Back to ... as normal as I get.

So, yes ... I'm feeling better and back to normal.

Normal being rather lazy as a housekeeper. And abashed at being petty enough to feel jealous.
But, well, I'm sure that you don't love me because you think that I'm perfect.

(If that's the case, I am so, so, SO, so sorry to have betrayed you. Because I am so far from being perfect that, well, I can't even think of a proper metaphor to describe how far I am from being absolutely perfect.
But, I can attest that, thanks be to the grace of God, I'm perfect enough ... as long as I keep trying and keep my testimony. Since isn't that what the Atonement is all about?)

Well, since I have you here, let's figure out what I've been doing since last time ...

• Mom came up. We talked and I drank a Cherry Pepsi (I know, I do prefer my Cherry Coke. ... But really it's the CHERRY that I like), and we watched a comedy special on Netflix (the guy was funny. Not too much of a potty-mouth. Still, it's weird watching a comic who drops an f-bomb while your mom's in the room. :P I think we're still Jim Gaffigan fans. Along with Bill Cosby and Brian Regan. ... But Mom and I do enjoy us some SNL. As in, if we sit together in Sunday School or RS, we will whisper Church Lady lines to each other. Good times). Also, Mom and I went out and got pedicures. I held Bubbles on my lap the whole time, so I wasn't QUITE as melted into the awesome massager-chair as I could have been. But it was fun.
• Michael and I went to the kids' school's Curriculum Night for Bruise and Bubbles' grade. I jotted down notes, the kids played in the gym, and Michael took Bubbles on a walkabout after she got bored of snacks and the crayons I had stuffed in my bag.
• Today was the kids' school pictures. I think everyone's hair looked good. Even when they came home. PHEW!
• Since it was picture day, the kids had to take the e-receipts for their pictures (I preordered online) to school. I wrote reminders on the insides of their wrists. Bubbles saw me do it and demanded that I write on her wrists (YES, BOTH of them), too. So, Bruise and Bucket have "Picture Pass" scrawled on their wrists. And Bubbles is sporting twin smiley faces.
• I got all caught up with watching Titli's Busy Garden online. Now I'm kind of at a loss for what to do. :P
• I finished the scarf for Bubbles. Now to just use that loom for fun. 
• I need to do dishes and laundry ... like usual. :P
• Mom and I went to Target and shopped around. We got Bruise a puzzle (Star Wars, naturally) and we found (FINALLY) the little stuffed Fluttershy to complete Bucket's collection. (Bubbles got a set of Duplos, which she's loving) ... upon getting home, within five minutes of getting her pony, Bubbles had misplaced her. We said a prayer and looked and looked ... we found her again. BUT, in the meantime, there was weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth. And I put myself in timeout so that I'd keep my cool in the midst of dealing with that. (And then Bruise and Bucket played with Bubbles' Duplos, which made them happy for the interim.) After Michael got home, though, we renewed the search ... and Fluttershy was found and reunited with the rest of the ponies. The elements of harmony are together again at last.
• Finally watched The Great Gatsby. It was obvious, as we watched it, that it was Baz Luhrmann's work. And, as expected, the visual effects, soundtrack, and costuming were all excellent. I have to agree with Michael that the characters are all pretty tragically flawed ... but it was very pretty.
  (Very reminiscent of Moulin Rouge ... even bits of the score were SOCLOSE to the riff of "the greatest thing you'll ever learn" from Moulin Rouge.)

Besides all that, there's not a whole lot going on.
I don't remember enough of any of my recent dreams to give you any more Crazy Dream Chronicles™.

I printed out a "Read the Book of Mormon in 50 Days" reading chart. Which I need to use, instead of NOT use. 

I got rides for one sister at church for the next month ... which lets me concentrate on getting rides for November. Then December. THEN TO TAKE OVER THE WORLD!!
(Oh, that last bit was a joke. In case you were worried.)

I have the General RS Broadcast tomorrow. Our Stake is having some classes first. Michael will watch the kids so that I (and my cute toes -- pedicure, remember? I do!) can attend. And the kids will enjoy getting some more "Daddy time." So it's win-win either way. ^_^

I should start dinner so when Michael gets back from helping a gal in the ward move, it'll be ready.
Even though I'd rather just eat ice cream and take a nap (My favorite deadly sins = gluttony and sloth. Every time).

I still have no idea what to be for Halloween. Ugh.

Hey jealousyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy ...

So, I came to the realization that the reason why I was so down yesterday and why I'm taking this so hard is that ... well, that friend doesn't seem to be taking this distance that hard.

I know that she's busy and has every right to be happy and have her own friends and a life that doesn't depend upon my friendship being there.
(Only child problem #1: Realizing that it's NOT always all about YOU.)

But, dang it, it sucks for me. Because I have to realize that this isn't all about me.

And that -- as satisfying as it would be for her to look/sound as miserable as I feel -- isn't being at all realistic.

So ... I have to admit to myself that I had more invested into that relationship than maybe I should have.

Not that I've ever BTDT before. Oh no.
(Oh, yes. Like, nearly, EVERY crush I had before Michael. Ha ha ha. Bad habits die hard, right?)

So, yeah. I seem to have lost a sister-friend. And I'm just going to have to put on my (proverbial, not literal) big girl panties and DEAL with it.

Because, I have to face it: there are things in life that suck.
This, apparently, is one of them.

I have other friends who still love me. I have family that loves me. It's not like I'm some friendless orphan without any resources of my own or anything literarily tragic like that.

I can deal with this.
Apparently, it's going to take MONTHS and MONTHS to do it.

BUT. I'm just going to keep telling myself that "I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and -- DOGGONE IT! -- people LIKE me!"
(Maybe more or less than I might deserve ... but I'll take it.)

In other news, I woke up feeling a lot better.
(Having a cry while actually ADDRESSING my FEELINGS and managing to put some stupid, tundra-esque storm into words with Michael, who sagely made Firefly-quote proclamations, did help. As did sleep. And prayer. ... I guess I just needed to find a reset button. Crazy body with  its brain full of FEELS.)

I should totally clean up the house. And I'll make an effort ... around a couple errands that NEED running today.
And I might paint Mom's and my toes. Something happy and bright and fun.
If I didn't have Bubbles, who isn't the best as sitting still for an hour or so, I'd take Mom to see Austenland ... if it's still at a local theater.

But ... yeah. I'm going to be okay.

And, obvs, I'm not immune to jealousy or the mean reds or all that.
As much as I'd like to be able to pretend that I'm totes all over that ... but it wouldn't be honest.
So ... yeah.

Today is another (hopefully better) day.

Blah dee dah ...

I know, I know. It's been forever and a day (or, honestly, two whole weeks) since I posted.

And, well, I'm having a rather mentally-crap day.

Don't get me wrong, lots of good stuff has happened. So I can't totally explain this ... not totally.

So, let's see what all has happened since I last posted ...

• My stepdad's birthday. It's always good to have a birthday. Better than the alternative, right?
• Michael helped another family in the ward [congregation in churchspeak] move ... so we didn't have a date-day a couple weeks ago.
• We went to a local renaissance faire. Watched the joust. Ran into some extended family (a couple cousins on my side and one of Michael's great-uncles ... whose voice, it so happens, is VERY like Grandpa C's. So, Uncle B talk makes me REALLY, REALLY miss Grandpa C. A LOT.) and friends (some from church ... and one of my friends that I hadn't seen since he graduated, or thereabouts. But he looks just about the same. And I got to meet his wife and kids, which was very nice.
• Bruise bought a new wooden sword and a shield. Bucket got a "Dragonpet," a plasticky dragon that you can wear like a bracelet, and a cloak. Bubbles was sleeping most of the time, so she didn't get any real souvenirs. Next year, probably.
• I tried haggis.
  Hey, it was an option at the Ren Faire.
  And it wasn't in a "wee sheep's stomach." ... In fact, it was just pretty much ground lamb with brown gravy. Quite good. In fact, Bucket LOVED it.
  I think my Scottish ancestors would be proud.
  (My mom certainly wasn't. *lol* That's because she's not descended from that Scots stock. *nods*)
• We went to some friends' wedding reception.
  One of Michael's past roommates and a friend from church choir years ago got married ... to each other!
  We also got to visit with another of Michael's friends/past roommates and his wife. It's good to see them not JUST on Facebook. ^_^
• Then, after all that excitement, I came down with THE PLAGUE ... well, a sinus infection. I stayed home from church and used a bazillion tissues and rested all day. And I was better in a couple days.
• Since I was still getting better, I missed a PTC (Parent-Teacher-Council) meeting ... and the second one, later that week, was conflicting with the RS (Relief Society) activity. So, yeah, I suck at making it to school stuff. 
• There was a playdate on Thursday that the new Playgroup person (NOT ME) did. Bubbles and I had to leave early to meet another friend ... but it was very fun.
• Earlier in the week, we had a friend over for dinner (She was delicious. KIDDING! We didn't eat her! No cannibalism on MY watch!!). After dinner (and once the kids were in bed), we watched my old VHS of Saturday's Warrior. OLD SKOOL, man. OLD SKOOL.
  It's so cheesy and not totally doctrinally-correct. But, oh, I have a soft spot in my heart for that show.
• Friday, we fed the (sister) missionaries assigned to our ward. It was nice to get to know them. ... And to know that I CAN prepare a gluten-free meal. Go me, right?
• Saturday was our ward's day of service ... Michael helped work on fixing the shed of a member's house. I took the kids over to help move things out of a friend (in the ward)'s garage, since she's moving. With Bruise and Bucket's help, we were able to reach a high shelf. And my friend gave old clothes and sheets and toys to the kids. Very sweet of her.
• Sunday ... was Sunday. Michael takes Bubbles when she has a meltdown in Nursery ... so I got to spend the whole time in RS, which hasn't happened in ... I don't even remember how long.
  And it was nice to get to be able to listen to the lesson and sit by people without fretting that Bubbles is a huge distraction (probably more to me than to them ... but still).
  We didn't have choir, since our choir leader had something else that she needed to do.
• I went to lunch with my friend and Bubbles yesterday. Bubbles didn't have a high chair, so she sat by me in the booth. One of the owners was there and he cooed, "I love you. I love you." to her ... and tried to set her up with his great-grandson. ^_^ Pretty cute.
• I found out where all the weevils that have shown up in the kids' bathroom and the laundry room have come from ... a bag of wild bird seed. So THAT's out of the laundry room. Maybe with the cooler weather, they'll all die (the weevils, not the birds). I can only hope.
• I need to make dinner before we go to curriculum night. I'm about caught up on the dishes. (Not the laundry. Not by a long shot. *sigh*)

I finished my scarf. And one for Michael. And one for Bucket. Working on Bubbles' scarf now. Then maybe a better one for Bucket.

Picture day is coming up. I have clothes set out for Bruise and Bucket. So that's good.

But ... for some reason, I keep coming back to what a friend (who I've had that falling out with ... and I've tried to reach out to her without being overbearing. And ... yeah) said. That I wasn't the kind of friend that she was looking for or needed... because, maybe, she hadn't allowed me to be. (She also said that she wasn't the kind of friend that I was looking for or needed ... so, there's that. But ... yeah.)

It's been a few months. And ... well, it still stings. And I still miss her.
And it makes me realize, a little too often, that I am kind of lonely.
I should make plans with my out-of-town friends. I should pick up the phone.

I know that this particular friend is busy. And I don't want to be overbearing ... she asked for time. And I'm doing my best to give her what she needs.

Still, I really did try to be the best type of friend and to be there when she needed me.
And I don't like feeling (still) that I just couldn't make the bar on that.

I did, a few weeks ago, message a friend out of the blue (he's busy, so we don't always touch bases a lot ... but we're still friends) to ask him if I was overly demanding or a crap friend in general. He did assure me that I'm fine and he's never felt that I had overly high expectations of him (or other friends ... since we have a lot of mutual friends. And he's practically my brother, without all the legal/bloodline stuff).

And Michael and my mom, who love me enough to tell me if I'm being a butthole, have told me that my feelings of frustration and all are not completely irrational ...

Still, it sucks.

It sucks because I can't fix it on my own.
It sucks because that's not the only crap thing going on.
But it is the one that affects me the most personally.
And, for whatever reason, it's the one most on my mind at present.

I have friends that are going through divorces.
I have friends that can't pay their bills.
I have friends that are going through crazy-bad situations ...

and ... I'm fixated on this failure of mine.
Which isn't nearly as terrible as it could be. ... But ... yeah.

But this feeling horrible-ness plus some of the other stuff going on ... it just makes me want to curl up in flannel jim-jams, in a cozy blanket, on my comfy couch with a mug of (rooibos) tea and watch Jane Austen novels-made-into-movies. Because nothing too terrible happens in Austen. There are (mostly) courtly manners and sweet flirtations and men in breeches and vests. There are (usually) some wonderful vistas of gorgeous English countrysides. And the strains from a pianoforte or a spinet. And beautiful dresses.

I mean, as much as I ADORE Jane Eyre, it's got much more suspense than an Austen novel (well, Northanger Abbey might give it a run for its money. I should read that one) ... so does BBC's Sherlock.
Doctor Who might be good escapism, though. ... I've gone off on another tangent. Sorry.

But, yeah, I just want a set time/place where I can just have a good cleansing cry, then coddle myself with Austen movies (or the Anne of Green Gables movies) and (rooibos) tea. Just escape the world and its responsibilities ... and, maybe -- just maybe, then I'll be able to brush myself off and stand on my own feet and handle my life and being social and maybe never repairing that friendship and fixing lunches for the kids and figuring out what to make for dinner everyday and getting caught up on laundry and making it to PTC meetings (which always seem to end up scheduled on the same evening as RS meetings) and cleaning my house and fighting weevils and ants and fleas, oh my.

Oh, in other news, I colored my hair again (medium brown). It took Bucket two days to notice.
Amusing.

This is where you make up an interesting title for me

So, let's see, where did we leave off last?

So, yeah, my emotional distress on Sunday. Because (1) I screwed up. And (2), yeah ... TMI, I'm sure, but about a week before my body does it's monthly betrayal, I go batcrap crazy.

In fact, I was emailing with a friend ... and she'd talked to the sister of the gal who I failed to get a ride for. The sister said that the gal had cried about it nearly all day.
If I had heard that LAST Sunday, I'd have had to drown myself in the toilet for shame and for being the biggest failure in the entire history of the world.

Whereas, I learned it yesterday. And, after calming down a bit, being reassured ad infinitum that it's okay (even by my RS President, who assured me that she wanted me to keep on keeping on in this responsibility and that, no, I wasn't going to be released because I've failed ONE TIME), when I read the email, I just responded, "Yeah, [the gal] wasn't the only one."

Because it was true. I was a wreck.
But I turned it into being a proactive wreck.
I ran it by my RS Prez, who approved my idea of having a sign-up calendar.
I did have to get someone for this last Sunday (thanks to a friend's suggestion, I found someone).
And, with the premiere of the calendar, I have a wonderful lady who's going to be providing transportation for the next two weeks.
I've already created the Calendar for the next month ... and I've asked our RS Secretary to include it in the binders passed to the RS sisters AND a blurb about it in the weekly RS newsletter email.
So, there's that.
And I don't feel like I need to test the edges of the kitchen knives for possible hari kari.
(Apparently, I am in touch with my inner samurai. Or something.)

Besides that, let's see what else has gone on ...

When Mom came up last week, we ran some errands and got bolts for the new kids' chairs that she got (their old chairs were falling apart). And we waited for the kids to come home.
And waited.
And waited.
And realized that, hey, there's not an early release day this (first) week of school.
*sigh*

But they got home safely and it was fine.
And there was a HUGE storm last Thursday. HUGE.
I thought the power might go out ... but, thankfully, it didn't. Or else we'd have eaten ramen with the hot water in our water dispenser. (I had my bases covered.)

Michael and I had a date (with Bubbles along). We went to our favorite little Thai restaurant. Then we went to Target. (Woooo!! We are WILD AND CRAZY GUYS!) We did find the new minifigs (LEGO) and I am the proud owner of the constable. Bucket got the gingerbread man that she really wanted. Bruise got the mountain climber. Michael got TWO -- The yeti and ... the warrior, I think.
Of course, with this bout of minifigs, between the four of us (Bubbles hasn't put in her two cents yet ... but she's more Duplo-sized), we want all the figures.

We also had the Ward (church congregation) social.
I had griped on Facebook about how I was irritated that the dishes were assigned (the SAME assignment ALL THE TIME) ... and that I was rebelling and I'd bring a SALAD.
And I brought a Snicker Salad (chopped up apples and Snickers, Cool Whip, vanilla pudding mix, milk, and some caramel topping). What?
IT'S A "SALAD." SAYS SO RIGHT IN THE NAME.

I think most people supported me just because they find my whining amusing.
But, also, there are some people in the other half of the alphabet who ARE tired of bringing desserts.
So, yeah.

Saturday was the drawing for the city's summer activity.
I assured the kids that, even though they might not win ANYTHING, we still had fun and we had other fun stuff to do.
I shouldn't have worried.
Although not every kid there won something, Bucket won a pack of cards (with scenic Oregon pictures on the back of the cards) AND a gift certificate to a local pottery shop (she can paint something and have it fired).
Bruise got a prize that he's excited about: a gift certificate to a pizza place downtown. (They have a fun little play area that the kids love.)
All in all, great prizes. And they had fun going around to places, too.

Then, after that, we dropped Bubbles off with the grandparents (to be spoiled, since she's too little for all but one ride) and took Bruise and Bucket to a local theme park.
Bruise went through the haunted house again. I let him hold my hand and chatted at him through the whole thing. (It's way creepier and darker than Disney's Haunted Mansion.)
Bucket refused. She said that she might do it again when she's eleven (so, in another four years).

Besides that, they went on all the rides ... most, more than once. Bucket and I went on the log ride a second time. Bruise waited with Michael.

It was fun to spend time with our bigger kids. I think they had a lot of fun, too.

Then we went back over to Michael's folks house. I chatted with Mom C a lot. She didn't know that my mom was from such a large family ... or that she's the older (surviving) sister.

Dad C talked us into staying and helping make dinner. (They liked my pasta sauce. Woot!)
I really am blessed to have married into a family that accepts me (because, face it, I'm kind of a weirdo. I know it) and loves me.
I hear and read about awful in-law relationships ... and I can't relate (which makes me 99 percent glad, but also a little guilty) at all.

Last Sunday, like I said, I DID have someone to bring the one gal ... so that went well.
We dropped Bubbles off in Nursery (the class for 18 months- 3 year-olds) and watched Bruise give a scripture in Primary. Then we got to go to Sunday School. And I went to Relief Society ... but I got pulled out halfway through, since Bubbles had a breakdown.

She was REALLY tired. She had conked out about ten minutes before Nursery started. And we woke her up for that. The Nursery leader told me that Bubbles would remember that Michael and I weren't there and go to the door ... but they were easily able to distract her again. Until a little boy pushed her.
Then she just wailed.
Enough so that I could hear her out in the hall.

So I grabbed my purse and took her to the Mother's Lounge to rock her until she was calm.
She ALMOST went back to Nursery. Then she wanted to go into Primary. Then she was mad that I wouldn't let her RUN into Relief Society ... so I just carried her around in the hall for a bit until church was over. Then I got the calendar sign-up sheet, collected Bruise and Bucket, and found Michael so we could all drive home (where we watched a Miyazaki film). Michael did some Home Teaching and, after that, we went to Choir.

Yesterday, I got caught up on the dishes (EXCITING! Next installment: Watch Allanna get caught up on the LAUNDRY! Whooo!!!! Then, watch Allanna clean the kids' room! Since OBVS they're not going to do it! Maybe Allanna will even clean HER room and the master bathroom, so it won't look like those rooms vomited the contents of all their cupboards/closets and then a hurricane blew through!!!) and the house looks a lot cleaner after the kids helped clean so that I could sweep and vacuum.

I also went out to lunch with a friend who's working in town. She and I talked books most of the time.
It's very lovely to talk books with someone who adores them as much as you do. ^_^
We have plans to meet up in a couple weeks and talk books again. ^_^

Today, I was able to get Bubbles's WIC appointment rescheduled to the morning, so we wouldn't be late after snatching the big kids JUST as they get off the bus and hightailing it over there. There had been a cancellation, so Bubbles and I had a much better time of it.
She's doing well ... a little low in iron (so I can work on that). Got her vouchers.
Then, I remembered that I needed to run by the craft store for something (which, of course, turns into "a few things").

But I got the iron-on fusing that I needed (because I like to be able to fix the puzzles so that I can, someday, hang them up -- We've got quite a collection now. And, of course, all of them have special finishes, so you can't just buy the puzzle glue and smear that over the fronts. Naturally.) and some needles and some white thread (what is the world coming to when I start to run out of white thread???) and some yarn for a scarf for Bucket (after I finish mine. I finished Bruise's ... and then I should make one for Bubbles).

Good times, good times.

But, yeah, the kids will come home in a couple hours ... and Bubbles is asleep. I want to work on my current puzzle while I have time.

Back to school and other stuff

Wow ... I'm sure that you were all waiting, on the edge of your seat, with bated breath for the latest installment of my crazy.

Well, sorry to keep you waiting for a little over two weeks ... apparently, I'm busy and/or lazy.

Let's see ... what all have I done SINCE then?

A bit. Sort of a lot.

My mom came up and watched the kids while Michael and I borrowed his dad's trailer and headed down (after his workday) to my Nana's house (now on the market) to load up furniture.
We got a couch (that almost exactly matches the throw pillows that I had bought about a year ago), an end table, a rocking recliner chair, some pictures, and the coffee table that my Great-grandpa made (So now I have a jewelry box that he made and gave me when I was little, a box that was my dad's, a tray he made, a clock that he made -- he made matching ones for Nana's three boys, and Dad gave me his; and the coffee table that was in Nana and Pop-pop's house for as long as I can remember.  So, yeah, it's crazy how much more MATURE our house looks as we collect real furniture.

I managed to get a few bruises and scratches.
And, while cleaning out the old couch so that we could get the green couch in, I managed to stick an upholstery staple through the vein on the back of my hand.
With Michael's help, I got it wrapped up. Once the bleeding was under control, it was fine ... though it was quite sore. And the back of my hand had a gnarly bruise. Fun times, fun times.

There was a sale on bookcases at Target, so we traded out our crappy bookcases in the front room for some taller, nicer-looking ones ... Again, our house looks so much better now. I have to paint the frames for our family pictures ... and then hang them up somewhere else ... but it looks much nicer and open now.

The kids had a fun time at the mall's kids' club activity. A local wildlife center brought in some birds that they're rehabilitating. Bubbles wasn't really into sitting quietly and watching, so I took her into Bath and Body Works where we shopped a bit, got a bit more of a present for my mom.

My mom had her birthday, but didn't come up until a couple days after (My stepdad needed her around for Monday). Bubbles had her stitches out, she's healing quite nicely.
The kids finished their swim lessons ... they didn't pass this level this time, but they were quite close.
They kept improving every day, which is important ... and, probably more important, they had a good time.

I took the kids to the first PTC meeting of the year. Bubbles was TIRED and that made it hard to concentrate ... thank goodness for another mom (mom of one of Bruise and Bucket's good friends) and her foster daughter, who took Bubbles around and kept an eye on her.
Thankfully, the other parents, teachers, staff, and the principal at the meeting all think that Bubbles is pretty cute. Phew.

My aunt and Mom came up to celebrate her (Mom's) birthday. I took the kids to Mom C's ... and Ju (my aunt) and I took Mom out to lunch at a local tea room ... and then we looked around downtown a bit.
There's a carousel museum, which they really liked. Hopefully, in a couple years, they'll have the money (the city, that is) to build the carousel.

After Michael got home, we took Mom and Ju out to dinner and picked up an ice cream cake. Good times.
I made waffles (Ju's request, since Mom and the kids weren't picky) for breakfast.
Ju approves of my skills with making jams (I'm scared to try canning things ... which I need to get over. I've managed to get over my spider phobia ... now to get over my fear of the sewing machine and canning). I made a peach butter (with a hint of ginger), raspberry jam (it WAS syrup, but thickened already), Strawberry-vanilla syrup/jam (which, while cooking, smelled like cotton candy), and a blueberry-lavender butter with a hint of vanilla.
So, yeah, I should start actually CANNING things. It'd be a nice thing to do.

We took the kids to a local art festival and hot-air balloon lift-off. And we went to the aquarium with Michael's folks.

I donated blood ... and, while waiting to do so, got to chat with a friend from high school. She and I have both lived in the same town for YEARS ... but we only run into each other randomly. Like at Target or something ... but this was the first time that we really had time to chat and catch up. That was really nice.

Also, the guy who drew my blood was great. We talked about music and food.
And I almost didn't feel the needle go in, so that's a definite plus, too. ^_^

I got together with my Visiting Teaching companion (who I used to Visit Teach before the kids were born), and we visited a gal and her daughter. We talked books a lot. I love talking about books and getting suggestions. ^_^

We went to the kids' school's open house ... but one of their teachers (the one that we hadn't met) wasn't there, since she was sick. But we had a nice time chatting with their other teacher.

We finally made it over to the outdoor pool to use our coupons that the kids got from their summer reading program. Bruise went down the slide at least four times. Bucket went once. Bubbles is too little ... she mostly clung to Michael and me.
After that, we went to get ice cream from a place that's been around since Michael can remember. I think his dad, when he was younger, also went there for ice cream.

We had a BBQ over at Mom and Dad's ... got to visit with some of Michael's siblings.
And we went back, the next day, for dinner again ... mostly so that we could visit with his baby sister and her family, who live out of state.

Apparently, and this is probably TMI, I was a hormonal wreck on Sunday. I was tired, fasting makes me cranky, Bubbles was cranky, I only realized AFTER I was at church that I had failed to make transportation arrangements for a gal in the ward (mentally-challenged), AND ... on top of all that ... It was announced that the ward potluck social DID have assignments for dishes.

COULD THEY NOT HAVE MENTIONED THAT A COUPLE WEEKS AGO?
Because, here's my grief ... they ALWAYS assign dishes by last name.
And they ALWAYS assign A-M (where we fall) a salad/side dish.
NEVER a dessert.
And I LIKE to make desserts.

So, I had taken Bubbles home so that SHE could nap and that I didn't have to be at church, looking like I was THISCLOSE to tears (because, well, I was already crying. Stupid hormones). And I went onto Facebook and just put out my rant.

And, GOLLY, did I get tons of comments. It was crazy and hilarious.
I think that everyone supported my idea that desserts are more fun and that I should just bring one anyways.

So, I'm walking the line ... I'm gonna bring a Snickers Salad.
What? It's totally a salad. There are APPLES in it.
And chopped up Snickers bars, Cool Whip, pudding mix, and caramel ...
But there's FRUIT, so it's TOTALLY a salad.

And, apparently, there are other folks in the ward, who'd like the dish-assignments to be switched around a bit. So, yeah.
Then there are the people who just like desserts a LOT more.

Of course, before we were in this ward, apparently there was a potluck where TONS of people brought desserts ... and some people complained that there weren't "enough" healthy options.

Seriously, who is going to a church potluck for HEALTHY FOOD?
Yeah ... I'm kind of insane.

But, yeah.

In other news, Bubbles is starting to say some words.

• "Hi"
• "Hi dere."
• "Fisssss" (fish)
• "Duhhee" (duckie)
• "Jeehuss" (Jesus)
• "MEHH!" (Amen)
• "Cheehhz" (cheese ... which she did a LOT so Mom C would take her picture. A LOT. My little ham.)
• "Bye!"
• "Kiihee" (kitty)
• "Ehhs" (yes)
• "No."
• "Peehs" (please)

That's most of it. And she's babbling a lot more. She loves to talk on toy phones. It's great. She'll talk ... then she'll take it from her ear, turn it over, and put it by her thigh (since Michael and I both keep our phones in our pockets, for the most part). Cracks me up.

Bruise got a haircut ... we did it ourselves ... over the course of a weekend. Because, well, it just takes me that long to get a cut that I'm satisfied with. :P

He also is quite the comedian.

A couple weeks ago at church, this is how things went down (a.k.a., this is why I suck at being reverent)
Be aware, all conversation is whispers:

I play with his hair and make tiny ponytails.Bruise: Mom, stop. I don't want to have girly hair.
Me: But, [Bruise], are you saying that all men with long hair have girly hair?
Bruise: YES.
Me: [Bruise], are you saying that JESUS has girly hair?
Bruise: No. Because I LOVE Jesus.
Me: But he has long hair ... why would you say that he has girly hair?
Bruise: *right IN. MY. FACE.* BECAUSE. HE. DOES.

A couple minutes later:
Bruise is wearing very short black socks. His suit pants have ridden up, to expose most of his lower legsMe: Bruise. Get your pant legs down. I see your chicken legs!
(It's true, you know. This boy is skinny. I could build a accurate model of him with pipe cleaners.)
Bruise: *slides so that he's in my lap* Mom. I see your chicken legs, your chicken arms, your chicken face, your chicken nose, your chicken lips, your chicken hair, AND YOUR CHICKEN BODY.

SERIOUSLY, Y'ALL. Can you BLAME me for being distracted in Sacrament meeting????

In other news, we braved the home improvement store again.
In the near future, we'll be replacing a couple light fixtures (one above a kitchen counter. The other's the back porch light) and replacing the dimmer switch in the dining room. I also now have the bolt needed to repair the swinging bench on the front porch ... once I sand that sucker down, refinish the wood, and spray the metal ORB (as the Petersiks at Young House Love refer to "oil-rubbed bronze"). It'll look nice when it's done. Which means that I need to DO IT.

Also, we bought Michael some new clothes yesterday. And I was feeling a little down, since *I* like new clothes. But a friend had me come over and look through clothes that she and her daughter were going to donate. So, guess what? I have new clothes, too. Good times.

So ... now Bubbles is asleep. Bruise and Bucket are at school. Michael's at work.
The house is quiet and I don't quite know what to do with myself.

Except for the whole crapload of chores and the never-ending to-do list, right? :P
And there's a crapload of shows on Netflix that aren't going to watch themselves. :P