Hiding out in my closet...

My den looks like a toy store exploded in it.  My kitchen looks like, well, let’s just say the dishes need to be done.  My laundry is piled to the ceiling.  Madison hasn’t slept in three nights (neither have I).  Molli got tubes in her ears yesterday.  Madison went to the doctor this morning (she has a sinus infection).  Morgan’s stomach hurts.  Tim has a sore throat.  And I just sat on the floor in my closet (with the door closed and the bathroom door closed and the bedroom door closed) and ate a cookies and cream ice cream bar (at least it was Weight Watchers) with 3 closed doors between me and the world……And then I opened all three doors (mainly because one was being banged on) to rejoin the world of the messy house and whining kids.  At the mere mention of the fact that I might not feel well sends my kids into a panic attack.  They immediately start asking who is going to take care of them and cook supper (why the name “Daddy” doesn’t pop into their heads, I have no idea).  It’s amazing, I can look around the house and think I am not doing a good job of anything really, but they think I’m Super Mom.  Strange how different our perspectives are.

Tim’s car is back in the shop (seriously, I’m not kidding) for the fourth time.  This time his wiper blade wasn’t working.  For those of you who own an American car, that thought may not phase you.  For those of you who own a foreign car with tons of stupid sensors and motors for things that should be simple and straightforward, you can probably commiserate with me on the amount that this piece that is making the wiper blade work incorrectly costs.  I’ve renamed his car, it is no longer named Zoe, it’s MP (money pit). 

Madison feigned interest in sitting up this morning.  After 10 minutes of it, she won’t do it again.  At least I have the pictures to prove that she did it.  Maybe she can fit this into her schedule again tomorrow. 

Molli got tubes in her ears yesterday.  This was the second time (the first time was when she was a baby).  The main difference is between a baby getting tubes and a 5-year-old:  babies cry afterwards, big kids are drunk afterwards.  It did give me some perspective on why the babies cry, though.  Apparently they feel drunk and confused.   It was actually somewhat amusing to listen to Molli talk.  Every time she made a sentence she would follow it with “but I don’t know what I mean.”  To be honest, I had no clue either; nothing she was saying was making any sense.

Morgan says that her class gives her a headache because they talk too much.  She is the only one this year that has not gotten in trouble for talking during class.  I often wonder how any child of mine can achieve that.  I remember my “conduct grade” from elementary school; let’s just say it wasn’t good because I couldn’t keep my mouth shut.  It’s amazing that my kids can, go figure.

Now I am off to wave my magic wand to make my house clean….



Madison sitting up







Madison still sitting up

Madison is beginning to get tired....

....and she got tired.

Molli shopping at Toys R Us

Molli playing with Madison

Madison

Molli and Madison



Morgan and Molli drinking their "coffee" (mostly milk and sugar with a tiny bit of coffee)



Morgan and Molli

Madison

Molli and Morgan watching a movie in Morgan's room

Morgan

Madison....back at the doctor's office

Molli at the doctor's office

Morgan and "Cha Cha"

The thinks we think...

"These people need to learn how to drive!"  That was not said by me, that was said by Molli, the 5-year-old in the back seat.  She said this while we were driving home from school today because I was mumbling something about how I got cut off in traffic.  Oops, I wonder what else she has heard in the car while Tim or I are driving?  When Morgan made the comment, "They  need to get better crossing guards, this one sucks!" on the way to school this morning (Tim usually takes her to school), I realized that maybe our kids listen to us when we think they aren't.  I need to make a mental note to check what I say before it comes out of my mouth before my kids tell someone something I said about them.  I know this sounds bad, I try to be a good role model, but people in cars make me mad.  They really don't know how to drive.  And the cashiers at the grocery stores are not friendly.  And the baggers at the grocery store are clueless (I mean, really, who doesn't have the common sense to not throw the canned food on top of the bread??).  And the people who work at the drive-thru don't ever get the order right.  However, that being said, maybe I shouldn't say things in front of my kids that I wouldn't want them to repeat in front of others.  We'll see how that goes, I will add that to the list of things to do.  After all, I am sure that at some point, somewhere there are good drivers on the road other than me, friendly cashiers, conscientious baggers, and smart drive-thru workers.  If y'all find them, let me know.

So today was Dr. Seuss's birthday.  Molli wanted to know if that meant we had a doctor's appointment.  When I said no, she wanted to know how she was supposed to tell him happy birthday.  Oh the thinks that kid thinks (I'm hoping you got the Dr. Seuss reference there).  Because today was being celebrated at Morgan's school, I had to make cupcakes.  Unfortunately I only had to take 6 cupcakes to round out the people that had already volunteered.  Which means that there were 18 cupcakes to be left at home.  Believe it or not, I didn't want to eat those 18 cupcakes so I took them to Molli's school so that her class would eat them.  I came home and had a piece of the chocolate pie that I made last night.  But at least I didn't eat 18 cupcakes.

Morgan and Molli got haircuts today.  Molli got a little trim, but Morgan got three inches cut off her hair.  She has been walking around like a runway model.  She said that she hoped that her Daddy would recognize her because she looked so different (good news, he did).

We are having company for dinner (in about an hour) so I guess I had better go clean the kitchen, bathe the kids, feed the kids, take a shower, and cook dinner.....let's hope I can get that done in the next 58 minutes....

"One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish" cupcakes

Molli going to school

Morgan and Molli.  Morgan was reading Molli a "good night" book.



Madison



Morgan and Molli playing in Molli's room.

Molli being Molli

Sweet sisters

Morgan's new haircut:  3 inches cut off!

Molli - I wouldn't let her have another cupcake.

Living by Murphy's Law

Murphy's Law....if it can go wrong, it will.  We (as a family) seem to be late for everything (except work and school).  It seems as if we just can't get everything together, no matter how much of an effort we make to be on time.  Everytime we get ready to leave the house to go somewhere something, inevitably, always makes us late.  There is always a left shoe missing, the favorite bracelet is misplaced, the cat can't be found (we have to make sure she didn't run outside during all of the confusion of getting five people out of the door), somebody forgot to potty and has to run back inside, diaper has to be changed, we forgot to get the dog inside, Madison's clothes are wet and she has to be changed....the list goes on and on.  Are we the only family that this happens to?  I swear the girl that cuts our hair must tell us to be there 15 minutes before she actually wants us to be there.  I cannot tell you how many times we have had to call her to tell her we will be a few minutes late.  I remember a time when I was on time everywhere I went, I didn't have a husband, I didn't have kids, and I had no responsibilities....I had much rather be late everywhere than to not have them.

Tim and I decided to be smart and sell his car to buy a cheaper one (he only uses a car to go back and forth to work, so this made sense to us).  So we bought a 1998 Mercedes (yeah, we sold a Chrysler to buy a Mercedes to save money).  We got a good deal on the car, paid cash, and drove it home.  Then  realized it needed four new tires.  Tim drove it for a couple of days and then decided to take it to a mechanic....it needed new bearings, water pump, brake pads, a tune up.....our "good deal" seems to be going down the drain at this point.  Then we got the bill and it didn't seem so bad.  Drove it for a couple of more days and took it back to the mechanic.  Now it needs two new coils (whatever that is).  Maybe he can drive it for a couple of more days.....

We raked the yard (we have 5 massive oak trees in our back yard) on Saturday, we hadn't raked it since all of the leaves fell in the fall.  The kids helped us (Molli refused to wear shorts, so she raked while wearing a dress and a hairbow).  We had huge piles of leaves.  We were planning on bagging all of the leaves on Sunday because it was so late on Saturday when we finished.  Apparently it was really windy on Saturday night, all of the leaves blew all over the yard.

We were actually on time to church Sunday morning (I'm pretty sure that is the first time that has happened, ever).  Morgan sang in the children's choir (which is why we were on time).  Madison decided to give the  preacher her comments during the sermon.....

I am about to print out my hundreds of coupons to go grocery shopping, let's hope the printer doesn't run out of ink....

Morgan and Molli with Morgan's best friend, Devin



Morgan, Molli, and Devin going to the pond to see the ducks



Tim and his car back at the mechanic's....

Madison watching the rest of us rake leaves

Morgan raking (we've since bought her a bigger rake)

Molli raking in her dress and hairbow

This picture does not do justice to the amount of leaves in our yard...

Pink lemonade break...

Madison got exhausted watching us rake the yard



Morgan and Molli's science experiement.  After stirring the citric acid and baking soday, something is supposed to happen



....and it fizzed and foamed and went everywhere.

Madison's mohawk

Morgan and Molli

Apparently church wore them out

Madison's new sleeping position: on her side