MAH BAYBEES!!!

... My kiddos are growing up.

They kept telling me that a grown-up had to meet them at the bus until they were, like, nine or eight or ten or so.

Well, I called up the bus barn and asked.
(I also asked about the bus being 20 minutes late on a regular basis. Got some answers. It's nice to be in the know. ^_^)

Since they're no longer in Kindergarten, they don't have to have an adult there to meet them.

So I let them walk to the bus (all the other kids had already headed out, so it's not like they were there on their OWN).
I will probably walk them to or meet them at the bus. But it's nice to know that I don't have to be OBLIGATED to wait 20 minutes in the rain. ^_^

Yesterday was ... okay. I still am a bit hormonally-insane.
But I Visit Taught one gal (and our babies squawked at each other. Bubbles and her son will be in Primary together. So that'll be fun). Took her a little prezzie (a small lotion and hand sanitizer), since her birthday's next week.
Later, in the evening, I dropped by another VT sister's place to drop off her birthday prezzie, since her birthday was yesterday.

I mentioned, right (?) how Bucket, Bruise, and I are in a friend's wedding ... Well, Bruise'll get his suit today. And I'll run it by the bride for her approval.
My dress came in ... the shoes may or may not work (the MOH and other bridesmaid aren't wild about heels), so we'll see about that.
Bucket's dress was ordered a couple weeks ago. It was supposed to go through processing in one day and then ship.
After eight business days went by, I was getting ANTSY!!
So, I emailed the company (Mom was impressed by my letter. Seriously, if you need to write a business/complaint letter? I'm your girl, apparently! :P) ... they emailed back saying that the dress was backordered until Thursday, but I should receive it by the 21st (still before the wedding. Phew!!).
THEN, about five hours later, I receive notice that it's been shipped.

... Okay, when I ordered the dress, I looked to make sure it wasn't backordered.
I'm thinking that I got a automated-type reply letter while someone checked into WHY my order hadn't processed ... then they got that puppy OUT.
I'm not bothered.
It's WAY better than when Mom and I ordered a bento box for Bucket's lunchbox and it NEVER SHIPPED. Since it was coming overseas (not just from the next state, as in this case), we had to wait and wait and wait.
Thankfully, that company refunded our shipping and we got another (not QUITE as wonderfully adorable, but still very nice) bento box for my girl. So it all worked out there, too.

Besides that, I've tried to clean up the house a little.
My mom's coming up today ... which is great. We've missed her, since she wasn't able to come up last week.

The kids'll get home early from school tomorrow. That'll be nice.

I had a talk with them about how, when I meet them at the bus, I'd REALLY APPRECIATE IT if they'd walk with me, instead of racing off to the house. Because, well, I miss them. I'd like to talk to them.

I ALSO had a talk with them about how the neighbor girl is trying to invite herself over while we're getting ready for church (on the pretense of holding Bubbles ... but, well, during that time? I'm usually running about, in my skivvies, trying to shove brekkie at the kiddos and bolt something down my gullet, nurse the baby, slap on my make-up, and throw on clothes) AND/OR AFTER church for lunch.

Seriously? I understand (and am flattered) that she wants to spend time with my kids.
BUT ... I NEED some time with my kids and husband. And Sundays are ... well, they're our (usually) less busy weekend day.
It's the ONE DAY when we have a few hours all together to relax and unwind together.
Sad that with Michael's bi-weekly early-morning meetings and my choir practice in the evenings, I consider Sunday to be our downtime.
(Sunday, day of rest ... My eye!)

Still, I informed the kiddos that they can let her know that Sunday is our family day.
They're in school almost all day Monday-Friday. Daddy barely gets to see them. I barely get to see them, especially when they're running around playing with the neighbor girl.
Saturday is usually our errand/fun-stuff day ...
I NEED Sundays to be our family day. They can play with the neighbor girl during the week. They see her at school ... I need to see my kids, too.

Yes, I've become quite an introvert. I need time to NOT be "on" as the mom, providing snacks and meals to other people's kids ... when I'm WRACKING my BRAIN to get meals put together that my kids will eat.

I do feel selfish about it ... but, really, I need some sleep and some quiet and .... yeah.

And I DON'T appreciate some eight-year-old TELLING me that she'll come over and impose on the downtime that I NEED.
(If Michael has to make a visit? I have lost ANY opportunity to take a nap, since I don't feel it'd be at all responsible to leave all the kids unsupervised. ... If it's just my brood? I could possibly get Bubbles to nap, let the kids watch a show or have them rest, and I could get a nap. But NOT if there's a neighbor kid over.)

So, as this girl is telling me that she can come over early (last time's early? 7:30 AM. ... We leave for church at 8:30. I had to answer the door in my robe.) and stay until the late afternoon, I just slap a smile on my face and tell her that I'd have to talk to Michael about it, but that morning DEFINITELY won't work, since I need that time to get ready.
(Seriously, I don't feel it's right to be in the shower or getting dressed while my kids and a friend are unsupervised. Even if it were their cousins over, I wouldn't feel right about it at all.)

But, yeah. That's most of what's going on.

Time to get a shower ... and start being productive.