Back to school and other stuff

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

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

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

A bit. Sort of a lot.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

But, yeah.

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

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

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

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

He also is quite the comedian.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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