I'd make up some clever title ...

Okay, so it's been over a month (JUST!) since I last blogged. Whoops!

Since then, what's gone on?

A lot of puking ... Bubbles and I were sick a couple weeks ago. Bad enough that Michael came home early on Wednesday (the day of the vomit) and my mom came up and stayed the night Thursday, to ensure that I wasn't going to over-do things (which I almost did, since I WAS going to go take notes at PTC - Parent-Teacher Club - that day ... but, well, when you get winded and sweaty JUST folding socks, it's probably a little bit over much to do).

Bubbles birthday is coming up (TOMORROW!) ... the party isn't until Saturday. It'll be just after the Elders Quorum (men's group) shooting activity ... which Michael is taking Bruise and Bucket to. They'll learn to shoot the rifle, which will be very good.

I got a Fitbit ... which lets me know HOW LAZY I am and how much I really overeat. (But, but, I just get SO FREAKING HUNGRY!) ... but, we'll see if it helps me get into better shape.

Today, I should be cleaning up the house. (Goals: Clean the kitchen. Vacuum the carpets. Clean up the kids' bathroom. Then make sure to take a meal to a family in the ward [congretation].) And I SHOULD also break out a Richard Simmons DVD to get some cardio going. Since, when Michael and I went to donate blood last week, he wasn't able due to a high pulse. Mine was also elevated, but not enough to disqualify. ... However, I did almost pass out this time. Fun, fun, right? Stupid low blood pressure. *rolls eyes*

What else has gone on in my life worth reporting?
Still haven't gotten the rest of the bathroom cabinet doors painted. Whoops. But I have ONE coat of primer on TWO of the four doors ... and a whole little cabinet to prime and paint. *sigh*

I made it to a Relief Society activity last week ... it was combined with the other ward that shares our church building. One sister gave a presentation on the power of positive thinking and positive affirmations. It was interesting. I had fun and got to visit with other grownups, which was LOVELY.

Bruise and Michael finished Bruise's Pinewood Derby car ... and Bruise even placed third in this Pinewood Derby, which would allow him to participate in Districts ... except for the fact that it's at the same time as Bubbles' birthday party. He's cool with it, though.

I got to volunteer at the kids' school (the day before I was tied to the toilet). Just escorting kids back and forth to/from dental screenings and their classes. We even finished before noon, so I was able to go out to lunch with Mom C (who was watching Bubbles for me).

Okay, now how's about I actually attempt to go in slightly chronological order and get caught up ...

End of January - last week:

• Prepared for and attended Bruise's Blue and Gold (Cub Scout) Banquet.
  We bought his cake ... so, in other words, we paid a large donation to Cub Scouts and got a cake as a freebie. We were just glad it sold for more than last year's cake. ... Even though we didn't put as much effort into it (like baking cake from scratch and creating shapes out of melting chocolate and marzipan ... last year's cake was EXHAUSTING).
• Bucket played violin (as part as an ensemble) for the local library's gala fundraiser ... This is pretty huge, since normally, she's a bit shy/psyches herself out about being in front of other people ... and she was EXCITED to do this from the start.
• Michael and I got new phones.
• We started using some InTune (Focus Blend) DoTERRA oil on Bruise. His teachers have noticed a difference! Not that he was horrible or anything, but he's better able to focus and pay attention. He likes it ... even though, at first, the bus driver and some teachers asked who was wearing cologne ... and I joke that (since it contains patchouli) he smells like "a clean hippie." (Which made his English-language teacher burst out laughing.)
• I tried going from having medium-brown hair to platinum. ... Yeah, bad idea to do at home. So I spent a crapload of money to fix my orange-hair-with-white-roots. Just FYI: If you're thinking of making a HUGE change, do it at a salon. Color correction costs about TWICE as much as just going to the salon and NOT wrecking your hair color. (Seriously. TWICE AS MUCH, y'all. Thank goodness for a tax return!)
• The kids' school had International Night. Their classes have been studying Brazil. We brought a Brazilian sweet cornbread cake (thanks, Google!). We also got to watch them do some Brazilian songs and dances. Then we RAN them over to what was left of their Cub Scouts/Activity Days activities.
• For Valentine's Day, we went to an animal show at the local community college. Now, 3/5 of us want a pet chinchilla. 1/5 of us isn't wild about the idea. The other 1/5 is distracted by Daniel Tiger and Frozen, so hasn't weighed in with an opinion.
• Then, we went down to the next big town south and went to an Asian Culture Festival and a Heritage Fair. It was CROWDED. So we came back to our town to eat lunch and watched videos at home.
• My Nana had her 83rd birthday. We called and sang to her. Then she talked to me. I really don't think she could hear me at all for the most part. But, at least, she knows that we care enough to call, right?
• After the vomit-and-poo situation of 2015 (alluded to earlier) ... TMI ALERT - It's really SAD when you're sitting on the toilet and CAN NOT get up for reasons best NOT baldly stated and you realize that you've left the bowl on the bed (that you then climb into after emptying your body's contents and shiver yourself to sleep ... AFTER you've shambled down the hall to help your youngest who is glazed out, watching Disney movies on repeat [Thank you, FastPlay. Best thing ever!] and will nearly-unfailingly puke about five minutes after you do) and you cannot, as I mentioned earlier, get up to grab said bowl OR move from the toilet ... so you end up grabbing a hand towel, folding it as fast as you can into fourths, throwing it to the ground, and vomiting the last swallows of water  you imbibed onto THAT, then throwing it into the shower stall until you have the strength and motivation to deal with it ... then you manage to get off the toilet (for another 30 minutes maybe?), rinse out your mouth, check on the child, take care of her while she vomits, get her settled back onto the couch with a few sips of water, and shumble back to bed to shiver until you fall asleep. GOOD TIMES, Y'ALL! GOOD TIMES! #SarcasmToTheNthDegree
• So then, after sleeping nearly all day, I was feeling better ... just not well enough to, well, DO much without sweating and feeling woozy.
• We've taken it pretty easy (which shows in the shoddy housework done) since then. We had a Game night for the EQ and their families. We had four families show up (one had to leave early).
  During the Game night, we played two games ... I changed Bubbles' diaper once. And then had to clean up after my OTHER daughter peed her pants (and on the carpet) ... I was NOT thrilled. (Neither was she ... but, dude, at 9 years old, even if your little sister is playing with the light switch and it gets dark, I fully expect that you can either hold it OR be aware of your body and go to the freaking bathroom just down the FULLY-LIT hallway. Just sayin', Lord love you, child.)

Today, the missionaries (sisters) are coming over to do laundry. Then I'm cleaning house and fixing up a meal for a family in the ward. At some point the big kids will either come home on the bus OR I'll go pick up Bucket from Girls On The Run practice, which either starts this week or next week.

Mom and C and Aunt J will come up tomorrow for Bubbles' birthday, so it'd be GOOD to have the house ALL cleaned.

So I should get a quick shower and get on all that, right? Or, at least, throw on a bra and get started. *sigh* Motivation, where are you?