Catching up ...

You can be assured that I'm NOT dead. Just ... busy/lazy/both.

So, we left off with Bubbles about to turn three.
That totally happened.
We had a pre-party with Mom and J (C didn't come. Wasn't feeling like traveling). The kids all got some presents and had fun being with my mom and J.
The party-party was on the weekend.
Our friend, Robyn, made a delicious duo of Frozen cakes. One was Anna and one was Elsa. And they were awesome. Our family was really impressed. (As they should be.)

Let's just list a lot of the rest that I've neglected to blog about (until now):

• I went to a (boring, but educational) meeting about the new state testing that Bruise and Bucket will be doing. We'll see how testing goes. ... I really kind of hate meetings. But, hey, at least Robyn was there (and her friend, D), so I had some friends to talk to. AND I was able to return Robyn's dishes (from the cakes) back to her.
• Bruise lost his Bear (Cub Scout) kerchief slide. Oh well.
• Bucket's started Girls On the Run. She's enjoying it a lot. Michael's training to run the 5k with her. Because, we know that I'm not a happy runner ... especially since my stupid ankle is still kind of stupid (but healing bit by bit, right?).
• Bubbles is talking more and more. Which is nice.
• We have new missionaries ... elders, not sisters now. So, they can't come over to wash their clothes, but we've taken them out to dinner and have gotten to know them a bit. Good guys. I like them. (Also, it's SO WEIRD to be older than the missionaries. And, Michael and I keep getting closer and closer to reaching the age of the missionaries' parents! Oy and vey! I'm like the CRYPTKEEPER!)
• So, you know how I mentioned a few months back that we FINALLY bought ourselves a new mattress (for the first time ever? How we'd only had hand-me-down mattresses before)? Well, we FINALLY bought box springs for that mattress. ... And we splurged on one of those adjustable beds, which has helped a lot with Michael's heartburn. The kids think it's the COOLEST thing, being able to raise the head and foot of the bed. Freyja-cat likes that she can hide UNDER the bed.
  (We had thought of buying some risers, so we would have more under-bed storage ... Yeah, NO. Our bed is CRAZY HIGH. Like 6-8 inches above our nightstands. We need taller nightstands now. #It'sAlwaysSomething).
• Michael and I had our 14th Anniversary. We headed down to Ashland. We ate at Larks (brunch ... it was a splurge, but SO WORTH IT. There was a salad that we split. Michael had the Farm Platter. I ordered the pear and bacon sandwich ... SO FREAKING GOOD.) We also stopped by The Pita Pit, which is always delicious. We tried an Asian restaurant by Lithia Park, which was okay. (Hard to compete with Larks, not gonna lie). We also watched the Oregon Shakespeare Festival's "Much Ado About Nothing." ... Very fun. Dogberry on a Segway. I don't have to say much more, really. ^_^ And we FINALLY made it to the Oregon Caves (no windows exploded in the process ... unlike LAST time Michael and I wanted to go, when Bruise and Bucket were wee ones). We also bought a lot of books ... are you really that surprised?
• Last week was the kids' Spring Break from school.
  Michael took Monday off and we took the kids to watch Frozen Fever/Cinderella ... then I had them watch "Ever After" for a compare/contrast. (They don't know which version they like better. ... I don't think I do, either.) Cleaned house on Tuesday. Mom came up on Wednesday and we took the kids out to lunch and to a toy store. Thursday was a mostly lazy day, but we did go to Costco and buy "Into the Woods." Friday was a WIC appointment and hanging around. 
• Michael's done a bit of home improvements around the place. We have our hanging door (with mirror on the inside) up for our master bathroom. He also installed a new deadbolt and door knob (the deadbolt is one of the key-code types. Best thing EVER). He cleaned the gutters (we need Home Depot to stock more of the gutter sponge-things so that they STAY clean. Get on it, Home Depot!!).

And that mostly brings us up to the present. Bruise and Bucket are at school. Bubbles is watching a Barbie DVD. I need to do dishes and laundry, prepare a meal for another family's dinner, read library books, call a grandfather to wish him a happy birthday ... stuff like that.

Maybe get a nap where I DON'T dream. That sounds like a good idea.

In which I have terrible dreams

It's been a while since I ... blogged. At all.

But, golly gee, y'all ... after these dreams I had last night ...

They were whack. And not wiggedy-whack. Just the regular (horrible) kind of whack.

Dream number one:
Started out cool. I was hanging with my friend, T, who I haven't gotten to hang with for over a year. (Yes, I know. Priorities and all. But she's working AND going to school AND has a son with his own activities. And, right now, my kids have a crazy schedule ... just added upon by Michael's and my schedules ... so, justification).

BUT, T and I were hanging out and we decided to go to Tillamook, which was a LOT more touristy and mall-having in my dream, with a detour to another town which we couldn't remember the name.

AND THEN, I realized that it was Monday and that I wasn't there to pick up Bucket from school after her after-school activity ... and that Bruise and Bubbles were left at home, all alone. BAD MOM.

So, my mom drove up from her house to take care of things and was totally disappointed in me (as she SHOULD be, if I pulled a dumb move like that. I totally COULD take T out to drive around, but arrange child care FIRST.)

... I should mention that I had a dream a couple nights ago where I had some of my library ladies (from when I volunteered at the next town's library -- and most of whom have retired or left in the mean time. Everything changes ...) babysit Bubbles for me while I shopped around in the next town (which was more like how Downtown Roseburg USED to be) ... odd, yes. Because they were working AND watching Bubbles for me.

But in the OTHER dream I had last night, I had been called in by LJ (who since has retired from the library and moved away) to help shelve books ... because they just needed lots of help.
And I needed to be there at 6pm.

I had gone out, in my dream, with some friends to drink some tea. And I ended up using the Lavender-Camomile tea (that I DO have irl), so I took the tea bags that I had paid for to use later.

When I got home I worked at cleaning out my purse. And I had a problem ... the kids get home after school ... and Michael doesn't get home (irl) until AFTER 6pm. And, let's face it, my kids are not always the most conductive to working.  ... so I was cleaning out my purse and I noticed that Bruise got home and it was DARK and it was 6pm ... and the library was about a half-hour's drive away ... so I was going to be late. And I didn't want to CANCEL, but I couldn't get there on time AND I couldn't leave my kids alone while I worked a shift ...

So, I just, you know, rewound time. But things totally changed.
There I was, in my childhood dining room as my mom is coming home, with siblings (that I don't have irl) and a stepfather (not C, but a jerk of a guy). And I had to incapacitate him, since he's such a jerk, to protect Mom and my siblings. And I'm stepping/standing on his throat while he's on the ground, grabbing my ankle. So I have to stand with BOTH feet on his throat. And he stop breathing.
So, since I NEED to make my library appointment, I leave him there, instructing someone to call 911 and have him hauled to jail if he's still alive, and I take my mom's car so I can get to the library.

Stressful dreams, YES. I don't like them.
I prefer dreams that I don't remember to actively stressful dreams. I also prefer just the random-odd type dreams to BAD dreams.

Let's just say that I was really ready to be awake, though I was/am still tired.

I'd make up some clever title ...

Okay, so it's been over a month (JUST!) since I last blogged. Whoops!

Since then, what's gone on?

A lot of puking ... Bubbles and I were sick a couple weeks ago. Bad enough that Michael came home early on Wednesday (the day of the vomit) and my mom came up and stayed the night Thursday, to ensure that I wasn't going to over-do things (which I almost did, since I WAS going to go take notes at PTC - Parent-Teacher Club - that day ... but, well, when you get winded and sweaty JUST folding socks, it's probably a little bit over much to do).

Bubbles birthday is coming up (TOMORROW!) ... the party isn't until Saturday. It'll be just after the Elders Quorum (men's group) shooting activity ... which Michael is taking Bruise and Bucket to. They'll learn to shoot the rifle, which will be very good.

I got a Fitbit ... which lets me know HOW LAZY I am and how much I really overeat. (But, but, I just get SO FREAKING HUNGRY!) ... but, we'll see if it helps me get into better shape.

Today, I should be cleaning up the house. (Goals: Clean the kitchen. Vacuum the carpets. Clean up the kids' bathroom. Then make sure to take a meal to a family in the ward [congretation].) And I SHOULD also break out a Richard Simmons DVD to get some cardio going. Since, when Michael and I went to donate blood last week, he wasn't able due to a high pulse. Mine was also elevated, but not enough to disqualify. ... However, I did almost pass out this time. Fun, fun, right? Stupid low blood pressure. *rolls eyes*

What else has gone on in my life worth reporting?
Still haven't gotten the rest of the bathroom cabinet doors painted. Whoops. But I have ONE coat of primer on TWO of the four doors ... and a whole little cabinet to prime and paint. *sigh*

I made it to a Relief Society activity last week ... it was combined with the other ward that shares our church building. One sister gave a presentation on the power of positive thinking and positive affirmations. It was interesting. I had fun and got to visit with other grownups, which was LOVELY.

Bruise and Michael finished Bruise's Pinewood Derby car ... and Bruise even placed third in this Pinewood Derby, which would allow him to participate in Districts ... except for the fact that it's at the same time as Bubbles' birthday party. He's cool with it, though.

I got to volunteer at the kids' school (the day before I was tied to the toilet). Just escorting kids back and forth to/from dental screenings and their classes. We even finished before noon, so I was able to go out to lunch with Mom C (who was watching Bubbles for me).

Okay, now how's about I actually attempt to go in slightly chronological order and get caught up ...

End of January - last week:

• Prepared for and attended Bruise's Blue and Gold (Cub Scout) Banquet.
  We bought his cake ... so, in other words, we paid a large donation to Cub Scouts and got a cake as a freebie. We were just glad it sold for more than last year's cake. ... Even though we didn't put as much effort into it (like baking cake from scratch and creating shapes out of melting chocolate and marzipan ... last year's cake was EXHAUSTING).
• Bucket played violin (as part as an ensemble) for the local library's gala fundraiser ... This is pretty huge, since normally, she's a bit shy/psyches herself out about being in front of other people ... and she was EXCITED to do this from the start.
• Michael and I got new phones.
• We started using some InTune (Focus Blend) DoTERRA oil on Bruise. His teachers have noticed a difference! Not that he was horrible or anything, but he's better able to focus and pay attention. He likes it ... even though, at first, the bus driver and some teachers asked who was wearing cologne ... and I joke that (since it contains patchouli) he smells like "a clean hippie." (Which made his English-language teacher burst out laughing.)
• I tried going from having medium-brown hair to platinum. ... Yeah, bad idea to do at home. So I spent a crapload of money to fix my orange-hair-with-white-roots. Just FYI: If you're thinking of making a HUGE change, do it at a salon. Color correction costs about TWICE as much as just going to the salon and NOT wrecking your hair color. (Seriously. TWICE AS MUCH, y'all. Thank goodness for a tax return!)
• The kids' school had International Night. Their classes have been studying Brazil. We brought a Brazilian sweet cornbread cake (thanks, Google!). We also got to watch them do some Brazilian songs and dances. Then we RAN them over to what was left of their Cub Scouts/Activity Days activities.
• For Valentine's Day, we went to an animal show at the local community college. Now, 3/5 of us want a pet chinchilla. 1/5 of us isn't wild about the idea. The other 1/5 is distracted by Daniel Tiger and Frozen, so hasn't weighed in with an opinion.
• Then, we went down to the next big town south and went to an Asian Culture Festival and a Heritage Fair. It was CROWDED. So we came back to our town to eat lunch and watched videos at home.
• My Nana had her 83rd birthday. We called and sang to her. Then she talked to me. I really don't think she could hear me at all for the most part. But, at least, she knows that we care enough to call, right?
• After the vomit-and-poo situation of 2015 (alluded to earlier) ... TMI ALERT - It's really SAD when you're sitting on the toilet and CAN NOT get up for reasons best NOT baldly stated and you realize that you've left the bowl on the bed (that you then climb into after emptying your body's contents and shiver yourself to sleep ... AFTER you've shambled down the hall to help your youngest who is glazed out, watching Disney movies on repeat [Thank you, FastPlay. Best thing ever!] and will nearly-unfailingly puke about five minutes after you do) and you cannot, as I mentioned earlier, get up to grab said bowl OR move from the toilet ... so you end up grabbing a hand towel, folding it as fast as you can into fourths, throwing it to the ground, and vomiting the last swallows of water  you imbibed onto THAT, then throwing it into the shower stall until you have the strength and motivation to deal with it ... then you manage to get off the toilet (for another 30 minutes maybe?), rinse out your mouth, check on the child, take care of her while she vomits, get her settled back onto the couch with a few sips of water, and shumble back to bed to shiver until you fall asleep. GOOD TIMES, Y'ALL! GOOD TIMES! #SarcasmToTheNthDegree
• So then, after sleeping nearly all day, I was feeling better ... just not well enough to, well, DO much without sweating and feeling woozy.
• We've taken it pretty easy (which shows in the shoddy housework done) since then. We had a Game night for the EQ and their families. We had four families show up (one had to leave early).
  During the Game night, we played two games ... I changed Bubbles' diaper once. And then had to clean up after my OTHER daughter peed her pants (and on the carpet) ... I was NOT thrilled. (Neither was she ... but, dude, at 9 years old, even if your little sister is playing with the light switch and it gets dark, I fully expect that you can either hold it OR be aware of your body and go to the freaking bathroom just down the FULLY-LIT hallway. Just sayin', Lord love you, child.)

Today, the missionaries (sisters) are coming over to do laundry. Then I'm cleaning house and fixing up a meal for a family in the ward. At some point the big kids will either come home on the bus OR I'll go pick up Bucket from Girls On The Run practice, which either starts this week or next week.

Mom and C and Aunt J will come up tomorrow for Bubbles' birthday, so it'd be GOOD to have the house ALL cleaned.

So I should get a quick shower and get on all that, right? Or, at least, throw on a bra and get started. *sigh* Motivation, where are you?