Let Me Tell You Where My Children's Tongues Have Been

The husband has flown the coop.  Mark is in Edmonton right now with his family.  They went to a hockey game last night and he is spending the day there today and will be back home tomorrow.  If I'm honest I could sit here and right a post ranting about how left out and lonely I feel, but it's really not so bad.  And I hate being a downer, so no rant today!

Instead I will ramble on about nonsense so I can avoid the productive tasks that I should be doing, like cleaning out our pets' cages and cleaning out the deep freezer so that my fridge freezer doesn't pop open at the least provocation.

Or I could even unpack more boxes in the hopes that my printer power cord will be found because as of this minute, it is still missing.  I never realized before I lost it how important it is to my life.  I'm starting to feel a little panicky about it.  Because, I mean, it's been three weeks I think since we've been here and it still hasn't surfaced.  That can't be a good sign.

Yesterday was a beautiful day.  In the sun it was just plain hot!  I love spring.  It's such a happy feeling when things warm up.  Yes, it is supposed to snow again (so I've heard) but I console myself with the fact that the snow usually melts by afternoon.  And my kids love to eat snow, so that makes them happy.

Actually, let me tell you about my snow-eating kids.  They love snow so much that they will eat it from anywhere: the ground, from the bottoms of their boots, from cars.  They eat clean snow and muddy snow, they don't discriminate.  I cannot get them to stop licking cars that have snow on them.  Or even cars that are just wet.  Lick, lick, lick.

Maybe I should ask my Mom-in-law if Mark had a penchant for licking cars when he was younger because I sure don't remember doing that.

Thoughts From My New Living Room

I am sitting in my "new" house, thinking of Facebook status updates that I could write.  Like:

"You know a house is turning into your home when your husband is playing Halo and you are busy on Pinterest."

or

"The new house is officially broken in.  The floor has been peed on three times, and not by a pet."

or

"Somebody come find me my cordless phones.  I have the base set up but can't answer the phone when it rings."

No, I don't have better things to do with my time.  (Don't look at all the boxes around me.  They aren't real at the moment.)

As a side note, I always feel funny calling houses new when they are actually old houses.  They are new-to-me, but not new in themselves.  So I always say the word with quotations in my mind.

Decisions I've had to Make Since Becoming a Mother

• Cloth vs. Disposable - well, I put this here since it is a tough decision for some folks, but let's be honest: for me, it wasn't a decision at all.  I have never felt the urge to use cloth.  I give a big thumbs up to those who do, but that's about all I do for it.
• Formula vs. Breastfeeding - I am very pro-breastfeeding but with Abby she had formula as well, so I don't really care what others do.  I like the breast because it is free!  Well, yes it is time, and time is money, but if you had to give them a bottle it is still time so it is money on top of money.  I'm thankful that I've been able to breastfeed my girls.  
• Diaper bag vs diaper bag - There are so many out there!  I had my first diaper bag given as a gift, so there was no decision there, but then when Leigh was born, my first one was falling apart so I bought another one.  Which I promptly lost, maybe a few months into it's use.  I haven't boughten another one since.  Oh wait, I did buy a cheap $1 one at the secondhand store, but I think that I got rid of it because 1) I don't need it yet and 2) I don't LOVE it and I have decided that I want to LOVE my next diaper bag since I use it all the time.
• Colour coordinated vs sloppy rainbow - For the first 1-3 (ish) years of their lives, I got to dress my children.  I see pictures of cute children wearing cute, nicely coordinated clothing, and go, "Meh."  I am not a big fashion-type person.  My kids usually ended up wearing whatever came closest to hand and was cleanest.  Now I just let them pick whatever they want to wear and half the time we look a bit like hobos.  (Ok, well dressed hobos.)
• Independent 3 year old vs emotionally sensitive 5 year old - This is today's dilemma.  We made some mailboxes in school the other day and Abby loves, or maybe is obsessed with is the better term, sending and receiving mail.  But she figures that we all need to sit down at the same time and make cards for each other.  We can't wait for them to be deposited in our mailboxes randomly throughout the day.  But Leigh plays by her own rules and just wants to make a card for herself to put in her own mailbox.  This breaks Abby's heart.  It's like a preschool/kindergarten soap opera.
• Clothing vs skin - Not so much a battle anymore, but they both went through phases where they didn't want to wear clothes.  We would start the day nicely dressed and end it buck naked.  I finally just gave up figuring that we were home all day anyways, why not let them run free.  Thankfully they reamain clothed most of the time now, though Abby did tell me the other night that she wanted to "sleep in her skin."

These are just a few of the many decisions a mother has to make.  It's a tough life.  Now I've got to go make some cards to mail to some hopefully-clothed children.

Motherhood Award, Maybe Not Here

Last night my kids didn't make it to bed until 8:30.  Well, maybe that's when we walked up the stairs so it really was later than that.  Oops.  I should maybe get a bad mama point for that.  If I was into keeping track of that kind of thing, which I'm not.  Really.  I may sometimes think that I'm not the greatest mother to ever live, but if I'm really honest, I know that I do alright.  Definitely not all the time, but sometimes.  I could do a lot worse.

Like today wasn't the greatest of days.  I got up sort of early (before 7) and even showered (Hallelujah!) but then my early alone time was not-so-alone time because Leigh was up when I came out.  So that's ok.  She ate some cereal, and sat with me some.  I ate my breakfast and then sat in my chair, and read a little of the Word.  But then I sort of dozed in the chair a little.  And I have determined that that doze is what killed my day.  I should have forced myself out of the chair and gotten my blood flowing and my day started.  But instead it sort of made me feel a little lazy and off.

So my day was therefore lazy and off as well.  Abby slept in until 9:15 which is another point that I'm tossed on, whether I should have woken her up or not.  Since we homeschool, I let her sleep.  I had some arguments in my head going, saying that we need to maintain a routine and keep with it and yada yada yada.  But my girls rarely sleep in anymore (they used to sleep in all the time) so I figured that letting her have the one day wouldn't kill either of us.  Besides, we didn't take yesterday off school, and all the public school kids did.  :-)

So today the kids just played and watched tv and played and did whatever else we felt like.  A bit of a lazy day.  Which is fine, I know.  I don't have to be go go go all the time.  But the only reason I feel guilty is that I know I could have done even a little bit better.  I could have done more, like maybe the laundry, especially since I don't want to get caught with 4 large loads of laundry and a broken washer like I had this last Saturday.  That wasn't fun.

Oh well, today is over and I am really trying to learn to just accept the fact that maybe I didn't do something perfect, maybe I was even a little wrong, but it is done now and I can only try again tomorrow.

I started writing this to contemplate whether I should go make my children be quiet and get back in bed since they are currently playing upstairs.  This has been a parenting question for me ever since Abby started sleeping in a big girl bed and was able to get out on her own.  What are everyone's thoughts on this?  Typically I just let them play, as long as it isn't for hours and hours and hours.  Ideally I think that I would like them not to, but well, I'm kind of lazyish so I tend to take the path that involves less conflict.  Tell me your thoughts.

Summer So Far, In Point Form

• Camping - We've gone out twice and it's been great.  We're hoping to go again later this month, but this time during the week.  I'm really looking forward to it.  Even though camping is still a lot of work for me, when I'm there it's like I can relax.  I don't have an ongoing list in my head of the million things I should be doing.  
• VBS - Abby is starting her third VBS this week.  We actually haven't completed a whole week of VBS yet though.  The first two she seemed to really like, but today I was told that she was fine at first but then she didn't want to be there and she hid under a pew for a long time.  One of the leaders basically hung out with her.  The big difference for this one is that her best friend isn't there, so I think she feels alone and left out and shy and all that stuff.  I'm hoping that she will still go the rest of the days though, we'll see.
• Waterpark - We're a block from the park, so I try to take the girls there at least once a week.  It's a nice way to keep cool.  I enjoy it because I can just relax on a blanket while they run around.  Well, as much relaxing as you can do while a soaking wet child wants to sit on your lap and eat grapes.  
• Canoeing - We had a canoe given to us, and I bless the couple that gave it to us everytime we go out.  It is the perfect way to spend time together on the weekends.  We went out on Sunday and the girls and Daddy even jumped into the lake from the canoe.  Fun times.
• Moving - We're moving!  Not until the end of August, but I included it in the list because now my life is filled with packing.  And I'm excited.  There is no basement suite in the house we're moving to.  It will just be us.  Yay!  

A Glimpse In the Mind of a Three-Year-Old

What is it with 3-year-olds?  I actually try to avoid saying this because it seems that you could say it for every age.  (What is it with 30-year-olds?)  But seriously, it can be so frustrating.  And funny.  Funstrating.  That just sounds weird.

Being a parent seems to require more patience than I have in me.  I guess that's why I have God, right?  Leigh is only freshly turned three, but it takes a bit of almost manipulating to get her to do what you want.  Here is a typical conversation.

Mama: Here's your stickers, Leigh.  Go play with them at the table.

Leigh: No table!  I want big table.

Mama: Ok, go to the big table.

Leigh: No big table!  Little table!

Mama: Ok, sit at the little table.

Leigh: Yes! (said almost rebelliously, as if she thinks that she is getting one up on me.)

It seems like every decision of hers has to first start with a negative answer, and then she switches to the yes.  Must be some form of control, making it her idea instead of mine.  But I'm not a psychiatrist, I'm not going to analyze too much.

Cute and Sometimes Embarrassing Things Kids Say

Setting: Boston Pizza Bathroom, wheelchair accessible stall so Abby, Leigh and I can all fit in together.

Scene: Abby went pee, and Leigh went second (YAY).  Then it was my turn.  After I was done Leigh loudly says "Good Job Mama!!"

I'm All Alone With Only Myself For Company, Somebody Help Me!

I have a few things I want to share with you but our only camera is my iPhone and I don't have the sync cord since Mark is gone for this week and took it away with him.  I know we have another one somewhere, but I don't know where it is.  So what is the point in sharing things with no pictures to go along?  It kind of makes a bland post, I think.

So instead I will whine to you all about how I have to spend 3 nights all alone (well, obviously not completely alone, since the kids will be here) while hubs is out of town working.  I admit, I cried on the phone to him.  I'm horribly whiny and mopey when I'm the one left home alone.

Yet I am totally gung-ho when it's me who gets to go somewhere.  Like last summer when I went to Chilliwack and Nanaimo for a week.  And in just two months I'll be headed back north for a quick trip before going down south to the Okanagan for my sister's wedding.  All while leaving Mark at home.  Though he will join me for the wedding.  I should probably feel sorry for him, since when I go, he is COMPLETELY alone because I take the kids with me.  At least I get a warm body to sleep with.

And what about all those families where the husband has to work on the rigs for weeks at a time?  I have it super easy compared to that.  Or military families.  Obviously God knew that I wouldn't be able to survive any kind of deployment.  I barely survive a weekend.

And you know what is the frustrating thing?  I was missing him a lot and feeling super lonely, and was glad he called before heading to bed.  And I still fight with him!  I mean, couldn't I put things aside and just let them go?  Why do we have to fight?

It's probably because I'm hungry.  I'm frantically dieting at the moment (so I can fit my dress for the wedding) and have only lost 7ish pounds since I started.  Ok, so when I write that down, it actually seems like a bit of an accomplishment.  But I think to me it doesn't count because it's 7 pounds that I regained after my last weight loss, on top of gaining back what I had lost.

But now I'm tempted to go on a rant about weight loss.  I won't subject you to that...tonight.  Tomorrow is fair game.

Good night, pray that I am able to sleep.

Newness

I have two new things in my life today: bangs and boots.

Here are the bangs

It only took about 5 tries to get a photo that was sort of centred, mostly clear, with no cleavage taking over the screen.  But isn't Leigh super cute?!

I love my new bangs.  I had a few before, but they were wispy and tended to mostly look greasy and lonely.  My friend cut them for me and at first I was needing a little adjustment time but now I am in love.  How did I live before?  I think I look so much better.  I pity my previous self for looking so pathetic.  :-)

And the boots

A photo on might show them off better, but meh.  I bought these throw a Facebook buy and sell group.  These again were an adjustment, but now I love them.  Though I don't think I have many clothes that are worthy to be paired with them.  And I have a desire now to try to wear them with a skirt but I think that might be too daring for me.  We'll see.

I got lots of compliments on my boots.  Okay, by lots I mean two people, but still!  It's two of my friends so that means lots to me.

New things just jazz life up a little and I was needing that.  I was contemplating trying to rearrange the furniture in my room but I don't think my hubs wants me to do that.  Plus I don't know if all the stuff would fit in the room any other way.  

I have lots of ideas for organization in my house, but I don't have all my items to do that, so I kind of feel stuck in that area.  Like I want to organize all our craft supplies, and my scrapbooking stuff.  I was planning on buying a cabinet at Christmas, but that fell through when we needed to fix our truck tire.  But I still hold onto that idea.  I have decided that I might be able to put supplies in boxes or baskets or something and use my baby change table as a shelf, since I'm not using it for babies currently.  But then I need more boxes or whatever.  And I don't want to buy them here, since they're like expensive, I think $5 at Extra Foods.  There is a Dollar Tree (which is pretty much my favourite non-secondhand store) just an hour south of me in Idaho, but I have to get my passport renewal sent off before I can go down again.

So those are my thoughts tonight.  Glad you were able to share them with me!

Of Headaches and Julia Roberts

This day sure got away from me.  I had our Ladies'/Moms' Group this morning at my house and it was a nice refreshing time for my spirit.  Encouraging me to keep it up and seek God.

But after lunch my head started to KILL me.  I had gone to bed late last night, so I attributed it to that.  I am not much of a napper, but I figured it was worth a try since the headache wasn't going anywhere.  I locked the door, threw the Netflix on the Wii (since the kids can work that remote and not the XBox one) and went to my room to lie down.

An hour and a half later I had yet to even doze.  ARGH!

So I just gave up and vegged on the couch all afternoon.  I texted my husband to see if he could come home early since the kids were driving me nuts and I was responding very poorly but he couldn't.  Can't his boss see that I am a poor, sick woman who needs a break from needy children? (Did I sound pathetic enough?  haha, his boss is actually mostly good if I'm seriously ill and can't deal on my own, which isn't often)

And then hubby had to go to youth tonight, so he wasn't home very long before he left again.  So now I'm on my own.  But my head isn't quite as bad as it was before so that's a bit of a relief.  I am going to go watch some nice, light chick flick soon and possibly eat some popcorn for supper.

And while doing this I am not going to stress and worry about the state my house is in.  The dishes aren't done, no laundry is done, the toy room is a sort of mess (it's actually usually worse) and my floor needs to be mopped, for the second time this week.  When I get my own house, I am so making sure I have a floor that does NOT show every little speck on it.  So annoying.

So here's to Friday nights at home alone.  And not in a lonely way. In a I-can-watch-a-cheesy-rom-com-without-sarcastic-commentary kind of way.

Cheers!

Nothing Really Important to Say, Just Blabbering About My Offspring's Cuteness

I'm sitting here, wishing that I had a cup of tea but am feeling a little too lazy to go make one, listening to my girls play together and hearing them say things like, "More water!" "10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1, BOOM!" "The flowers" "Quuaaaaack, quuuuuaaaaaaaaaaaack"

One of my favourite things is to watch and listen to them play together.  The things that they imagine are sometimes so funny.  And a lot of the time, they don't even need toys to play.  One of their favourite things is to take all the condiments out of the fridge door.  Leigh likes to line them all in a row and count them over and over, while Abby likes to play with them.  The salad dressing might turn into a super hero, while the BBQ sauce is an animal in trouble.  Apparently all the toys in the play room are over rated.

I'm thankful that they like to play together, but am also constantly reminded that they definitely aren't perfect.  Just now they started a loud whining "Nooooo, No, No."  I think Leigh wanted the toy Abby had, or something.     

One cute thing that my girls do is switch places.  They seem to have their system worked out perfectly.  Like the other night they were both sitting in a laundry basket listening to Daddy play the guitar and sing songs to them.  And after each song, one of them would get up and say "OK" and move to switch spots.  And the other girl would get right up and move.  Then it would happen again.  They do this with colouring books, or playdough too.  It's pretty cute.

My Newest Inamimate Object Love

Hahahahahahahahahahahaha!  Wheeeeeeeeeee!

That is me laughing and doing a very happy dance.  I used my new laminator for the first time tonight and it works woooooooooooooooooonderful.

I had previously had a different laminator, a Sircle Lam something or other.  It worked alright...sometimes.  If you didn't put too many things in the pouch and if it was heated up enough between times and if you crossed all your fingers and toes and held your breath while it was running.

It drove me nuts because of the amount of things I had to redo.  Probably over 50%.  I was so frustrated.  But I figured that it was my own fault for cheaping out.  I don't remember exactly how much it was, but not much.  Finally after another night of me practically throwing all my papers on the floor because of it, my hubby suggested buying a different one, one that worked and didn't give me the twitches.

So I bought a Scotch TL901 Thermal Laminator, and as you can tell it works.  And bonus for me, I paid less for this one than the other one because it was on sale on Amazon, like somewhere around 80% off I think!  Dude!

I picked it because Carisa from 1+1+1=1 uses it, and I'm sure she does way more laminating than I do, so if she uses it it probably works great.

So tonight I finally got my calendar pieces fixed.  Hurrah!   I would do calendar time with them, but it was difficult, to say the least, when we didn't have the month, or the day.  So I would be like, "Well, today is the 12th, but we don't have that number, so we'll use 23."  Doesn't seem to have quite the same effect.

Interview With a Very Tired Mama

It's been awhile since I posted that I want to post while I have time right now, but my brain is also a giant piece of mush since I stayed up waaaaaaaaay past my bedtime last night at our ladies' sleepover (GREAT time by the way, but I'll talk about that tomorrow, or the day after, or sometime).   So instead I will fill in this little survey thingy that I got from Chronicler, over at Annals of a Christian Single.  Enjoy, and I hope I make sense!

1.  What's the nerdiest and/or weirdest thing about you? 

I like, ok LOVE, doing simple, mundane things, like filing or picking all the white stringy stuff off oranges or hand stitching

2. If you could live in a fictional universe from any book, movie,  or television show, what would it be?

3. Little or big, practical or frivolous, what are a few of your favorite items in your house?

I love my Kitchen Aid mixer, and my Bread maker (unsure of brand, too lazy to get up and look) and my pasta maker and pretty much all my kitchen stuff

4. Do you like animated movies? If so, what is your favorite?  

I do like animated movies, and my favourites rotate a little bit all the time.  Wall-E is a great one, and some recent ones that I loved were MegaMind and Despicable Me.

5. What is your least favorite household chore?P

Putting away laundry.  I really like laundry, except for this.

6. What's your favorite thing to get at Starbucks 

(or favorite coffee shop)?

Java Chip Frappucino.  I think I order it just to eat the chocolate chips

7. What is your favorite pizza topping?

Ham and Cheese.  Plain, simple and oh so delicious when homemade

8. Waffles or pancakes?

Pancakes

9. As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

Honestly, I never had a single clue.  I used to hate this question in CAPP.

10. Do you prefer cooking or baking?

I think I prefer cooking, just because it's a little more practical.  Baking is an optional extra, so I never get around to it.  

 

11. What would be your dream job?

If I didn't have children and any other kind of responsibility and calling, probably accounting.  I love numbers.  

12. Do you make your bed every morning?

I try to.  Not right away, but it is one of the first things I do once I "get started."

13. Picasso or Norman Rockwell?

Norman Rockwell

14. Do you like carpet, tile, or hardwood floors? 

Carpet.  I am in love with carpet.  It's so nice and soft and cushy and soft.  Of course I live in a house with mostly hardwood.

15. What is your least favorite thing about yourself??

Other than the extra 40lbs I'm carrying, my freckles.

16. Last movie you watched??

I started but didn't finish Mrs. Winterbourne

17. Computer or Television??

Computer. 

18. Favorite Sound?

My kids breathing (snoring) while sleeping

19. If you could have a $5000 shopping spree to one store, which store would it be? 

Some home organizing kind of store, like Bed Bath and Beyond.  

20. If you could be any Jane Austen fictional character who would you choose (or if you would prefer any fictional character)? 

Elizabeth Bennet or Anne Elliot.

So there you go.  A quick little survey to entertain you until my brain function returns to normal (or something like that).  Copy this to your blog and redo it if you like, or don't.  It's no skin off my back if you do or don't and if you don't, you won't be plagued with any curses.  Bonus.

Yes, This Post Counts as a Distraction

There are so many distractions in this world, it's enough to drive me to distraction.  Wow, that was lamer written out than in my head!  Haha.  But seriously, that is all I am about today, distraction.  Maybe I am just more susceptible to distraction than every other person out there, but it just seems hard to get away from.

There's my iPhone.  Wonderful thing that it is.  It's handy for phoning and texting.  Also handy for Facebook and Solitaire and Civilization and stupid, mindless games that have no point but I play anyways.  That's the problem, it's handy.  I can take it all over the house with me.  I can stop for a quick sit down in the kitchen and bam, spend half an hour moving cards around.  Wow.

There's books.  Some people, like my hubs, aren't readers and so they don't have trouble resisting the temptation to open a book and read and read and read.  I am kind of jealous of them.  Because I am a reader, and I sure have a hard time resisting that temptation.  In fact, I usually don't resist, I just give in and read and read and read and, well you get the picture.  I remember when I was a teenager and I shared a room with my sister, and I would read in our hallway by the light of the bathroom light so she could get some sleep.

There's the computer.  Since I have my iPhone, this isn't quite as big a distraction, but it definitely can be.  I can check my e-mail and then zoom around, maybe shopping, maybe just window shopping (yep, definitely window) and sometimes the stuff I'm looking at is 'good' stuff, stuff that I might need to know or use eventually, but really, I should be doing something else at that moment.

But, here's some points for me.  The TV isn't really a distraction for me!  Hurray!  We don't have any kind of cable or satellite so that's mostly the reason for that.  If we did have some kind of channels, I know that I would watch "just one show" and end up watching four.  I'm just that person.  

Getting Snowhere

Here is my front yard.

And just so you know, at the bottom is my weed patch, I mean vegetable garden

I like the look of snow.  Winter is here now.  I wouldn't mind winter if it weren't for the having-to-bundle-up factor.  Snow is so pretty, and can be fun.  It's the before and after math that isn't fun, namely wet boots, mitts, coats, pants, etc, etc.

Snow and winter mean changes.  Simple changes like not wearing flip-flops (so sad!!!!) and start wearing a warmer jacket, and bigger changes, like putting cellophane around all the windows in your house to eliminate drafts (speaking of which...).  Another change is that I pretty much have stopped walking with the girls to Abby's preschool, and drive the ONE SINGLE block there.  I admit, I do feel ridiculous.

But my strollers wheels are not made for this!  I really need to think about these things more before I buy something I suppose.  Anyways.  It's just nicer to drive, though it takes almost as much time when you factor in the time it takes to do up and undo car seat buckles.  Though if we don't warm up the truck, then I don't really think it's that worth it since it is just as cold.

One big bump that has come as a result of the snow is that dear Abby (hahaha) refuses to wear her snowpants.  When this snow first came, last Thursday, she was excited to go outside and build a snowman (which would have been pretty impossible since it is not sticky-together snow, just fluff).  I got the snowpants on, but right after that it was like something clicked in her brain and she whipped those things off as fast as she could go.

She practically spits on you if you mention them.  This could be a loooooooooong winter.  I could deal with her never playing in the snow, fine.  But her class goes outside two out of three days!  I can send the pants with her, but I don't know if she would put them on, even for someone who wasn't Mama.  I guess we'll find out.

Does This Make Me a Redneck?

Our Change Table Cushion
You should see the crib mattress

Who Wants To Know What Erica Thinks Late at Night

It is late.  Yes it is.  This is not an unusual fact since this time of day (or night) comes every 24 hours.  Yes, brilliant conversation I know.  But what is not so usual is that I am not asleep.  I usually shut my lights out by 11.  Ideally this would be 10 but lets face it, I almost never reach my ideals.

Case in point, ideally I should be sleeping.  I am not.  So obviously I need to work on hitting my goals more often.  Since I am forced (sort of, technically I guess I'm forcing myself since it's my own brain keeping me from my comfy bed) to be here, therefore you shall be forced to read my late night thoughts.  I'm scared, and so should you be!

Does anyone else have troubles falling asleep?  I know my mom has the same issues as me, and I suspect that my oldest daughter does too since of the times I've slept with her, she takes forever to settle down and sometimes she wakes up in the middle of the night wide awake.  Seriously, WIDE. 

My brain refuses to shut off.  That is my problem.  It just keeps thinking of this and that.  The things I didn't do today, the things I did.  What I should do tomorrow.  The statistics of whether I actually will do them or not.  How long it will take to lose my weight.  When will we have more kids.  Am I really going to be able to teach my kids at home?  Am I crazy for wanting to try? 

This list could go on, but I'll stop there and spare you the agony of reading it.  It must be boring reading someone else's thoughts.  Well, when they are randomly posted like this.  But oh!  I have a great sort of "praise report" thingy about my being up late:  I haven't snacked on anything yet!  That is a miracle.  I have discovered these last few years, that I eat just to fill the time (eating is so much more fun than mopping the floor yet again).  And especially in the evening I like to snack.  So it is a huge thumbs up to me for not consuming any food as I type this.

Well, I think this might be enough late night rambling for you all to take in.  Maybe I'll be able to sleep now that I've wrote this out for you all.  Or maybe not.  It's not like I actually wrote anything of substance tonight. 

Quest for the World's Best Long John

Mark had the day off yesterday, so we took a family day.  The plan was to head over to a neighbouring city and eat some pasta at a restaurant that we have heard good things about and then hop over to a bakery we had tried before and get some donuts and apple pie.  The baked goods at this bakery are beyond my description.  They are simply phenomenal.  I have never had such a delicious long john donut in my life.

The pasta restaurant fell far below our expectations.  We had both heard, from different sources, that they had great food.  Well first off, once inside I thought I was blind.  The lighting was so dim.  Lots of restaurants have dimmer lighting, trying for a mood or something right?  But this was just beyond anything.  There were only windows at the very front, and these were just some small ones up high.  And the lights were only down the aisles, not over the tables.  I am a bit of a light sensitive freak, so this was a huge issue for me. 

Both my hubs and I ordered the 'pasta of the day' which happened to be penne, with two meatballs.  And that's all I really can say about it.  It was just that, nothing great, nothing horrendous, just penne.  Slightly disappointing.  And to top it off, they didn't even have fries.  What restaurant doesn't have fries?  They had "JoJos".  What are "JoJos" you may ask?  This is exactly the question I asked our waitress since she seemed to assume that we knew what "JoJos" were when she explained that they didn't have fries.  "JoJos" are small roasted potatoes.  They are actually quite tasty, but don't really cut it with picky 4-year-olds who only eat fries in restaurants.

I didn't eat much lunch, both because I didn't really like it and also to save some calorie room for long johns!  We truck over one block to the bakery and are greeted with a sign saying they are on vacation for the month.  Words cannot express my disappointment. 

We perked up though and decided to try a bakery we saw a block over.  But they didn't have much of a selection, just a few cookies and what are cookies to long johns? 

So we decide to run over to the town next door, so to speak, since it's just 20kms away.  I looked up some bakeries to try and we didn't have too hard a time finding them.  But, no joking, this one was closed too.  So we decided (again) to try the NEXT town, about 50ish kms away. 

This town was so stinking busy and so funnily laid out, we looped the main street blocks a few times, first looking for the bakeries, then looking for places to park.  We tried 3 or 4 there, but none had what we were looking for.  Just cakes and muffins, no DONUTS!!!

I admitted defeat and we went to Safeway and got some donuts and cookies from there, and two frappucinos for us, since I was in need of a huge caffeine burst.  These donuts fell so short of what I had been hoping for, I could only eat a few bites.

But a plus of our three-town-search was that we got to go home across the lake ferry and the girls just loved it.  And while we were waiting for the ferry they got to watch some ducks.  So that was almost worth it.

Downfall of the Lounging Day

Mark was heading out of town early this morning (5:30) and was going to be gone overnight.  I usually try to get up to say goodbye when he's gone for a few days, but last time I got up I wasn't able to get back to sleep and ended up with a horrible headache and just had a crumby day so I figured I would stay in bed and try to sleep.  Maybe if I would get myself to bed at a decent time I could get up earlier, which I would love to do, but that's a whole other story.

But Abby woke up around this time so he dumped her in bed with me and that hampered me getting back to sleep until she fell asleep again since she squirmed and fussed and fidgeted.  And insisted on drinking from a metal water bottle that went clink, clink, clink.  But I did get a few more minutes of sleep before Leigh woke up.  Leigh cuddled in bed with me for a little while before demanding "Hot Dogs!" for breakfast.  Well, I didn't have any hot dogs, and even if I did, I probably wouldn't give them for breakfast.  She settled for toast.

I sat (laid down under a quilt) on the couch while she was eating, half dozing, half trying to wake up by playing games on my iPhone.  Abby slept in until nine, the time when I was conveniently making myself some toast so I just gave her one of my pieces.  Then we proceeded to just do nothing much.  They played, and screamed and fussed and fought, while I read and played and sat there like a blob.  None of us were dressed.  I did change Leigh's diaper though, since she was STINKY. 

And guess who walks in the door just before the lunch hour?  Mark!  My wonderful husband that I want to impress with all my wonderful housewifely skills.  Yes, he caught me on a lounging day. 

I was so embarrassed!  Not that the house is always perfect and this will ruin any kind of image I have with him.  No, he's pretty much seen me (and our house) much worse than this.  But I have been trying so hard to keep up with cleaning and all that kind of stuff and to not slack off by reading or playing on my iPhone or wasting time on Facebook (curse you FB!!!  Why are you so addictive and revolting at the same time?).  He goes to work 5, sometimes 6, days a week, and he doesn't get to sit around.  But I am supposed to be manning the homefront.

Oh well!  So that is my secret of the day.  If I ever try to portray myself as this perfect super-mom/wife, you all know differently.  You know that my husband came home and found me in an old, hole-y tank top with no dishes or laundry done at all. 

My To-Do List for Today

• Tidy Kitchen.  Though tidy seems to imply that it just needs a few quick minutes to organize or put away dishes.  I could probably split this point up into at least 5 or 6 points : Empty dishwasher, fill dishwasher, run dishwasher, hand-wash cutting board and dishes that don't fit in dishwasher, wipe down counters and fridge and stove, put away miscellaneous papers behind stereo, clear off table.  See what I mean?  But I like one point, it makes it feel do-able.
• Make Pizza Dough.  Actually make two pizza doughs.  But the bread maker does most of the work so this is fairly easy.
• Make Cinnamon Buns.  I can't start this until after the pizza dough is done since I use the bread maker for all my kneading.  And for this one it is dependent on me cleaning up the kitchen since I don't want dirty crumbs in my buns.
• Do Laundry, including bed sheets.  I actually don't have a ton of laundry to do, which is nice.  I just want to have my hamper cleared before we leave tomorrow.  Our bed sheets are desperately in need of a wash though, since they are our only ones at the moment.  My lovely daughters somehow managed to rip my other bottom sheet to pieces.  I have no clue how.  So now when I need to wash our sheets I have to strip the bed and can't make it until I wash the sheets again.  Hence they haven't been washed in awhile.
• Pack.  Hopefully shouldn't take long, we're only gone until Tuesday.  I'm hoping to fit all our clothes into a small suitcase.  I doubt I can do it.  I am a notorious over-packer.
• Get the Food Ready for the Trip.  Basically put everything into a large reusable grocery bag to be taken out to the car and consumed on our long drive tomorrow.
• Clean Out Car.  This will kill two birds with one stone as it will give the girls a little outside play time.
• Tidy House.  Like the kitchen, it entails much more than it sounds.  I doubt I will get close to done on this one, but I can dream.  If the floor is at least cleared I can feel ok.  My secret for that is to toss everything into laundry baskets to be put away whenever I get the time.
• Make Cream Cheese Icing.  This should probably be located up by my other food points, but my list is basically random.  But this is an essential point.  Icing for our cinnamon buns.  Mmmmmm.
• Pick Out Toys for Trip.  Gather together books, toys, and other random objects that will hopefully keep our girls entertained, along with large amounts of snacks, for roughly 14 hours.  Usually we have a DVD player for the car, but it is mysteriously missing (I think it was stolen).