This is where you make up an interesting title for me

So, let's see, where did we leave off last?

So, yeah, my emotional distress on Sunday. Because (1) I screwed up. And (2), yeah ... TMI, I'm sure, but about a week before my body does it's monthly betrayal, I go batcrap crazy.

In fact, I was emailing with a friend ... and she'd talked to the sister of the gal who I failed to get a ride for. The sister said that the gal had cried about it nearly all day.
If I had heard that LAST Sunday, I'd have had to drown myself in the toilet for shame and for being the biggest failure in the entire history of the world.

Whereas, I learned it yesterday. And, after calming down a bit, being reassured ad infinitum that it's okay (even by my RS President, who assured me that she wanted me to keep on keeping on in this responsibility and that, no, I wasn't going to be released because I've failed ONE TIME), when I read the email, I just responded, "Yeah, [the gal] wasn't the only one."

Because it was true. I was a wreck.
But I turned it into being a proactive wreck.
I ran it by my RS Prez, who approved my idea of having a sign-up calendar.
I did have to get someone for this last Sunday (thanks to a friend's suggestion, I found someone).
And, with the premiere of the calendar, I have a wonderful lady who's going to be providing transportation for the next two weeks.
I've already created the Calendar for the next month ... and I've asked our RS Secretary to include it in the binders passed to the RS sisters AND a blurb about it in the weekly RS newsletter email.
So, there's that.
And I don't feel like I need to test the edges of the kitchen knives for possible hari kari.
(Apparently, I am in touch with my inner samurai. Or something.)

Besides that, let's see what else has gone on ...

When Mom came up last week, we ran some errands and got bolts for the new kids' chairs that she got (their old chairs were falling apart). And we waited for the kids to come home.
And waited.
And waited.
And realized that, hey, there's not an early release day this (first) week of school.
*sigh*

But they got home safely and it was fine.
And there was a HUGE storm last Thursday. HUGE.
I thought the power might go out ... but, thankfully, it didn't. Or else we'd have eaten ramen with the hot water in our water dispenser. (I had my bases covered.)

Michael and I had a date (with Bubbles along). We went to our favorite little Thai restaurant. Then we went to Target. (Woooo!! We are WILD AND CRAZY GUYS!) We did find the new minifigs (LEGO) and I am the proud owner of the constable. Bucket got the gingerbread man that she really wanted. Bruise got the mountain climber. Michael got TWO -- The yeti and ... the warrior, I think.
Of course, with this bout of minifigs, between the four of us (Bubbles hasn't put in her two cents yet ... but she's more Duplo-sized), we want all the figures.

We also had the Ward (church congregation) social.
I had griped on Facebook about how I was irritated that the dishes were assigned (the SAME assignment ALL THE TIME) ... and that I was rebelling and I'd bring a SALAD.
And I brought a Snicker Salad (chopped up apples and Snickers, Cool Whip, vanilla pudding mix, milk, and some caramel topping). What?
IT'S A "SALAD." SAYS SO RIGHT IN THE NAME.

I think most people supported me just because they find my whining amusing.
But, also, there are some people in the other half of the alphabet who ARE tired of bringing desserts.
So, yeah.

Saturday was the drawing for the city's summer activity.
I assured the kids that, even though they might not win ANYTHING, we still had fun and we had other fun stuff to do.
I shouldn't have worried.
Although not every kid there won something, Bucket won a pack of cards (with scenic Oregon pictures on the back of the cards) AND a gift certificate to a local pottery shop (she can paint something and have it fired).
Bruise got a prize that he's excited about: a gift certificate to a pizza place downtown. (They have a fun little play area that the kids love.)
All in all, great prizes. And they had fun going around to places, too.

Then, after that, we dropped Bubbles off with the grandparents (to be spoiled, since she's too little for all but one ride) and took Bruise and Bucket to a local theme park.
Bruise went through the haunted house again. I let him hold my hand and chatted at him through the whole thing. (It's way creepier and darker than Disney's Haunted Mansion.)
Bucket refused. She said that she might do it again when she's eleven (so, in another four years).

Besides that, they went on all the rides ... most, more than once. Bucket and I went on the log ride a second time. Bruise waited with Michael.

It was fun to spend time with our bigger kids. I think they had a lot of fun, too.

Then we went back over to Michael's folks house. I chatted with Mom C a lot. She didn't know that my mom was from such a large family ... or that she's the older (surviving) sister.

Dad C talked us into staying and helping make dinner. (They liked my pasta sauce. Woot!)
I really am blessed to have married into a family that accepts me (because, face it, I'm kind of a weirdo. I know it) and loves me.
I hear and read about awful in-law relationships ... and I can't relate (which makes me 99 percent glad, but also a little guilty) at all.

Last Sunday, like I said, I DID have someone to bring the one gal ... so that went well.
We dropped Bubbles off in Nursery (the class for 18 months- 3 year-olds) and watched Bruise give a scripture in Primary. Then we got to go to Sunday School. And I went to Relief Society ... but I got pulled out halfway through, since Bubbles had a breakdown.

She was REALLY tired. She had conked out about ten minutes before Nursery started. And we woke her up for that. The Nursery leader told me that Bubbles would remember that Michael and I weren't there and go to the door ... but they were easily able to distract her again. Until a little boy pushed her.
Then she just wailed.
Enough so that I could hear her out in the hall.

So I grabbed my purse and took her to the Mother's Lounge to rock her until she was calm.
She ALMOST went back to Nursery. Then she wanted to go into Primary. Then she was mad that I wouldn't let her RUN into Relief Society ... so I just carried her around in the hall for a bit until church was over. Then I got the calendar sign-up sheet, collected Bruise and Bucket, and found Michael so we could all drive home (where we watched a Miyazaki film). Michael did some Home Teaching and, after that, we went to Choir.

Yesterday, I got caught up on the dishes (EXCITING! Next installment: Watch Allanna get caught up on the LAUNDRY! Whooo!!!! Then, watch Allanna clean the kids' room! Since OBVS they're not going to do it! Maybe Allanna will even clean HER room and the master bathroom, so it won't look like those rooms vomited the contents of all their cupboards/closets and then a hurricane blew through!!!) and the house looks a lot cleaner after the kids helped clean so that I could sweep and vacuum.

I also went out to lunch with a friend who's working in town. She and I talked books most of the time.
It's very lovely to talk books with someone who adores them as much as you do. ^_^
We have plans to meet up in a couple weeks and talk books again. ^_^

Today, I was able to get Bubbles's WIC appointment rescheduled to the morning, so we wouldn't be late after snatching the big kids JUST as they get off the bus and hightailing it over there. There had been a cancellation, so Bubbles and I had a much better time of it.
She's doing well ... a little low in iron (so I can work on that). Got her vouchers.
Then, I remembered that I needed to run by the craft store for something (which, of course, turns into "a few things").

But I got the iron-on fusing that I needed (because I like to be able to fix the puzzles so that I can, someday, hang them up -- We've got quite a collection now. And, of course, all of them have special finishes, so you can't just buy the puzzle glue and smear that over the fronts. Naturally.) and some needles and some white thread (what is the world coming to when I start to run out of white thread???) and some yarn for a scarf for Bucket (after I finish mine. I finished Bruise's ... and then I should make one for Bubbles).

Good times, good times.

But, yeah, the kids will come home in a couple hours ... and Bubbles is asleep. I want to work on my current puzzle while I have time.