Tuesday, March 04, 2014

Another catching-up-type post

Okay, I last posted OVER A WEEK AGO.

I know, I know, you're on pins and NEEDLES, waiting with bated breath, for this post.

Sometimes, I really wonder why, though. I'm not all that exciting.

Like, last night, Michael is ALMOST asleep.
And then, suddenly, out of nowhere, I state, "I want a pet lizard."
"...Whaa?"
"I don't know why. I just want one. ... And, if our house were less drafty, I'd want finches, too."

Yup, living with me is TONS OF FUN.

What else has gone on ... I've been keeping busy with my calling at church (I'm the Relief Society Compassionate Service Leader ... which means that when people NEED stuff, either they call me and I report to the RS President to get permission/guidance OR they let the RS Prez know right off and she calls ME so that I can get stuff organized/ set up. ... If people are really sick or injured or have just given birth or things are really tough, that's when I get phone calls).

We have one sister who just had surgery. One with quite a few health problems who WILL be having surgery. One who probably SHOULD have surgery. And one whose husband (who takes care of her) is in the hospital having surgery.

And I get to try and figure out who to call to ask them to take over meals/check on/provide rides for these gals. As my RS President has said, it's really a feast or famine calling ... so I either feel COMPLETELY OVERWHELMED or rather useless. It's flattering, though, that she assures me that things would fall apart without me. Very sweet of her. (My secret for organization? Google Documents and my Google Calendar -- the Cozi Calendar is mainly for MY family stuff).
I did hit up the last Compassionate Service Leader (a family friend) yesterday. And, while I told her that I often have NO IDEA why they called me to this, since I often feel rather inept at it, she just told me, "It's because you're so sweet."

Awwww. And I can't say if it's totally true, since I don't feel like I'm always that sweet.
But I do try to be very cordial ... and I at least attempt to be efficient (which reminds me, I need to get another three or more meals set up ... Like laundry, it doesn't ever seem to end. Until it does and you're left for a minute, panting ... and then it starts up again).

The other big thing last week was the Cub Scouts' Blue and Gold banquet ... and cake auction.
For the cake auction, the Cub Scouts all bring a cake to be auctioned off to raise money for Day Camp and things. There's also a little bake sale for the people who don't want to bid or who'd rather not have a cake or whatever.

Bruise made (with our help, even Bucket's ... but not Bubbles') a LEGO Farm cake.
  • Rice Krispies barn, covered in red and white fondant (my kids pronounce it JUST like Buddy on "Cake Boss," which is ADORBZ.)
  • Chocolate layer cake with a chocolate frosting filling
  • Green vanilla frosting covered with "grass" (green toasted coconut shavings) and a "path" (graham cracker crumbs)
  • LEGO bricks, yellow-colored white chocolate, with black gel piping = hay bales
  • painted white chocolate LEGO figures as the farmers
  • A LEGO horse, along with a regular-shaped bunny and chicken ... all molded/sculpted out of marzipan.
I mean, we went out WHOLE HOG. And it looked pretty good.
It was the first one up to auction, which means that it went rather low ... but it was bought (by a friend) for $80.
We bought, with another family, a different cake ... which went to the missionaries.
So we also got the kids some cupcakes from the bake sale.

After all of that, I was READY for some rest.

Then it was payday ... and Michael's paycheck didn't get deposited, so we had to put our weekend plans (nothing big -- grocery shopping; the kids wanted to look at toys) on hold.
We did the free stuff: Home Depot Kids' workshop (Trojan Horse banks from the Mr. Peabody and Sherman movie coming out) and the mall was having a Dr. Seuss party (crafts and get a free book -- Bruise got a way-too-easy-for-him Hot Wheels book. Bucket and Bubbles cooperated ... which meant that we got a couple of J.K. Rowling books, the ones about Quidditch and Magical Beasts ... so our HP collection is, for now, complete).

After that, Michael and the kids watched a movie. I put Bubbles down for a nap. I took a bath and read in bed for the rest of the day (trying not to freak out about the missing paycheck ... I mean, it's KIND OF IMPORTANT, you know?).

Sunday, Michael had meetings before church. We brought the snack for Nursery, like we signed up for a few months in advance (one of the Nursery workers mad made a new sign-up and missed that we had signed up. Whoops! But the snack that she brought will be next week's snack). After church, Michael and I had temple recommend interviews (it's that time! March = our anniversary and, every other year now, time to renew that temple recommend!).
His meeting AFTER church was cancelled ... so he took Bruise home while I drove the girls home.
We fed the kids lunch and he took a nap while Bubbles got a nap and Bruise and Bucket played video games.
Then, my ride for RS Presidency Visits showed up and I had to run out of the house.
(He gave me a hard time later, Michael that is, because I didn't wake him up to say goodbye. ... I still maintain that I had to run out the door AND he needed sleep. I find it hard to fall back asleep during the day ... AND he had come home at lunch on Thursday and crashed for the rest of the day. He OBVS needed sleep.)
Then we had choir and went home and fed the kids and got the trash out ... *phew*

(Sunday, the day of rest? HA. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Maybe when I'm dead. ... And I don't really think even then.)

Yesterday morning, though, the paycheck had appeared in our account. PHEW!
AND it was Bubbles' birthday. Little munchkin is TWO now, can you believe it?

She and I cleaned up the front rooms a bit and did the dishes and some laundry.
Yeah, exciting birthday plans.
Michael came home early and we went out to dinner.
Then he and I watched our Netflix DVD ("Pulling Strings" It's pretty cute. We can totally recommend it!) after the kids went to bed.

Besides that, the exciting stuff is that I've been dealing with those scammers some more.
You know, those ones that call about your computer. Hindi-type accent.

Since they're not being honest, I don't feel the need to be as polite as I would to a genuine charity or survey caller.

So, lately, I've told them that I'm planning a murder. Or that I'm dead. Stuff like that.
If you're really curious and want more in-depth write-ups, I posted on Facebook about them. My friends seem to think that I'm quite brilliant/hilarious ... which is a big reason that I love my friends. They're just too sweet and kind. That and they make me laugh.

But I have library books to read and a house to get clean for Bubbles' birthday party this weekend. So I should close this up.