If I had a post's title ... Well, it'd be here ...

I have been EXHAUSTED the last couple days.

No, I'm not pregnant (DAWN.)
(For those of you wondering why I have that parenthetical remark, THIS parenthetical remark will explain that my friend, Dawn, will always jump to asking/hoping that her friends are with child. She once started a rumor that I was preggo-my-Eggo on my Facebook wall with her usual guess. I still love her. Even though it was a tricky situation diffusing that rumor. While people are CONGRATULATING me on having something in my uterus that I didn't have at all. :P ... Good times, good times.)

I don't know why I've been so ... well, no, I do have an idea...

• Tuesday night/morning, Bruise and Bucket woke up around FOUR AM(!!!) to go to the bathroom. They were VERY noisy and then Bucket thought the bathroom door was locked and freaked out (It wasn't. She didn't even end up USING the bathroom!). Michael took care of it. But I woke up and was awake for a while.
• Bubbles isn't consistently sleeping through the night ... but she's getting better. For the most part.
  Still, most nights I do wake up at least once to feed her. Sometimes twice.
• This morning, I woke up EXHAUSTED ... thinking that it was an hour later than it was. Stupid sunlight. Stupid Daylight Savings. It was nice not having to LEAP out of bed ... and I did manage to get a good deal done by the time the kids needed to get out to the bus stop. Phew!

Speaking of, this is what I did this morning:

• Woke up. Went back to doze for a little.
• Fed Bubbles.
• Made the kids' lunches
• Called their school so I could write a check for the balance of their hot lunch accounts (Since tomorrow's the last day to have a balance). Wrote that check. Bruise is entrusted to take it to the office.
• Got Bubbles out of my bed.
  Changed her diaper ... She had a blow out.
  Her hair was all gross at the back (sweat, drool, and milk), so she got a bath and a cute outfit.
  Brought her out to the living room to play.
• Got the kids' homework folders filled and had them put them in their backpacks.
  Got their reading logs put in there, too.
  And Bucket's reading homework.
• Jumped in the shower with less than twenty minutes to get ready to take the kids to the bus.
  Showered, shaved my underarms, brushed teeth, combed hair, got dressed, put on makeup (light foundation, concealer, blush, eyeliner, some eyeshadow, mascara, lip gloss, and powder).
• Put on flip-flops (Remember when we used to call THOSE thongs? Oh, the good, ol' days.) and my Moby wrap. Grabbed my phone. Logged Bubbles' morning activities (diaper, bath, vitamins) ... and headed out the door!

Oh, and I did a little Draw Something before calling the school.

Aaaaaaand now I've just put Bubbles down for a nap. Yeah, I'm not making the Volunteer Breakfast at the kids' school. I'm already late ... I fed Miss Bubbles once we got home. And ... yeah. Just not making it. Oh well.

Yesterday was overall good. Just tiring.
I woke up, ate the leftover Chicken Tikaa and coconut rice for breakfast (leftovers? Yum!!) and drank some water. Put on my Moby ... and got the kids to the bus. Then I drank some more water and loaded up Bubbles into her carseat.
Why would I do all that?
Because I was donating blood!

My iron is back to great. 13.6, I think. The normal, healthy range for women is 12.1-15 ... so I fall in the upper middle. Yay!
And I filled up my bag really fast.
I felt fine. Not at all dizzy or clammy.
Just like I really, really, REALLY wanted a nap.

I wore Bubbles in my Moby. Facing out while I answered questions ... and she got fussy. Then I turned her so she was all snug. And she fell asleep and drooled on my shoulder while I lay down to fill up a bag.

She did get quite a bit of attention.
"There's a baby! Did you see?" "Yes!"
"Oh!! A Baby!! We don't usually get to see babies here much!!"

Yup, she is a bit of a conversation starter. ^_^

So, our library's Summer Reading Program starts tomorrow.
And the kiddos have a dental check-up ... which might explain part of my dream last night.

In my dream, my lower teeth were a little more wonky than in real life (not to brag, but my teeth are pretty straight. Straight enough that dental hygienists have asked if I've had braces. Which I haven't. I do have two crooked-ish teeth right in front on the bottom, but they're not very bad.) ... The lateral incisor (yes, I had to look it up) was pushing the central incisor OUT of the gum.
THEN the canine AND that pesky lateral insicor got chipped. Badly enough that my canine was off down to the gum.
(And I'm losing my dental insurance tomorrow in real life. Fun.)
So ... yeah. There I am with THREE problem teeth. One that's rotating out of the gum, one sheared down to the gumline, and one that's all sharp and broken.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN?!?!?!???

I also dreamed that I missed one of my besties' birthdays. It was the day after.
Michael and I were at a toy shop, and they had these cute book-like cards. And books ... The Free Comic Book Day issues of the Serenity comic were in bags that started at a thousand dollars. Very depressing.

I was going to get T (my bestie) a card. But which one? And I should get her a present! Like a DVD! But I hadn't seen her for a while ... and I don't know which DVDs she already HAS or which ones she doesn't have and would really like! VERY SAD AND STRESSFUL!

So, yeah, I should totally call her. In a half hour or so, since she told me once, with her job, never to call before ten. But, that WAS before her son started school ... Still ... I'll stick to it until she tells me differently. ^_^

So, yeah.
To sum up, I'm a crazy-dream-having, Moby-wearing, blood-donating fool.
Who's really, really tired.

Draw Something Drawback

So, last night, as I was checking Draw Something (yes, I've gotten a bit addicted), one person left a comment after not getting my drawing of "checkers" (In which, I MIGHT ADD, even though it was NOT that well done, I DID write "King me!" ... which is a dead giveaway. Which s/he didn't even wait to see before passing.) ...

Their comment got me down a little ...

The comment?

"Learn to dram wtf or write it out."

So, yeah, there I am feeling rather miffed at a complete stranger being that ... well, b-word-y about a GAME.
It's not like you WIN ANYTHING AT ALL for getting more words right.

And, if you are playing random people, you're taking your chances.

How did I make myself feel better?

By visualizing how I COULD have responded.
(Instead of resigning/ending our match. If s/he doesn't like my attempts at drawing, s/he doesn't have to play, do does s/he?)

I did think about leaving what I had done before learning how to delete a partner (Yay for Google!) ... which was: 1) Pick the hardest word given. 2) Start drawing something. 3) Erase it. 4)Just turn empty pages and then select that I'm done and send it to the other person.
What I DIDN'T do was 5) Comment "Then try THIS, B****."
Or, really, what I ALMOST wrote was "[Be more constructive/don't be so negative] with your criticism."

I mean, really. Would it have KILLED you to use a smiley?

There's a difference (especially to a sensitive/hormonal person like me between
Learn to dram wtf or write it out :) AND Learn to dram wtf or write it out.

Then I realized that I was getting upset/offended by someone who can't even spell DRAW.

That's just pitiful.

Though, really ... since I don't like to use profanities that much (Don't get me wrong. I say "crap" and "damn" and "hell" much more than I probably NEED to. Oh well.), but instead of calling that person a b-word (Though the statement WAS rather b****y. There are MANY other ways to express oneself than just being like that. How about, "That was too tough. Maybe you could write out the answer next time." or something.)

(However, I still wouldn't really. Because 1) In Draw Something, you just have to fill in the letters. They GIVE you the answer. If I can't get it right? It's because I'm NOT THINKING HARD ENOUGH. The onus is on ME, guessing. Some of the drawings aren't as helpful as they should be. So what? I'm using the free version of the app. I'm not losing anything by getting it wrong. And 2) Since Michael's family plays a lot of Pictionary, I try not to write down words. Because that's cheating.)

SO, if you can't guess my (less-than-stellar, I'll admit) drawing, when the answer is practically GIVEN (you know how many letters ... and they give you the letters. Sometimes more than what you need, but still! The answer is there!! Just jumbled!), dude ... just suck it up that YOU are not that clever/creative at that moment in time. Let it go.

No need to insult your partner.

Especially because, if it EVER happens again, I'm probably going to answer "Sod off, tosser."

Since, I obvs don't mind being crass in British slang.
I'm not sure why ...


And, REALLY!! If you're going to insult me, at least spell it correctly. And make it make SENSE.

I mean, someone has to have standards, right?

-----------------------------------------------------
In all honesty, my checkerboard was NOT drawn well. But it WAS red and black. And I did write "King me!"
If that random person was at all patient, s/he'd most likely HAVE gotten it.

Also, if you write out something in Draw Something, I'm not going to lambaste you.
But I usually won't write it out.
I have to keep in practice for the C Family Pictionary rounds.
We're kind of brutal.

Like the one time that Sister-in-law-squared (our husbands are brothers), A and I were drawing against each other.
Michael got it. C didn't.
She looked at my paper and cried, "We drew the same thing!! How come your fiance got it and mine didn't??"
I, caught up in the heat of the game, crowed, "Because MY fiance is smarter than yours!"

Now, due the the nature of our competitions with Pictionary, that would normally be rude and shocking.
Not so with the cutthroat rounds of Pictionary that I've grown accustomed to.

Seriously, they all just laughed. Even C.
They're good sports.

... "learn to dram" ... Learn to dram, indeed.

--------------------------------------------------------

With that all said, if you do play Draw Something and you want to play ... let me know.
If you don't have me on Facebook, my username on Draw Something is, predictably, LlannaLee. ^_^

Funny things we say ...

The kiddos always like to think ahead to what they want to dress up as for Halloween.
Bucket's thinking (at present) of going as a goldfish.
She's also throwing around the ideas of:

• a platypus
• Ginny Weasley
• Merida (from "Brave" ... coming to a theater near you June 22.)
  (Can you tell we're looking forward to seeing it?)

Bruise wants to go as Harry Potter. Or Indiana Jones.

Every so often, they try to get us all on board for a theme Halloween (which would be fun).
Then we'd have to figure out who'd go as whom.

Here's what we've figured out ...
Bruise and Bucket could go as twins, Luke and Leia
Bubbles could be Chewbacca or Yoda or an Ewok.
Or R2 or a Stormtrooper (Though she's a little short for a Stormtrooper. Ha ha ha.)

If we go that route, Michael'd be Darth Vader.
And, since the kids are BORN ... and this is a part of Star Wars that I DO know, here's my contribution to the conversation:

"Ooooh! Does that mean I get to be ZOMBIE PADME????"


Yes'm. I'm special.
And, really. If I had to be Padme, that'd be the way to go.

Besides, it's not like (any time that I put effort and thought into a costume) anyone knows who I am.
(e.g., the times that I dressed as Jem! or cross-played Jayne Cobb. So depressing.)

I was listening to the kids tell me about riding in the car.

They were telling me that once Bruise rode in the front seat of the truck.
And, since he's still small, he knew that he'd have to duck if they saw a police car.

Bucket: BRUISE! You could sit on a REALLY BIG BOX! Then you wouldn't have to duck! Because they'd think you were TWENTY!

I'm sorry ... but NO ONE would think that my slim little man was even twelve, let alone TWENTY.

We still don't have our grill.
Seriously, the rain check was made out on the 19th ... NINE DAYS AGO.
They didn't call us by the 26th like they said they would.
Michael went into the store on the 25th to check.
They said the shipment hadn't come in ... yet, strangely enough, there was a SECOND floor model (too big to fit into even the truck, since the canopy is on it).
I called yesterday and they didn't have the rain check in the regular file. I was told the rain check must be with the seasonal files. And that THAT manager who has the keys had already gone home.

Yeah, we're a little annoyed.

Oh well.

But it WOULD have been nice to have been able to grill today.
And maybe last Friday ... but those have both already come and gone.

Still, it's really crazy.
Especially since this Fred Meyer? ... Well, the employee wrote the wrong phone number for the store on the raincheck.
And the number on Google? Disconnected.
Which happened to be the number on the official Fred Meyer website.
I was able to FINALLY find the correct number (wrong prefix from the employee. How odd is that?).
At least, when I did get the right number, the employees were professional and nice.

Still, wouldn't you think that if you, as a business, changed your number, you'd WANT it to be listed correctly on the INTERNET?

Whatever.
Not my business. But if it WERE, you know that I'd be over that like white on rice, y'all.

Okay, gotta feed Bubbles.
(Did I mention that she slept ALL NIGHT (and then some! 11 hours!) ... and that when I set her down to sleep, she did wake up ... and soothed herself back to sleep. Yeah ... I'm shocked, too. GRATEFUL, but shocked.)

Still Not Dead ... Yet.

It has been brought to my attention that I haven't blogged.
For a LONG TIME.

Whoops!

(Oh my flip. It's been over 20 days since I've blogged. What. The. FRACK.)

Let's see what I recall about the last three weeks ...

Um ... Not a whole heck of a lot. Oops!

Let me try to piece things together ...

• We are fully over the head lice.
  Thanks be.
  Oh. Em. Gee.
• I know that I read a couple books. At this point (without looking back at my GoodReads), I cannot recall what they were. I know that I enjoyed at least one of them.
  I also had to turn in a bunch of library books that I haven't even started.
  FAIL.
• I got caught up on the dishes. I'm not caught up right now. But I WAS for a couple hours.
  The sinks still work ... thus, brother-in-law C speaks the truth.
  AWESOME.
• I am so freaking behind on the laundry. Ugh. Let's not talk about that.
• We got to help our friend Robyn unclog her bathtub. Michael's a rockstar at that.
  I, while he was working on that, helped her figure out her new sling (It's a CUTE one, too).
• We made it to the last PTC (Parent Teacher ... Council? Committee?) meeting.
  I wore Bubbles in my Moby wrap.
  And I successfully nursed that girl to sleep. A 13-minute feeding.
  EPIC WIN.
• I walked to the mall on Friday, after I took the kids to the bus stop.
  None of the stores that I wanted to buy anything at were open.
  So I walked to Target and browsed there. Then I walked home.
• Mom and I went to the weekday Farmers' Market.
  I tried goat milk. It was WAY better than I worried. (Kinda like powdered milk. In how sweet it is. Pretty nice, really.)
  We both like goat cheese (We bought some chevre. I ate it ALL in one sitting.)
  We also got to try goat milk gelato. YUM!
• That was also the night that Bubbles slept for ten hours straight.
• There was another night that Bubbles woke up in the middle of the night ... and self-soothed herself back to sleep ... By NOISILY sucking on her fist.
  She woke up with the REDDEST cheeks, since she had wiped her slobber-hands on her cheeks repeatedly. They started looking better once I put some cream on them. They looked MUCH better the next day.
• I had a physical ... I'm in fine health. Got my cholesterol tested. Haven't heard the results.
  It's been about ten years since I had it tested ... as far as I know of. 
• I won some truffles at my sister-in-law (T2)'s baby shower.
  I recognized song lyrics (as I walked back into the room) as being from "Brahm's Lyllabye."
  Yes, I AM a Wikipedia addict.
  No, I haven't memorized the lyrics yet. Not even the German ones.
  (Freyja jumped into my lap as I'm typing. She licked my arms. I can handle cats licking me. I don't like it when dogs lick me. Cats have drier, though scratchier, tongues.)
  (RANDOM FACT: I had a VERY tough time learning how to spell "tongue." Also "exercise,"
  license," and "genuine." Why are these words so tricky???)
• I impressed people with my MAD MOBY-WRAP SKILLZ.
  I learned how to turn Bubbles (who's developed her neck muscles enough) from a "hug hold" into a forward-facing hold. And I don't have to redo the wrap AT ALL.
  BOO and YEAH.
• I bought a new pair of shoes. And a new pair of jeans.
• I got the kiddos registered for a little sports camp. They'll get to play T-ball, Biddyball (which is basketball), and soccer. We got them new (lace-up) shoes.
  We need to teach them to tie their shoes. *sigh*
  Bubbles will NOT play those sports. She's too small.
• Bucket told me today that she "LOVES [Bubbles] because she LOVES BABIES."
  I told her that will come in very handy when she's a mom.
• Bruise tells us that he loves Bubbles because "she's a new kid."
  (Does that mean she's got ... wait for it ... the right stuff??? *rimshot*)
  (Bad early 90s boyband joke for the ... win?)
  (No, actually I WASN'T a fan of NKOTB. I had friends that were.)
• Nana got results back from her MRI. She does have dementia.
  But it's not a tumor ... so that's ... something.
• We still have a lot of random, scouting ants in the house. Not as many as there were.
  And the number of pervert ants (crawling around in the shower) has VASTLY decreased.
• I've gotten a little addicted to my free-version "Draw Something" app on my phone.
• I got to try a crepe. It had chocolate-hazelnut filling. And fresh whipped cream.
  Yes, you should be jealous. It's okay to admit it. ^_^
• We bought an ice-cream maker at Costco. It was on sale (even better!) ... We made vanilla ice cream. It was even better after we froze it so it was more solid.
• I had a two-day streak (RECORD!!) of exercising ... but Bubbles wasn't really supportive of it. So my motivation petered out. Oh well.
  But it would be really nice to be rid of this muffin top.
• I got caught up with Neatorama and mental_floss ... so I feel like I'm more interesting.
  At least it gives me more to talk about than JUST my kiddos. ^_^

That's really most of what I can recall ... which, sadly, isn't all that much.
Things to look forward to this coming week:

• Michael will be home tomorrow.
  Yet another thing I need to thank our soldiers for.
• Mom's coming up tomorrow.
• I'll be donating blood ... Haven't done that for a while (like 9 months).
• Payday's coming up. That's always nice.
• We're going to get the grill that we had to have a rain check on/for/whatever preposition should be used. I don't know.
• I need to use lavender in cooking. I think I'll make a lavender-infused sugar syrup. And use it in making lemonade.
  I also need to use the hazelnuts/filberts (they're the same thing. It's like mountain lion/puma/cougar.) to make homemade Nutella.
• Housework. Lots and lots of housework. ...

And that's most of what all is going on around here.
That and we've been watching The IT Crowd on Netflix ... HILARIOUS.
I adore Moss the most. But I do get tempted to answer the phone like Roy ("I.T. ... Have you tried turning it off and on again?")

Well ... I think that's it.
If I've forgotten anything vital, I'm sure that Michael'll remind me in the comments. ^_^

Thumbsucker ... and other stuff

Looks like Bubbles is going to take after me ... she's sucking her thumb.
I was a thumbsucker ... My mom had to help me quit with a twelve-step reward-based program when I was going into preschool.

During Sacrament meeting this morning, I was putting Bucket's hair BACK into a ponytail.
AND I FOUND A LOUSE.
So, I took her to Primary so she could say the prayer, then she, Bubbles, and I left church to break the Sabbath (ox in the mire!) to buy lice shampoo. Which we then applied.
And I combed all through her hair, where I found .... ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.
Then we watched videos on YouTube with Bubbles until Michael and Bruise came home from church.
(Mostly Titli's Busy Kitchen and some Bollywood.)

So, I'm just guessing that I missed ONE EGG last time.
And this last louse standing met an ignominious death via my fingernails.
Mwha ha ha.

I've got almost all the dishes done and put away.
And Bucket helped to wash some.
Which we did in the bathtub.
Yup.

Bruise was on Bubbles-duty. Not the dish-soap bubbles ... the watching-his-little-sister-and-attempting-to-keep-her-happy-and-NO-just-telling-her-"Shhhh!-while-you-play-a-video-game-isn't-cutting-it type of Bubbles duty.

I need to take Bucket's stuffed animals out of the dryer. And wash her bedding. JUST IN CASE.

Still, one louse is MUCH better than two.

And, as Michael was bringing me dishes to wash, he had to take out a pile of pans because they were CRAWLING with ants.
So gross.
And he had to spray out some more dishes with the hose since I hadn't gotten to them before the sinks stopped up.
Good times, good times.

So I need to mop the kitchen floor and get rid of all the dead ants. Ugh.

I still need to read my library books. And clean the rest of the house ... But I mostly just want to take a nap.
And moisturize my hands. They're really dry after all the lice shampoo and dish soap.

Bubbles seems to like the Moby wrap more than the sling ... I think it's because I'm newer at using the sling. Once we get used to it, I think it'll be a great thing. It is easier to put on. And to carry around.

Okay ... I should go be productive.

The day of rest? Ha!
I wish.
Oh, I really wish.

Our Cinquo de Mayo ... and it involves the sinks

Michael's going to get his brother, C, to help us with the sinks.
Since C can fit under the house. We cannot. :S

But, at least the blockage is limited to just the kitchen and laundry room sinks. The washer works, the bathtubs and toilets are fine. It could be much, much worse.

And, thanks to the borrowed dehumidifier, the one couch cushion that I worked at cleaning is almost totally dry. Phew!

I also put a cover/plate on an outlet in the kids' room. And we took down the broken venetian blind on the laundry room door and installed/put on a window cover. It's like wallpaper, but for a window.
The one we got makes the window look like it's etched glass. It still lets the light in, but gives some privacy (in case someone comes to the door and I'm loading the washer/dryer in my skivvies.

I also sprayed the bathroom ceiling with bleach and Tilex. It's looking a lot better.

I'm going to have to do a load of dishes. In the bathtub. That'll be interesting.

Bubbles's 2-month check-up went well. She's growing, not as fast as she had been ... but her doctor isn't worried. She's a healthy, happy, vocal girl. Who got three shots and some drops for vaccinations. But she took it pretty well. I was happy about that. ^_^

I asked about issues with the older kids, who were at school.
I was able to describe the tiny bumps on Bruise's arm (complete with the fact that, when squeezed, there was a tiny ball inside) well enough that their doctor was impressed. And gave me a diagnosis. And how to treat them.
He has Molluscum. And to treat it, you just pop the warts and get the ball of virus out.
Then WASH YOUR HANDS, since it's contagious.
Which is what I had done.
It's nice to know that I have pretty good instincts on that.

So I've tackled about all the Molluscum. Which makes Bruise scream (since there's a little bit of blood at each site). But we should be done with those. Phew!

(Seriously, Spring. What gives? First head lice, then Molluscum?? ... Oh, that's right. ... Which bring me to number three:)

I notice that my eye/cheek was sore ... Turns out that I have a sty on my lower eyelid. Yeah. It just hurts and will go away on its own. But, when I blink hard or wince? I'm VERY AWARE of that area.

Freyja-cat still is doing well on her Kitty Prozac.

We went out to the local comic shop for Free Comic Book Day.
They were out of the Star Wars/Serenity one (I really wanted to read the Serenity story).
But I was able to get one that's The Guild and Buffy.
And, since I bought a couple Serenity graphic novels, I was able to nab some extra free comics. One's got a story about The Dark Crystal ... They should be good ones.

And Michael made us burritos for dinner for Cinquo de Mayo.

In other good news, my Target Beauty Bag arrived. There weren't as many samples as in past bags. But I still love samples. ^_^ This one has a travel pack of facial wipes, a Pantene shampoo, a Nivea lotion, a Neutrogena facial cleanser, and a facial primer from L'Oreal. And a little book of coupons. Which expire at the end of the month.

Also, yesterday, we took Bubbles to Mom and Dad's so she could get grandma-time. The kids, Michael, and I went to watch The Avengers. It was REALLY good. We're definitely buying it when it comes out.
Now, I'm going to let you know that I'm a Whedon fan-girl. He did a great job. The dialogue is pretty awesome. And the storyline flows well.
He always is a firm believer of "kill your darlings," so be aware that someone's going to die.
(I'm still bitter about Wash in Serenity. But, really, I'd have been bitter about ANY of the main characters' deaths in that 'Verse.)
And, if you haven't gone ... just be aware that you need to stay through the credits. TO THE VERY END.
Okay??

The kids were a little cranky afterwards ... but, overall, it was good.

When we went to pick up Bubbles, we got to visit with some more family. Grandpa C's brother and his wife (so Michael's great-uncle and -aunt) were there.
Uncle B's voice is VERY similar to Grandpa C's ... so it was good to hear a version of his voice again.
NO, I DID NOT CRY.
(but I might have been a little close for a tic.)

Okay, Bubbles is freaking out. I'd better change a diaper or rock her or something.

More stuff ...

So, the sinks still aren't draining.

BUT!!

• We planted Bruise and Bucket's tomato plants from school.
• And the carrot seeds.
• They got to play outside.
• We went to their classroom for Open House conferences ... we were the only ones there
  (Besides their teacher and student teacher ... So I got to chat. It was nice. We'll sign a permission form and the Speech teacher will see if Bruise would benefit from Speech class. ... His "r"s sometimes/often come out as more of a "w." We work at having him correctly pronounce things ... but ... He's gotten lots better. But it still leaves some room for improvement.)
• We got the kids' Spring Pictures from school. They look cute! And we also have a FULL Morning Kindergarten class picture (Fall's class picture was just the kids' classroom. AM Kinders are two combined classrooms.)
• I'm a few more pages into the library book that's due TOMORROW.
  I think that I'm just going to have to put it on hold again later. *sigh* I hate that.
• I made corn dogs.
• I'm going to have to wash the dishes in a bathroom sink or in a bathtub. *double sigh*
• I can't find Freyja-cat. I'm going to look harder.
  Update - She was asleep on Bruise's bed (top bunk), under the covers.
  I've been pwned by my cat. Totally.

And, while I'm typing all this?
All three kids are happily watching My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.
Yes, even the two-month (as of TODAY) old.

Yup, that's awesome parenting right there.
Lose the cat (Or, at least, lose TO her at Hide-And-Seek) and have all the kids watching cartoons.
Winning!!! (Ha. Whatever.)

So far ...

I had Michael pick up pizza last night.
Bubbles NEEDED to be held nearly constantly (didn't want to poop, it seems).

She's still a little snuffy. But nowhere near as bad as a couple nights ago.
In fact, she slept really well last night.

Yesterday, Mom and my stepdad came to take my old daybed to my aunt.
It clears up a LOT more room in Bruise and Bucket's room.

Freyja-cat is doing well on her "kitty-Prozac." She's sleeping a lot.
But that's a darn sight better than peeing on things.
Speaking of, I need to scoop the catbox.

I ordered a baby-sling from Mom4Life.com.
I was HOPING it'd get here by Mothers' Day (so, in about two weeks).
It arrived YESTERDAY. Yeah.
I was pretty impressed.
AND they gave me a free lip gloss. ^_^

Bubbles and I made it to the parent-volunteer thing this morning at the kids' school.
I cut out about, oh, twenty DOZEN paper hexagons.
(There are about fifty more pages, each with a dozen hexagons on them, to go. Good thing they're for NEXT year. ^_^)
People remarked about how gorgeous Bubbles is.
(She slept for most of the time. For the first 15 minutes, I rocked her carseat with my foot while I cut out hexagons.)

I also bought stuff so Bruise and Bucket can plant the tomato plants that they brought home.
And the carrot seeds that they got yesterday.
And I FINALLY bought myself a bird feeder and some birdseed.
(I bought a hummingbird feeder last summer or so. I haven't seen ANY hummingbirds. The feeder is still FULL!! *sigh*)

Our sinks (laundry room AND kitchen are backed up). Drano doesn't seem to have any effect in the laundry room sink.
I think we're going to have to call a plumber.

Also, I got a call from school.
Bruise got hit in the head with a lunch pail. He's got a bump.
The school nurse did check him out. He seems to be fine.
He'll be home soon, since they only have an hour after lunchtime before they go home.
Am I a bad mom for not taking him out of school?
He was feeling better by the time the office called.
(Besides, Math and Spanish are important things to NOT miss, right?)

So, yeah.

I should do the dishes.
Guess I'll cart them to the bathtub. Joy.
Since the kids' tub still has a HUGE, sopping cushion from the couch.
.... Hey .... I think I'll lug THAT into our bathroom, where the dehumidifier that I've borrowed from Mom and C is. THAT should help get it dry faster.

Why is everything so expensive?
Why can't the sinks just WORK?
Oh well. Things could be worse.

And I have a diaper to change. Gotta go!

In which I am tired ... and covered in cat hair

So, I spaced going to the informal Parent-Teacher Open House conference last night.

Good thing there's another one Thursday.

I did manage to make dinner (it wasn't all that great. I think the broccoli was freezer burnt. And it made the rest of the wanna-be stir fry taste a little off. Ugh). And I got the kids bathed and to bed. And read them a bedtime story (Michael was off, after dinner, to help someone move).

I woke up this morning, fed Bubbles, took a shower, got dressed, dressed Bubbles, made the kids stop playing in their room and get ready, loaded us all up in the van and took Freyja-cat to the vet's before the bus came.

Freyja had a urine draw, so that we could rule out the peeing-on-stuff behavior being caused by a urinary tract or bladder infection.

While THAT was going on, I got the kids on the bus ... then Vesper and I went to my OB/GYN.

TMI ALERT

Normally, after a couple weeks, the "strings" (they're more like wires. Thin wires) on an IUD soften and curl up a little. So that if you TRY, you can feel them (like when you check after your cycle). But you normally don't. So ... yeah.
Well, my wires were NOT soft and they were ... well ... PRESENT during certain activities.
So my doctor checked to make sure the IUD was in the right spot (CHECK!) and trimmed them shorter.

I asked if, before my next appointment (which I might be able to cancel if trimming the strings solves everything), I'd need to do anything to help soften the strings. (Since this wasn't an issue with the last IUD I had.)

Me: "Do I need to, like, squirt some Vaseline or something up there? Just in case?"
Her: *snickers* No, I don't think that would be necessary.

Yeah, I'm going to miss joking around with her.
Though, really, I was not being completely facetious with that inquiry.
Hey, I'm just trying to be proactive in this, okay?

TMI ALERT OVER

I called the vet's office to check on Freyja (as I was advised to do) ... just as the vet called ME. Ha.
Good timing, right?

So, Freyja cat does NOT have an infection causing "inappropriate elimination."
It's all emotionally-based.
So ... she gets to take "Kitty Prozac."
Yup.
My cat is now on drugs.
And, I figure that since this is due to her feeling jealous/abandoned ... since Bubbles does take a lot of attention and time ... I'm going to have to schedule some mandatory cuddle time with my kitty.
(I think that in the evening, before bedtime, will work the best. The kiddos are in bed, Bubbles has fallen asleep for a bit ... Michael and I sit on the couch and watch Netflix or something ...)

But I still think that we'll have her sleep in the laundry room for a while longer.

... I have no idea what to make for dinner tonight.
I would take a nap ... but since Freyja's NOT closed in the laundry room, I should stay out here to keep an eye on her.
(Right now, she's just chilling, bathing herself, under my desk, at my feet.)

I should get a start at dismantling the daybed in the kids' room.
We're going to give it to my aunt.
It'll free up room in the kids' room.
I'm DETERMINED to clean and organize that room within an inch of its life (if it had one ... but still ...).
THEN, when Bubbles is consistently sleeping through the night, we could put a crib in there for her. And have the kids' toys picked up, too.

I also NEED to get the old couch to SMELL DECENT.
It doesn't right now.
THANKS, FREY.
THAT IS SARCASM.

And I need to re-clean the house. AGAIN.
And make dinner.
And read library books.
And help the kids do the rest of their homework ... They did a good job on finishing today and tomorrow's assignments ... Thursday and Friday's assignments should go quickly, too.
Mom and my stepdad will be here tomorrow to get the daybed.
Thursday, I'm going to go to the kids' school and help out at the morning parents' meeting-thing (helping to cut out/collate/staple/etc). Then I NEED to remember to go to their class' Open House/Conferences.
Friday, Bubbles has a doctor's appointment..

At least NEXT WEEK is pretty light, as far as scheduled things go. PHEW.

OKAY. I'm going to start cleaning off and dismantling that daybed.
One less things for Michael to have to do when he gets home.
Then ... I'll figure out what to make for dinner. And clean out the fridge. And cook up my asparagus.
And finish my library book.
And have FHE (Family Home Evening), since we put it off last night ... since Michael wasn't home much.

With how busy and cat-pee-filled life has been, would it REALLY be asking too much to wake up tomorrow 50 pounds lighter? ... Of course, I wouldn't have anything to wear ... but I still have some birthday money. :P
Still, it'd be nice.
How about TWENTY pounds lighter? I could handle that.

This is my life ... you jelly?

And by that, I'm asking "Are you jealous?"
Albeit in a satirical, somewhat facetious way.

So, even though my hair did look cute all unwashed ... I NEEDED a bath.
For personal hygiene AND mental health reasons.

I enlisted Bruise and Bucket into watching over Bubbles while she napped.
"Just keep her happy, okay?"

(When she squawked a little, they moved her into the vibrating seat to watch Bruise play Lego Indiana Jones on the Wii. ^_^
When THAT lost her interest, Bucket brought her to me, post-bath and dressing.
THOSE are my tricks, obviously.)

I had a great bath. Soaked in pretty-smelling water, read my book, shaved my legs (GOOD GRAVY, I've let myself go. Ew.), washed my hair, washed my face. Got out of the tub, oil-cleaned my face (since my skin is getting REALLY dry near my nose ... from blowing my nose a bazillion times a day. *rolls eyes*), put on deodorant, got dressed ... and lay on the bed to read some more. ^_^

Of course, while I was in the bath, the phone rang. And I let it go to the machine.

So, after Bucket brought Bubbles to me (and I changed her diaper), we headed back to the living room, so I could feed her (I'd left the Boppy in there. And it makes nursing easier). And I figured that I'd return the phone call (It was my dad).

So I call him, answer some computer questions for L, and chatted with Dad.
Bubbles got a little antsy ("a little antsy" = started screaming), so I picked her back up and started to try to burp her.
My cheek obviously touched the screen on my phone JUST SO that it started calling Michael and put my dad on hold.
I stop the call to Michael.
I call Dad and get a busy signal.
Michael calls back, to make sure that everything's okay (cue: "Awwwww.").
I call Dad again and apologize for accidentally hanging up on him.

Also, Bucket and Bruise were playing the yard.
Bucket was playing dress-up.
So she's out there, sporting a witch's hat, BRIGHT bubble-gum pink lipstick, and grape-colored eyeshadow.
Good times.
It's a wonder that the neighbors don't call Child Services ... letting my six-year-old out of the house done up like a tart (tartlet? Since she is a teeny thing).

Yes, I am THAT parent.
Oh well.
SOMEBODY has to be THAT PARENT in every neighborhood.
Can I count it as service that I've taken that responsibility upon myself, therefore saving ALL OTHER PARENTS from the fear of being THAT PARENT?

I deserve a medal for this, I think.
Or, at least, a free carpet cleaning.
Or a new dishwasher or something.

Hey, a girl can dream, right? :P

On an upswing

So, after getting all of THAT off my chest, I started getting productive.

I got the kids off to school and packed up Bubbles to run some errands after a couple phone calls.

I called my OB's office to ask about the IUD issue (and if I should do anything about it before my scheduled appointment in a couple weeks).
I also talked with the billing department ... And they reported that, no, the external version shouldn't have been denied (even though Bubbles turned back to breech right away). They've already been looking into it and talking with the insurance about it. If I receive a bill, let them know. But they're working on it and it might be a things where they need to change the billing code and resubmit.

That makes me feel better.

I took Bubbles with me to the DMV and got the van's registration (It's on the plates NOW, too. Well, after I came home, before running the last errand).
The DMV gal remarked on how cute Bubbles is.

Then we went to Fred Meyer and got some groceries (last day to use this month's WIC. Better get on it!).
And so many gals there remarked on how pretty/sweet/precious/sleepy Bubbles is. And how Bubbles was in that zoning-before-a-nap (as opposed to the SCREAMING-before-a-nap) state and how she was STARING at me so much.
(Also, GOLLY ... I had the hardest time finding the cheese aisle at Freddy's. We found it. It took part of a lap, though. Humbling for me, since I used to work at a grocery store when I was in high school. Every store is organized a little differently, though. :P)

Then, Bubbles fell asleep. I loaded the groceries and her into the van and we went home for a second.
I gave Freyja some skritches, since she is a good kitty ... except for this peeing-on-the-furniture-and-the-old-couch thing ... in between putting away the groceries, putting the stickers on the license plates, and grabbing the bag to take to the library.

And I carted us off to the library, turned in our ballots (why waste TWO stamps?), turned in the two books I was done with, and tried to renew a couple others (one ended up having a hold on it ... which I was NOT at all surprised to hear).

I also found out that only certain internet providers are having issues with the city's websites (Like the LIBRARY'S PAGE ... people [LIKE ME] can't access the card catalog. Or renew books or place holds via the website. ... Or look at any of the other city webpages, either. But the LIBRARY'S page I use at LEAST once a week. Usually more.)
So I'm going to have to call up my phone company and put some pressure on them to FIX IT, dang it!!

On the plus side, my hair looks GREAT with bed-head. It's all flippy and cute.
And I didn't wash it this morning or anything (I had a rinse-off-from-Bubbles-spitting-up-on-me shower last night).
Well, I DID comb it. But that was it.

So, I've been a little productive today.

Now, it's time to change another diaper.
And wait for a phone call, so I can THEN call about the website.
And I should read some library books. At least make SOME progress in them, right?

Defeatist ...

Lately, well, I don't know how much of it is hormones, how much of if is sleep-deprivation, and how much of it is a slow-decline into insanity ... But, well, I've been a bit unhappy.

It's not a constant thing. It's just one of those "I'm-doing-okay-and-having-fun-OH-GOOD-GRAVY-What-am-I-doing-with-my-life-I'm-a-failure-and-fat-and-horrible-and-everything's-going-difficult-how-can-I-manage!?!?!?!?!?!???"

1. It doesn't help that I'm at just about my heaviest weight. That doesn't make me feel sexy or wonderful.
   Yes, I am AWARE of the fact that I pushed out a baby 2 months ago (that I carried for 41 weeks).
   I'm aware that my body is working to be the sole provider of food for this gorgeous infant (for at least another four months. Then I'll still nurse, but she'll start eating solid food ... and, oh, the diapers will change).
   I KNOW these things.
   Still, it doesn't help that on a not-good day, THIS is my self-image:
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Yes, yes, I am aware that I'm not morbidly obese ... but there is the fact that, according to the BMI scale, I AM obese. ... If I lose about 80 lbs, I'll be "normal" ... but losing 80 pounds is, well, a CHALLENGE.
   
   But, still, when most of the ladies in the family (Especially on Michael's side. PLEASE, God, PLEASE let my children have gotten good DNA with healthy, quick metabolisms!!) are on the slim and toned side? Well, I know we're not supposed to compare ourselves with others ... Regardless, I do not feel like I'm anywhere close to being my best self.
   
   Especially when I used to look like this:
   

   

   I still lacked self-confidence ... but my body was in shape.
   And I never lacked in silly.
   I ABOUNDED in silly.
   I must store that in my rack.
   Just sayin'.

   
   
2. No matter how much I clean and clean and clean, my house is still a mess.

It doesn't help that I'm a packrat. I hate to toss out things. I mean, what if we might NEED them?
What heirlooms could I pass down to the kiddos?
(I don't have TONS of things from previous generations. So, the stuff that's pretty or practical that IS from family? I have ISSUES getting rid of.)
I also haven't gotten everything done that I need to. Or that I feel I SHOULD.

I made the kids a chore list. And they're doing a GREAT job at doing the daily routine that I've mapped out for them. Of course, we're only going on the SECOND day of it ... But they're doing a great job.
So far, this morning, they've:

• Woken up
• Said their own prayers
• Gotten dressed
• Washed their faces, brushed their teeth, brushed/combed their hair ... Well, I did Bucket's, since I am DAMNED if I'm going to let her get head lice again on MY watch.
• They got their backpacks and shoes ready
• They made sure that I made their lunches ... which they put in their backpacks
• They fed the fish. I'll feed Freyja. (Bucket is going to help with the litterbox. BLESS THAT GIRL.)
• They helped clean off the dining room table

And, since they did all of that, they are now watching cartoons before school.
(Bubbles is exempt from chores for now. If she had a list of chores, it'd go something like this:

• Wake up
• Eat
• PLEASE don't spit up
• Diaper change
• Get dressed
• PLEASE don't spit up!
• Play
• Nap
• More feedings and diaper changes and naps
• Please don't get frustrated with tummy time.
• PLEASE DON'T SPIT UP!
• Get changed for bed. Maybe have a bath. If you need it.
  Which is USUALLY after you spit up. Please don't. I can give you a bath even if you haven't.
• Smile more at your family
• Please smile at our friends. We want them to think you're the bestest, sweetest baby ever.
  Well, except maybe for your BFF, Miz Bug. She's the only baby allowed to surpass you for now.
  Especially since you're a little older.
  How's about you be the most sweetest, prettiest, bestest 8-week-old in existence? We'll go for that.
• Please stop screaming yourself to sleep. It is a mite stressful to listen to that.
  Which helps explain why we stick you in the swing and go clean something while you do it.
• We should paint your toes again in a week or so. You look adorable with painted toesies.

Yup that's about HER list.)

But, for me?

I just want enough room to have everything put away. In an organized fashion. So I can find it all.
I want enough time to play around on the internet AND read all my library books (and the other books that I've bought to read. And to reread some of them, without letting my library books go overdue).
I want the library's website to be fixed so I won't have to run over to the library or call to renew my books. *sigh*

I want to be able to run the dishwasher and the garbage disposal without the laundry room sink backing up.

I want my cat to stop peeing on the couch.

I want my house to smell clean and fresh.

I want to not have allergies or a cold or whatever is easing up ... but that kept me from sleeping well and kept me congested and dripping mucus last week.

I want medical insurance. And for OHP to cover everything without freaking me out by sending a denial for the external version. (Going to call my OB's office to get that cleared up. I hope it gets cleared up.)

I want my IUD to not be problematic (Seems that the strings/wires) are a little long this time. Yeah. That does NOT make me feel like an aspiring sex-goddess. At all. Which makes my mental health number rise exponentially.
I want to NOT feel like bursting into tears over any of this crap.

I want to FEEL motivated to exercise.
I want to ENJOY and look forward to exercising.

I want to have flat abs and NOT have muffin-top OR that pudge that makes it look like my butt is actually an innertube that runs around to the front, too ... which I've had since Bruise and Bucket. Dumb stretched-out skin. (If I had the money, yeah, I think I'd run out and get a tummy tuck. This way I could look cute in exercise clothes. I'd also get a breast reduction, so I could buy bras more easily/cheaply. And I'd feel less like I should be in National Geographic, iykwim. Aityd.)

I want to get a pedicure.

I wish I didn't have bat-flaps (you know, that skin/fat that dangles from one's triceps. Maybe you don't have it. If so, I am trying REALLY HARD not to envy you. Please give me pointers on how you've achieved this. I NEED POINTERS. And hope).

I wish that, among whatever strengths I do possess, reading STUDYING my Scriptures was towards the top.
Also, praying independently. Those are important things.
I wish that I had the time and energy to have a couple DAYS worth of milk pumped and in the freezer. Just in case.
I wish I were more organized.
I wish that I wasn't a little late in getting the van's registration (Doing that TODAY. Along with the last of this month's WIC. *sigh*)

Yes, I feel ineffective and lazy and fat and ... just not at the top of my game.

Okay. Going to change Bubble's diaper and feed her.
Then off to the DMV, the store, the library ... getting the cat urine smell out of one of the couch's cushions (STILL), doing dishes, sprinkling the carpet with baking soda and vaccuming, reading library books, talking to my OB's office ... And tomorrow, taking the cat to the vet to see if she's got a UTI or something that explains why she's being a punk-butt.

*headdesk*
*headdesk*
*headdesk*

I think I might try and get a nap today. We'll see.
And I need to figure out dinners for this week.

*HEADDESK*

El Dia de los ninos/libros + This morning's excitement

Yesterday evening, the kids' school held a get-together with books, crafts, food ... Good stuff.

There were tables that you could go to. Each table taught about a different country/culture.
There were tables for China, Mexico, Germany, Brazil, Hawaii ... I think that's it.
Bruise didn't want to do many of the things. But Bucket was interested in checking things out.

There was also a book exchange. I traded in a couple of the books that the kiddos never read for some new books. (Well, new to us, anyways.)

The kiddos did both make a pinata. Not a REAL one. But a lunch sack crammed with newspaper.
They got to paint them. Bucket pasted some streamers on hers.
And THAT'S why I NOW know how to get Tempera paint out of clothing. (Their new Beavers shirts. Oy. But the stains are GONE.)

[IF you EVER need to get Tempera paint out of clothes, HERE'S how to do it:

• If the paint's still wet - BLOT and RINSE out as much as you can.
  If it's dry - RINSE and SCRUB out as much as you can.
• Put LIQUID LAUNDRY DETERGENT straight onto the stain(s).
  Let sit for an hour.
• Then soak the clothes in OXI-CLEAN and COLOR-SAFE BLEACH.

Then you SHOULD be okay. Oy.]

Bubbles was fine the whole evening. I wore her in the Moby wrap and she slept the whole time. No problems.

Michael and I watched "Cowboys vs Aliens" after the kids were in bed (and we were getting Bubbles to sleep). Meh. It's not my kind of movie. And I don't think we'd watch it again.
We do both agree that Daniel Craig should have kept his regular accent. Hearing him speak with an American accent ... was a little strange.

Bubbles slept well for the first part of the night.
Then, around 5 AM, she woke up and was kicking me in the back. I fed her, moved her so her legs weren't in my back, and flipped myself over so I could sleep.
SHE ROTATED AND WAS KICKING ME IN THE BACK AGAIN.

Now, I was REALLY tired (Allergies = I don't sleep as well. Ugh.), so Michael heard me throwing a bit of a fit, and took her out to the front room to sit in the swing as he headed out to do security for Seminary.
(LAST TIME for a while! HUZZAH!! Now we can actually BOTH sleep in on Fridays!)

I finally fell back asleep. Woke up for a quick shower, got Bucket's hair done (since I AM NOT taking chances for her to wear her hair loose and get lice again for a LONG while), got dressed, got the kids' lunches thrown together, fed Bubbles, changed her diaper and got her dressed AS THE ALARM went off that tells us to get to the bus.

We walked almost all the way to the bus stop.

"[Bucket], your backpack needs to be zipped up. *I go to zip it* Hey, where's your lunch?"
"I FORGOT IT!!!!!"

So she, Bubbles (in the stroller) and I RACE back to the house and get her lunchpail. Bruise waits at the bus stop with the other kids.
We get there as the bus is coming down the street.

YES, that was CLOSE.
But we made it.

I THINK that the kiddos MIGHT just understand WHY I ask them to make sure that they have all their crap BEFORE we leave the house.
But I could be delusional.

I think I'm going to work on making a chore chart for the family.
And I have just shy of a million other things to do (like read ALL my library books) ... *sigh*

And I have a cat on my lap who needs cuddles.
But it is pretty cute that she'll lick the inside of my elbow as I'm typing. ... Just so that I'm reminded that, "Hey. This is me, Freyja. You love me. You want to give me cuddles and skritches. NOW. Stop blogging. You NEED to give me some snuggles. NOW. ... NOW!"

I better get on that. STAT.

Random Ramblings

Freyja-cat seems much happier now that she's back in our good graces.

(By "she's back in our good graces," I mean "we don't make her sleep in the laundry room. Or, at least, last night we didn't. And we awoke to find that she hadn't revenge-peed on anything." Good kitty.)

Michael and I had a date night last night.
We went out for Thai food. We had the same entrees as last time. And they were just as good.
(I had the Pad Thai. Michael had the Drunken Noodles.) We also split an appetizer of Chicken Sate.
And we had dessert. I don't remember PRECISELY what it's called, but we shared a plate that boasted eight fried wontons filled with shredded coconut and banana surrounding a scoop of coconut ice cream, topped with whipped cream, chocolate syrup, and a cherry.

YUM.
Even though I couldn't appreciate it as fully as normal since my stupid seasonal allergies are in full force.
Oh well.

Then, since we're wild and crazy (and there weren't any movies that we wanted to see playing locally. We already saw The Hunger Games and, sadly, there's still another week until The Avengers comes out.), we went searching for a new laundry room hamper.
There was a nice one at Costco. But we also looked at Wal-Mart ... and there was a decent one for about $20 cheaper. ... AND I found Piggy Paint polish there.
I'm rather excited about it ... since I can try it out by painting Bubbles's toes! ... And Bucket's, too.

Then we came home in time to feed Bubbles.
And she actually slept really well last night. Nearly five whole hours.
I slept better, too. Since I made sure to take some Benadryl before going to sleep.
(Nothing like waking up and having to fumble in the dark for an antihistamine. FUN!... NOT. ... THAT was what went on the previous night. *SIGH*)

What else went on?

I still haven't seen ANY eggs or lice in Bucket's (or anyone else's) hair. PHEW.
Still have the last shampoo and comb-out to do tomorrow. But then it should be done.

Mom and I watched a few more episodes of Burn Notice (we got her started on it. She's almost done with Season Two. I think we're up to the end of Season Four). Then we got the kids and went to the bread store (a bread company outlet) and then to a kids' consignment shop.

In related news, Bruise and Bucket wore their new Beaver Gear (OSU wear) to school. They both have shorts. Bruise has a long-sleeved shirt. Bucket has a hoodie.
They're so excited about their Beaver gear, since one of their BESTEST FRIENDS at school is a Beaver fan (as is his whole family).
We did not get Bubbles any Beaver gear (though she got some CUTE new clothes) since she isn't old enough to vocalize which school she prefers.
(I have a cousin whose family LOVES the Ducks. ... But she's at OSU since U of O didn't offer the major that she wanted. It makes me laugh.)
Michael and I still maintain our stance as Platypi fans.
Michael has some loyalty to OSU.
Me? I have no loyalty to either. Mwhahaha ... I didn't attend either of those colleges.
And the college that I did attend (besides a summer term at the local community college)?
I never attended any sporting events.
I did see a concert, a play, and a musical ... but that's not at all the same thing.

... What else ...?

I completed my Visiting Teaching today. And it's not QUITE the end of the month (yet).

Bubbles's eyes are getting lighter. And she's showing off two dimples. One by her mouth, the other up on her cheekbone. Both on her right side.

I solved an issue with my phone (NO, not the weather/clock app. I assume that one's still messed up.) ... But the Amazon App Store wasn't downloading new apps. (Since I usually download the "Free App of the Day" ... And most of the last week's I haven't cared for. ... But I have a LOT of "bought" apps in the list.)
So, today, since I really wanted to try out today's offered-for-free app (an Audubon's bird guide), I needed to fix the issue.
Somehow.
So, I went into settings, and into Applications. I erased the history (or however you say it).
Then I opened the Amazon App Store, signed in, and BAM! I got my bird guide (normally $9.99, btw. So you see WHY I NEEDED to get it. ^_^).

Also, Bubbles is smiling more. LOTS more. It's adorable.

Yesterday, at the consignment store, I did find a book that I wanted. (In fact, it's on my wish list at Amazon ... well, a newer edition is. But that's no big deal.) That was a nice surprise. Especially seeing as how I picked it up for just a dollar. Yup! That made me happy.

I did some crunches today. ... Yeah. If only that gave me a bikini-ready body. NOW.
(I don't have to WEAR a bikini to appreciate the possession of a body that could rock one. Just sayin'.)

I think that's really all I have to report for today.
So far.

Keeping Current

(no, no clever pun in the title. Maybe next time.)

So far, so good. No more lice or eggs. And I'm STARTING to see the laundry getting caught up. Just two more loads ... No, three, since I should wash the bathroom rugs (UGH.).
Then there's just whatever we get dirty from now on. (And, of course, the clothes that we're currently wearing. Since we're not just sitting around in our nudiepants. That'd be strange. And not totally hygienic.)

(Yes, I DO have issues. Thanks for noticing. :P)

Bubbles-girl did NOT have a good night's sleep last night. Ergo, Michael and I did NOT have a good night's sleep, either.

BUT, on the bright side, we did watch a couple more episodes of Castle. So there's that.

I got the kids to the bus (with lunches, even! ... These days-off-from-school-things? They mess up my schedule.) and got Bubbles back to the house. Changed her diaper, gave her some food ... and worked on a few things. Like picking up the disaster that is the laundry room.
After the hedgehog cages have been out (they took up a LOT of room, since they were two plastic storage tubs. There were holes for ventilation, don't worry. ... Besides, those were taken to the dump shortly after Sari's passing.), I meant to clean up the laundry room WAY earlier. But life gets in the way.
(So does lack of motivation.)

BUT!!! I picked up lots of things today. I still need to get a lot of clutter taken care of, true. And we need a new hamper/organizer. (We have/had an old one that's approaching 15 years old. Michael repaired the PVC frame. THEN the dividers in the three-part bag ripped. So it's pointless to sort the laundry in that.)
Still, it's a LOT easier to walk around in there.
And I SWEPT!!

Of course, the plumbing snake (the larger one. Yes, we have TWO plumbing snakes. You jealous? ... I hope not. Because if you ARE, then that implies that YOU have plumbing issues, too. And I wouldn't want that. Unless you're a pedophile puppy-kicker. Then I MIGHT hope that you have plumbing issues. MAYBE.) is still in the middle of the floor. BUT!!! You can actually WALK in there and it's not an obstacle course.

And I made the guest bed (Had to wash all the bedding due to LOUSEWATCH 2012. ... (Yes, I'm going to be doing all sorts of "_______WATCH 2012" this year. Apparently, it's my THING this year. And I'm going to overuse it. Because ... well ... I'm that boring of a person that it amuses me. LOTS.))
And I cleaned the window in the kids' room.
And I unloaded ONE laundry basket.
And I finished loading the dishwasher and ran that puppy. So I'll need to clean the laundry room sink again once the water there is fully drained. (Takes a few hours. No biggie.)

I also was totally popular this morning.
One friend came over to use my printer.
Another gal came to use my phone.
Seriously ... if I had KNOWN that I'd be entertaining folks, I'd have gotten the clean underwear put away or something.
(At least I had cleaned up the laundry room sink ONCE. And gotten the floor cleaner in there for the second gal and her grandson. Still ... yeah. My house is NEVER going to pass for a Better Home and Garden spread with my housekeeping skillz.

Freyja-cat has been banished to the laundry room at night. But, on the bright side, she's been on SUPER-BEST-EVER behavior ... to make up for the peeing on things AND the bite she inflicted on me while I gave her a bath Saturday night.
Guess I wasn't the only MADDER-THAN-HECK gal in the room, huh?

I'm WORKING at getting through some library books. And then I put a few more on hold. *sigh*
I need a maid. And a nanny. And a cook. And a clone. Then I can get the house all clean, kids taken care of, meals made, books read ... and maybe even have some energy left to crank out a few sit-ups. (Yeah, I'm getting tired of rocking the new-mom-muffin-top. Especially since I had that muffin top BEFORE this pregnancy. ... O! for my prepregnancy body ... let alone my high-school body. ... I really wasn't THAT big in high school. Of course, I had very skinny friends. And I was in Theater, so I was on the bigger side. Especially in the breasticle-department. Oy.)
(But, yes, I have a VERY SKEWED self-image.
Don't be like me, m'kay?)

I need to wash the blender so I can continue making myself some great smoothies.
Yes, I'm on the bandwagon of putting spinach into smoothies.
No, you really can't taste it.
SERIOUSLY.
Sure, the smoothie does turn green.
And that makes me feel EXTRA-VIRTUOUS.
Now ... could I be awesome and manage to stomach putting carrot juice into my smoothies?
The ground flaxseed and spinach were pretty painless. (Can I find Brewer's yeast anywhere around here?)
(I also have found that I can take my smoothies less sweet than my mom. Which makes me laugh a little. She'll try mine and then I can pour my glass ... and add honey and blend that in to pour hers and Bruise's. ... Bucket's not as wild about smoothies. :P)

I need to clean the kitchen.
And the living room.
Again.
And finish putting away a shload of clothes.
And make those back-ups of the kids' baby pictures onto DVDs.
And put those DVDs into the fireproof safe. JUST IN CASE.

And I need to make dinner. I have no idea what to make today.
We had enchilasagna last night. Bruise actually ate his (so he could earn his glass of chocolate milk).
Impressive.
Now, what to do? ... There are corndogs, if I don't come up with anything else awesome ...

I think we might need to replace the telephones.
Some of them don't seem to be holding a charge. Hmmm. Oops.
Would it be worthwhile to just invest in new batteries?
I need to sew a button back onto my good coat.
And sew a seam in one of the kids' coats.
But I did sew a button back onto Bucket's newest cardigan. ... So that's something.

Gosh, I am a BORING blogger today.

And I need to do the dishes ... IT NEVER ENDS. :P

Okay. While Bubbles is still napping, I'm going to clean off at least ONE counter. If not more.
And change the foil on the bottom of the oven.
And sweet the floor.
And soak the pans so I can handwash those.
And put away the basket of clothes in our bedroom.
If she naps that long.

Wish me luck!

Lous-y ... and better

So, Friday morning, I was LAST-MINUTE-FINGER-COMBING Bucket's hair at the bus stop and I noticed that her scalp was pretty dirty.

Then I saw a bug. And another.

And the bus came. And I was THAT parent who panicked and let her and Bruise go on it.
Then I ran back with Bubbles and jetted off to Target for shampoo.

(And, while we were out, I also opened up a savings account for the new kid.)

Then Bubbles and I came home (Mom, who I had called to warn ... since she had been up here earlier this week, called back. Her head was clean. I didn't see ANYTHING on Bruise's after I found stuff in Bucket's hair. Bubbles was clean. I tried to check my own hair [NOT EASY]. And, when Michael got home, he was clean, too.)

I worked at vacuuming, spraying, and washing the house ... so far it's worked well!

Michael and Bruise ran some errands (like getting blank DVDs so that we have a hard-copy back-up of ALL the kids' baby pictures, since the external HD is FULL [of back-ups. *sigh*]) while Bubbles napped and I used the special shampoo on Bucket's hair and combed out TEN more bugs. Ew.

I emailed their teacher to let her know about the situation. Since head lice is NOT a laughing matter.
(Being the daughter of a teacher, whenever a case reared up in ANY classroom, Mom and I would check each other's head. While surreptitiously itching just by the power of suggestion.

I now get to check Bucket's head EVERY DAY. So far, so good. Her scalp is clean, clean, clean. No nits, no adults. Phew.

(In researching how to clean a house and home remedies, I came upon a theory of WHY head lice exist -- they can be part of a mutually beneficial partnership with humans. Humans provide food and shelter ... lice provide a immunity boost. But with the invention of modern medicine and clean water and all that, lice are no longer needed in a first-world country.)

I also worked at treating Bruise's dry, dry, dry skin. Rubbed up his  head, face, and body with olive oil. Exfoliated around his eyes, ears, and temples. Worked at exfoliating his scalp. His skin is looking better.
Yes, I'm still checking his hair, too. JUST IN CASE.

Freyja peed on our bed. So she got put in kitty-time out (the cat carrier). And she also got a bath.
We're not allowing her in the bedrooms now. And we're still working on getting all the clean laundry put away sooner.

Yes, it WAS a weekend FULL of laundry. Why do you ask?

Sunday, we went to church. And Bubbles and I came home after Sacrament meeting. I was exhausted. She was asleep in the car seat, so she and I napped (after I read a few pages of my library book). For about three hours.

And I made it to Ward (congregation) Choir for the first time. It's something that I've been meaning to do. Since I do like to sing. And I'm glad that I went.
Bubbles was pretty ticked off by the time I got home. She had gas and Michael had to feed Bruise and Bucket instead of JUST focusing on HER needs/wants. Oh well.

The kids don't have school today. I'd really have hoped that I'd have been able to sleep in. But no. After a GREAT sleep Friday night (a SIX HOUR STRETCH!) , Bubbles had a couple three-hour stretches last night. And was fully awake before 6:45. As were her siblings.
So we're just hanging around. We might go to the park if I get ready. ^_^

So, I really hope that no one else is dealing with having a LOUSE-Y time. I don't know how I'd handle it happening again.
But, well, at least I know how to deal with an outbreak. And where to find the louse-killing shampoo kits at the store. (In First Aid. Not with the other shampoos or in the anti-itch sections. Who knew? I didn't. ... But it made me feel a little better that the PHARMACIST had to look for a couple minutes to find it.)

Besides all that, Michael and I are working our way through Season Three of Castle. Good times.
And he teases me that I have a crush on Nathan Fillon.
I can't help that I adore that man. Seriously ... he's hilarious.
Maybe it's because he's a lot like Michael?

That's got to be it.

Just plugging along ...

Bubble's eye is getting better. It's almost totally back to normal.
So that's nice.

She was measured today at our WIC appointment. She's grown! About a whole inch and a half since she popped out.
That puts her around the 25th percentile for weight and the 40th for height.
I can handle her being a tall, slim thing. ^_^

In other news, I was feeling MAJORLY CRAP about my weight.
I had weighed myself on T1's scale while we were at her house this weekend.
I was less than thrilled about the number that I saw.
HOWEVER, when I was weighed at my 6-week check-up yesterday, THAT scale said that I was about ten pounds lighter than I was on Saturday.
In fact, my doctor and her nurse even congratulated me on being only 3 pounds heavier than when I first came in this pregnancy. (And that means that I'm seven pounds lighter than I was when I first was weighed at the WIC office. ... Go me, right? ^_^)

Though, it's a little daunting to realize that, if I'd like to make my goal of (SOMEDAY) being at a "normal" BMI, I need to lose eighty pounds. Yeah. SAD.

BUT, if I manage to start exercising (and build muscles that will burn some calories even when I'm NOT doing sport-y type things) and eating better (like, smaller portions. *SIGH*), losing ten pounds a month wouldn't be a completely unobtainable goal. ... And that means that if I started next month, I could reach the overall BMI goal MAYBE by the end of the year.

How crazy would that be? ... I might even manage to lose a few cup sizes ... then I could actually buy cute bras without having to order them through the mail.
I'd be pretty close to my high school weight (which, to be honest, was also my Jr. High weight, if I recall correctly).
Which would be kinda cool.

Now, how can I motivate myself to exercise?
But I did eat healthier this morning -- I had a smoothie with 1.5 bananas, half a bag of frozen peaches, soy milk, ground flaxseed, some vanilla, and some flavored Greek yogurt. (And that blenderful was split between Bruise, Mom, and me). Then I had a glass of Spicy V-8 and a bowl of salad. I had a glass of milk and an energy bar-thing for a snack ... And then I ate some ice cream and sherbet.

Hey ... I'm going to think that if I'm nursing as much as Miss Bubbles demands, I deserve some decadence.

Mom and I took the kiddos to the book fair yesterday. They made out like bandits. Bruise came home with some Lego books (one's a 2-in-1 Ninjago story. The other is the one about all the Harry Potter Lego sets.)
Bucket opted for a Barbie book. And one about fairies that came with a necklace. And a book about weather ... A Junie B. Jones book about being a first grader.
We also got Ree Drummond's book about Charlie. And the latest Pigeon book (Now to buy the rest of the series! ... And the newest Skippyjon Jones when it comes out in paperback.) I also made sure to pick up a book that will help the big kiddos to learn how to tie their shoes. Since they can't use Velcro shoes for forever!

I SO need to just ignore everything and read my library books. I hate having to renew things (or, WORSE, turning things in and checking them out again. *sigh* My life is HARRRRRRRRRRRRD!!!!!).
So, well, I'd better get on it, right?

(Since I already killed time on Facebook and then updating the tickers at the bottom of the page. Since, in direct contradiction to what ONE ticker said, I'm NOT 47 weeks pregnant. Nor am I TURNING 31, since THAT boat has sailed. And Michael and my 11th anniversary has come and gone. So THOSE will now no longer sit on a throne of lies.)

But, yeah ... time to be productive. Eventually.
There's always laundry to be folded and put away, rooms to be cleaned and vacuumed, and dishes to be washed, meals to be made, diapers to be changed, garbage to be taken out ...

But, yeah, that's how things have gone. I'm healthy (though the earth finds me SO VERY, VERY attractive that it uses its gravitational pull exceptionally well on me, per se), Bubbles is healthy. Bruise and Bucket are healthy. Michael's healthy. Michael and I are sleep deprived. We still have issues with the kitchen plumbing ... but the hall toilet works GREAT! The house is a little messy, but I had 98% of the kids' laundry put away for once! We only have a cat a fish for pets ... and I'm starting to really think about working on curb appeal for our house (but that has to wait until we figure out if we can build onto this place or not). And we're thinking of replacing our older couch (as part of a plan to get more room in the kids' room). Yeah. There's enough on our plates ... but it's a good kind of enough.

Bruise, in regards to his baby sister

"Mom? I love [Bubbles] more than anyone else. ... But I love Jesus more."

Yes, my son is a sweet boy.

And, in reference to my previous post, Bucket was the one who declared, "Mom! You're NOT an idiot!! You're the best mom ever!!"

I'm sure that she won't ALWAYS feel that way. But I appreciate that she does right now.

Again with the catch-up

Okay, what have I done that will (help to) explain my absence.

AGAIN.

Well, let's see ...

• I've been doing my Visiting Teaching. As of this morning, three gals visited. One last gal will be visited tomorrow. It's nice to be able to touch bases with them before the end of the month (FOR ONCE).
  Truly, if I could touch bases will all of them the first week of the month? That'd be AWESOME.
  Still ... At least I'm aware of how they're doing. And they know that I care.
• Got a wax. It helps me remember that being a milk machine is only ONE of my duties.
  And, hey, one less place to shave, right? RIGHT. Because I'm a little busy for that, no?
  (If I WASN'T a little busy, I'd have blogged EVERY DAY, right?)
• We took the kids to OMSI to see "The Art of the Brick" (sculptures by Nathan Awaya). They enjoyed it. ... I think Michael enjoyed it the most. But, well, I was DARNED if we were going to miss it. it's LEGOS!! And just about everyone in this house LOVES Legos! (I have almost all the latest Harry Potter sets. I still need The Burrow. We have to tell Freyja-cat to stop playing with Bruise's Legos. Bubbles? We'll see. But I have a feeling that she's going to be a fan. Michael, Bruise and Bucket are all pretty die-hard fans. ... Me? I have a traitorous leaning toward Playmobil. But I like Legos, too.)
• Mom came up for Bubble's baby blessing. Since she stayed at a hotel, the kids and I went over and we all swam in the pool. (Michael went on a temple trip for Youth Baptisms ... Or else he and I'd have gone out and watched The Hunger Games. No, I still haven't seen it yet. I know. I'd ask for not spoilers ... but, hey, it's not like I haven't already read the books.)
• Bubbles got blessed on Easter Sunday. She filled her pants right as Michael started ... so his mind went a  little blank. I did hear her squawk a little over the microphone ... At least only the circle of menfolk were privy to her bowels. :P
  She looked very pretty in Bucket's blessing gown. (And some six-year-old stains came out of that with a mixture of Zout and Oxi-Clean, by the by.)
• Monday was my birthday. It was pretty quiet. Had to take Sari-hedgehog in to the vet's. She had lost a lot of weight and had started chewing on her feet. It turned out to be a tumor in her mouth. So she was put to sleep. The kiddos were really sad. Bucket SOBBED on the way to the car and on the way home (But she perked up when she got to watch Phineas and Ferb). Michael came home early and we went out for dinner. (Hungarian Food? YUM!!) Then we went to Target and bought a birthday present for our niece's birthday party that was coming up.
  Also, Bucket told her bus driver that it was my birthday. So their sweet bus driver wished me a happy birthday. (Along with TONS of Facebook friends. And phone calls from family.) ^_^
• Tuesday ... Gosh, I was in FIIIIIINE form. I got the kids on the bus and then set up the bug bombs under the house, went to the bread store, and went to the WIC office FORTY MINUTES LATE for my appointment. (It's been rescheduled.) I felt a little dumb ... Until that evening, when I looked at my phone, realized it was 7:35 ... and that I HAD an appointment to renew my temple recommend.
  FIFTEEN MINUTES AGO.
  *headdesk*
  At least I was able to go, LATE, and get it. And, during my freak-out, my children assured me that, "Mom, you're NOT an idiot. You're the BEST MOM."
• The kids had Spring Pictures at school. Still no homework packets. I don't know if I should be worried.
• Michael noticed that the truck was running rough Friday morning. So he stayed home (after doing security during Seminary) and we ran errands (like buying oil for the truck and the van) before the kids came home. Then we had THEM go to the bathroom and we headed down to visit Nana.
  It was Nana's first time meeting Bubbles. (She was VERY excited to see her fourth great-grandchild. And I made sure to get pictures of her with all my brood. Just in case. She's 81, you see. And I'd be P.O.'ed if I didn't have pictures of her with all the kiddos.)
  Then we headed out to the coast for our youngest niece's birthday party.
  Now, just so you know ... EVEN THOUGH we had the kids go pee before we left, Bruise had to go pee THREE TIMES while we're on the road. Two of them were NOT at a rest stop.
  ONE of them was pulled off on the shoulder of a major highway. YEAH. Not thrilled.
• I got to help T1 (sister-in-law) make cake pops/balls. I just helped with the dipping. But I think they turned out well. The party itself went REALLY well ... She put TONS of planning into it.
  (I feel a little bad that Bruise and Bucket never got a party where I spent that long planning it. Of course, I'm not a totally crafty-type person ... So, yeah ... Oh well. And we'll see how much energy I have with which to plan Bubble's first birthday party. I might try to start now ... but, well, I have no idea what stuff she really likes. Well, besides: sleeping, nursing, snuggling, and having clean diapers. And warm bathwater. But, ... well, you can't really plan a PARTY around that. ... Well, not a GOOD party to be attended by family, anyways. Yeah.)
• Yesterday, I managed to get the kids and myself dressed and to church on time. I didn't make it to Sunday School (Michael and I were cleaning out the Diaper Genie in the Mothers' Lounge. Well, I emptied it out and put a new trashbag in it. He took that bag of stenchy nastiness out to the dumpster. I don't want to be breathing in weeks-old, dirty diapers while feeding and snuggling my infant. And I'm sure that no one else does, either!). I also wasn't there for all of Relief Society, since Bubbles NEEDED a clean diaper. THEN she NEEDED to be fed RIGHT THEN. So, yeah ... I know that the lesson was about the teachings of George Albert Smith ... and I know what lesson we were on ... but ... well, that's about it.
• After we got home and had lunch, we just relaxed. And I went and took a bath. And found myself falling asleep in the tub. So I got on my clothes and took a nap. Michael brought Vesper in so that she could eat. She and I both fell asleep. She ate again ... and then she and I were OUT. Michael came in to get ready for the Stake Priesthood Meeting ... I didn't even stir. I was completely unconscious.
  I woke up about two hours later and got Bruise and Bucket ready for bed. Then Michael came back home, we got the rest of the garbage out, looked at some webpages, and went to bed.
• Today, I (scheduled and) took Bubbles to the doctor. She's got a plugged tear duct. It should go away on its own. Then she and I went and visited one of my VT gals. Then we came home ... and got the kids from the bus stop. And one of my friends came over to chat and help me fold laundry.
  Rescheduled my WIC appointment. Talked to my mom and my dad and my dad's girlfriend (to her her with their remote. She really fixed the problem on her own. Just needed moral support, I think. ^_^). 

So, yeah, I've had stuff to keep me busy.
I have a bunch of library books that I'm going to have to renew, since I haven't gotten to read them all yet. *sigh*
But the house is getting cleaner, bit by bit. And there aren't ants crawling ALL OVER my kitchen. *shudders*

Bubbles is telling me that it's time to pick her up, change her stinky-pants, and give her some more food.
I live to serve ... as any mother does. :P

Oh, if anyone has to deal with a clogged tear duct, here's some help:

• Warm, wet compresses. -- You can use them to massage the eye.
  Run your finger from the inner corner down the nose.
• If you have it, a squirt of breastmilk in the eye works.
  If you're nursing, make sure to kiss your baby near his/her infected eye.
  It's the most direct way for you to get those germs so you can start producing the antibodies needed to get rid of any infection.
• Elevate the head of the bed where the kiddo sleeps.
  In this case, the plug is most likely from reflux of milk running up the sinuses and clogging the tear duct. If the milk can't run up there, there's no way for the plug to form.
• Keep anyone you're not in a kissing-close relationship with from touching the baby. Especially the face.

Yup. Hope that helps!

All I seem to do is catch up

Okay, what have I done since I last blogged?

Besides a load of dishes nearly every day.
I even hand-washed the pots and pans yesterday. Go me.

Let's see ... I left off with Dad and L having come visit. And a trip to the doctor's. And Bucket eating in the living room. What's happened after that?

• Spring break had totally crap weather. Which resulted in a meltdown from Bucket because she REALLY, REALLY wanted to go out and ride bikes one day.
  And, since Michael was at work, I was the only adult available. And I couldn't be standing out in the rain, since I would be holding Bubbles.
  And, on the days that Michael WAS home early enough to watch the kids, it POURED.
  If the weather HAD been better during that week off, I'd have taken them to the park. Instead, we went to the library and ran some errands.
• Mom came up on Wednesday. The kids were thrilled to get to go to McDonald's for lunch. And we even went to the one with the indoor play-place. So they got to play with lots of different kids while we hung out. It was SO crowded. Bubbles slept the whole time we were there, by the way.
• The kids don't have homework this week. Weird. So they've been watching TONS of episodes of Phinneas and Ferb. And now, after a visit to a friend's house, they're watching Kick Buttowski.
  (These are all on Netflix. Have you ever HEARD of Kick Buttowski before? That's a new one to me.)
• I bought Bubbles a baby bouncer. It is helping. Except for earlier this morning, when she kept crying while being in it. So I picked her up and she SPIT UP ALL OVER herself and my freshly-showered self. So I changed my spit-up-on clothes and gave her a bath.
• My new nursing bras arrived. I had ordered a two in slightly different sizes. They fit okay ... The one that fits better is (thankfully) the cuter one.
• I've been doing a lot of housework ... so I've barely been reading. Strange. 
• I was so exhausted last night (swept and mopped the kitchen ... among some other chores. But THAT was the big one. Along with taking Bubbles shopping and putting together the bouncer.), that I CRASHED. Which was sad because Bubbles was sleeping pretty well. So ... Michael and I could have made out or something. If I wasn't unconscious and drooling and snoring.
  I suck at being a good wife. 
• I made cinnamon rolls on Sunday. Since it was General Conference (yay for being able to "attend" church in pajamas!) (If you don't know what General Conference is, it's a twice-annual event in our church where the prophet and a selection of General Authorities speak to ALL the church. It happens at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City, but is broadcast -- via television, radio, and on the internet -- all over the world.) ... So maybe I'm only a crap wife, not a total failure.
  I used Ree Drummond's recipe, but I made a cream cheese frosting instead of icing. I'm a frosting kind of girl. (And my frosting was yummy: Low-fat cream cheese, milk, powdered sugar, and vanilla and maple extracts.)
• One of my besties invited us to her daughter's birthday party. Her girls and the kiddos have been friends since my kiddos were born. (They have NO CHOICE. Ha!) So that was fun. Pizza and a kids' room to run around and play in. ... Also, I have never seen a child SO EXCITED about window clings (I'm sure glad that she liked them. But I didn't know she'd think THAT was the best thing out of our present. :P)
• Our plumbing in the west end of house is still being wonky. And the laundry room was starting to smell pretty rank. ... Turns out that the bucket under the sink in there was FULL of the most rancid-smelling water. So Michael emptied it and tightened the pipe under the sink. (Since that's the sink that gets most backed up when we run the dishwasher. Or the garbage disposal. Ugh.) And, since Michael cleaned out that sink last time (and nearly threw up doing it), I did it this time.
  (So maybe I'm a mostly-crap wife?)
• Yes, I feel like a crappywife/failure at wifedom. His love language is primarily Touch ... and here I am cleaning the house (which SORELY needs it, don't get me wrong) ... but cuddling as I drift off just isn't doing it.
  And it's not like he asks all that much. ... I am NOT going to cry. My eyes just get a little prickly-feeling whenever I think of how much I'm failing at this.
• I actually have all (but one or two) thank-you notes written. Now to get them handed out. I still need to mail one off ... but I have to get an address for that one.
• I managed to (FINALLY) walk down the street and talk to my Visiting Teaching companion. And get her phone number ... and to find out that she'll be moving. So I'm going to get a new companion. But, hey, at least she and I will get to go on some visits together. That'll be nice.
• I made a dinner calendar for the week. But I've only filled it out through Thursday. *rolls eyes*
  Yeah, I TRY to get all organized. It doesn't really work that well. I mean, I cleaned off my desk on Sunday (or was it Saturday?) and it's cluttery again.
• I have a new (to me) keyboard. I'm still working at getting used to holding down the Shift key. It's a little different from my old keyboard (where the S, X, C, N, and M keys were all worn off). Give me another week and I might be able to type and not start sentences with lower-case letters or have 9s and 0s surrounding what are SUPPOSED to be parenthetical phrases.
• The kids got to ride their bikes Monday during a break in the weather. It was gorgeous weather. Might as well take advantage of it ... Until Bubbles woke up and demanded that we stop. TWICE.
  One cannot negotiate with an infant. They are not amenable to compromise at this point. *sigh*
• On a scale from 1 to Roasting-in-Purgatory, how bad is it if I might use doing laundry as a last bastion for time away from a screaming infant. "Sorry! I can't hear you over the washer filling up!! just give me a minute to load the clothes! ... Hmm, which articles make the cut for THIS load?? ... La la la, I can't hear your squalling over the laundry. ... Okay, back to motherhood. *sigh*"
  Just let me know.
• Michael still loves me. And his telling me that? Let's just say that my face is all blotchy. (And not from an allergic reaction.) ... I didn't cry.
  But I was really, really close.

I can't really think of anything else that is totally note-worthy.
I mean, Bruise and I got some reading packets completed for extra [school-mascot] points. And the kids were excited to take their Box Tops for Education sheets to school. (Between Mom, Mom C, and me saving points ... with occasional contributions from friends, we had two full sheets [20 box tops total] for this month.)

And for a touch of lactivism, I was able to help a friend due to my copious amounts of reading and my love of breastfeeding websites. Yay! Without going into too much detail, I knew of a couple pieces of equipment that she could use (shield and shells) to help facilitate her newborn's latch. Yup. Pretty awesome. I felt quite amazing ... and it makes me feel nice when my internetting skillz pay off. ^_^