The oy and the vey

I know, I know ... it's been a week and a day.

You'll get over it.

I'm taking advantage of the fact that Bubbles is napping (and I'm pointedly ignoring the laundry in the dryer at the moment).

Let's see, what all has happened for me to tell you about??

• Bucket had her first "Activity Days" activity (church group of 8-11 year-old girls). She had a BLAST.
  Luckily for her, she has it TWICE a month.
  She has also chosen NOT to join Girl Scouts ... so, well. That's that.
• Bruise had his first Den Meeting in Cub Scouts. He likes his den leaders. Had a good time.
  (Needs to get his manual signed off by the den leaders. Michael will take care of that tomorrow)
  The girls and I went to the church, got Bruise settled with his den, and headed to the Nursery to play for the hour that he's at Scouts (since Michael had meetings). Michael got done WAY early and he came and relieved us ... so I took the girls home, got Bubbles into bed, and Bucket and I chillaxed until our boys got home.
• Thursday was a blood drive. I was a little sad that the gal who checked my vitals was kind of brusque ... but it was totally worth it, since my favorite phlebotomist/whatever took my blood.
  As soon as I heard someone singing along to the radio, I was sure it was him.
  And I was right.
  Greg and I talked books and movies (and we talk about food. I HAVE to get out to The Sea Hag and try their Monte Cristo. He swears that it's LIFE-CHANGING). Good times, indeed.
  Bruise and Bucket were entertaining Bubbles in the Nursery ... so that all went quite well.
  And we headed home (Michael forgot that he was scheduled to donate ... so he didn't get there in time. *sigh*) before heading over to the kids' school for PTC ... Michael met us there and took the kids home ... and picked up Del Taco goodies for dinner. Good man.
• Friday, I was starting to feel bad/crazy/hormonal/exhausted ... but we got stuff for dinner for a family in the ward and stuff to fix dinner for the missionaries assigned to our ward. It was good to get to know them ... even though, by the time Michael brought them over, the house was full of bacon-grease-smoke. Good times.
  But the butternut squash soup (that was the request. And I cater to requests!) and cornbread (which I ALMOST forgot to make) and bacon bits and salad all turned out fine.
  And we bought a cake for dessert, so nobody was left hungry.
• Saturday, Michael had an EQ (Elders' Quorum) shooting activity. Scheduled 10-Noon. And I took the kids to the mall for the kids' club (and to get freebies at Bath and Body Works).
  Bucket cried because they ran out of crafts before she got one ... but Bruise got one and didn't want it, so he gave his to her. And got a back-up craft. they got snacks, so that was good. And I got to chat with a friend from church. Then we headed back home to wait for Michael to get home.
  And, per his suggestion, to run to the closest BSA store to get Bruise's Cub Scout shirt.
  Well, I figured that with an activity scheduled to end at noon, he'd get home by ... 1:30. That'd give plenty of time to clean up, finish chatting, and come home.
  Michael gave a call, saying that they were wrapping things up just before that. So, I figured that he'd get home in 20-30 minutes.
  ...
  ...
  He got in at three. And his phone's battery was dying, so he couldn't really call to update me.
  But, as he was about to leave, he realized that the teenager he was giving a ride home had GONE OFF with another group to a different part of the property they were at ... so Michael had to wait for him for about FORTY FIVE MINUTES. Then, it's a twenty minute drive back to town and he had to drop off the teenager across town and drive back home ...
  
  So, yeah, and by the time he got home, I checked the BSA store hours ... and they weren't even OPEN on weekends. There's a store in Portland, but they CLOSE at 4:30 on Saturdays ... so we'd get there AFTER it's closed. Michael suggested the one in another (different council) city ... they close at 1:30 on Saturdays. (And they might not even have the right REQUIRED council patch).
  
  So, I ended up going and crying in the shower and hiding out in the bedroom for a few hours. Until I could get my shiz together. Yeah, when I'm hormonal, even I don't want to be around me.
• Sunday, Michael had meetings in the morning, so we took different cars. I got the kids all ready. Bubbles was NOT going to sit still and quietly during Sacrament meeting, so Michael had her. I was exhausted (still) and not feeling well, so I went home after Sacrament. Bruise gave a scripture in Primary ... which neither Michael and I were there to hear/give moral support. He handled it okay, so he tells me.
  I took a nap at home ... well, I rested, anyways. And the kids and I read through our story-story a bit more (four chapters left!) ... and then we got ready for their "It's Great to Be Eight!" meeting (about being baptized) ... pretty much, we're all ready ... just show up early, get pictures. And make sure that we bring a towel and dry underwear for Bruise and Bucket ... and the camera. And they need to wear white underwear ... which is ONLY what I've been telling them for the last couple years.
  (When I was getting dressed to go to my baptism, I had to change my underwear. I was TICKED OFF that I couldn't wear my Lady LovelyLocks underwear. But I got to wear it when I was changing into dry clothes. SO THERE.)
• Yesterday, the kids didn't have school. I had them clean their room (when they actually WORKED on it, it only [ONLY] took them just over an hour. But, when they "started" at 7 and didn't finish until about 10:30, you KNOW there was some yelling happening. (Good thing my lungs can support that.)
  We picked up the front rooms, worked on dishes, put Bubbles down for a nap, and cleaned out the van (Yeah, THAT took a while. But it looks GREAT now. If only I could get it to STAY that way, right?). Then we went and got kitty litter and stuff for dinner (fish sticks and tater tots. Whoooo.) after Bubbles woke up.
  After that, I left Bruise and Bucket in charge and went and took a nap/rest. I don't know if I SLEPT, but I DID have my eyes closed for around 40 minutes. And I didn't really feel any more rested.
  I got dinner put together and we ate, put the kids to bed, and Michael and I got through some sites that I had bookmarked to share with him.
  And I whinged in prayer to Heavenly Father that I stop being crazy/stupid and can't my dang period JUST FREAKING START so that the crazy can end?
  (In other news, it's nice when prayers are answered. It's good to feel rested and not crazy.)

Michael says that I ought to share with you some of the things that I say.

You know how, when you're feeling poorly, you can have someone feel your forehead and tell you if you're running a temperature?

Well, I don't often run a temperature (Mom and I usually end up running subnormal fevers. We're special like that.) ... but I've asked Michael to feel my forehead ...

"Can you feel my forehead? Do I feel clammy?"  ... And the answer is often "yes."

But, apparently, I'm not quite right in the head. Here are other things I've asked Michael to ascertain:

"Can you feel my forehead. Do I feel tired?" ... Yeah. Because if you can feel if someone's ill, wouldn't it stand to reason that you'd be able to feel if they were tired? ... Only in my brain does this logic seem to work.

But! There's more!

A couple weeks ago, I asked Michael, proffering my forehead, "Do I feel melancholy to you?"
And he finds this quite amusing, though I was being quite serious.
But, sadly, people cannot determine your MOODS though your forehead.

It's times like these that I realize a few things:

1. Modern medical science is obviously not my forte.
2. I have very high expectations for the feel-the-forehead test.
3. I very well might just be an alien.

But, yeah, this is what he has to put up with.
I mean, I can laugh about it. Sure.
But, that doesn't change the fact that I'm quite in earnest when I'm asking it.

(Also: Wouldn't it be AWESOME if people COULD tell all that from feeling your forehead?
"Ah, yes. Go have a lie down after a cuppa Rooibos with honey and cream. Give yourself a new pedi. Read [insert author here] while it dries. Slip on some aromatherapy body butter on your hands and top with a pair of cotton gloves while watching [insert proper show or movie title]. You'll feel right as rain in approx. two hours. Ta!"
... Apparently I'm VERY British today. I'd apologize except that I'm not sorry for that.)

Well, I think I've got you all caught up for the meantime. And my mom's about to show up any minute. And I should grab a sweater before she comes (so I can help her schlep in her bags).