Anyhow, whatever she was told I guess it sounded glorious to her so she prepared me a couple days in advance and then the night before reminding me that in the morning she would stay in bed and I could bring her breakfast.  She was so excited, so I did it.

After my shower and stuff she really wanted to serve ME breakfast in bed, so gosh oh golly!  I let her.

I told her to smile BIG!  She smiles like her dad with no teeth.  

She wants to serve me every meal in bed now.  

What am I gonna do when she goes off to Kindergarten?  

I'll have to make my own breakfast?!!!  The horror.

(That is an exaggerated facial expression in the picture above.  

I don't think I go around smiling like that too often.  Do I?  Oh, man.  Look at my neck!  Something is going to pop.  I've got to practice my demure smiles.  My beauty shots.)  

ugh

Sooo embarrassing.  

I've been trying to feel more confident around the front desk secretary at my kids school since being thoroughly intimidated by them when we first moved here 3 years ago.  (Three Years!!!  Holy cowbells.  Bless my heart.)

I'm holding my own at the Elementary School.  Now my insecurity is at the Middle School.  She is very put together and a little serious for my comfortable banter.

So, this is what happened.  My dear Madeline left her purse at home.  (She informed me that all the girls carry around an extra bag or purse with stuff like deodorant, body spray, lip balm.  She "sorta" wanted one for her book, deodorant, body mist, wallet and hand lotion.  She also said the kids have credit cards, but I said nope to that one.  Kind of fun, my 7th grade Madeline.)  Being the kind mother I am I offered to go get it and bring it back to the school for her.  Much gratitude exuded forth from my young teen.  (score!)

I dropped off the kids, drove home, ran in the house grabbed the purse, ran back out to the van,  jumped in and zoomed back to the Middle School.  I was feeling like a hero and then I realized I would have to go INSIDE the school and looked down at my ensemble.  My stomach turned as my heart sank into it.  NOT CUTE!  Not matching, not meshing, not flattering...not good.  I usually don't plan on leaving the van when I take the kids to school.  I even utter silent prayers that I wont have a flat tire, run out of gas, those kinds of things.

This is why:

Brian's penguin pj's - cause mine shrunk in length and his shrunk in length.  My red shoes, which normally I would say make any outfit better.  A pink fleece jacket that usually makes me look pretty sporty, like maybe I could be a cool skier.  My head is blocked because it actually looks worse than the rest.  Ugh.  Not really the power suit I need to face pretty put together lady in the office, with confidence.  

But...for a daughters love I took a deep breath, held my head high, rushed in like a blur and got the job done with a dazzling smile and twinkling eyes.  I hadn't yet brushed my teeth, though and was very conscious of that fact.  At least I had dug the sleep out of the corners of my peepers.

The secretary was dressed so cute today, too.  AND I had to wait behind 2 students until it was my turn. 

When I got home I called and scheduled a hair appointment for Wed. 

whacha doin'?

I am seriously trying to do something cool or crafty or somewhat exciting or somewhat boring that I can expound upon to interest, but alas...
There is nothing.

Just more of the same.

for which I am grateful.

C