Tuesday afternoon...

Here's the set up. No one else is sick at our house. Ruthie is over it, Daniel had a small bout yesterday and the boys and I didn't get it. So Daniel is at work. Although he could come home at anytime in the next couple hours and I'd be happy. The boys are at school. ("I don't care if you think you'll be sick, if you're not puking or have diarrhea, you are going to school!") And Ruthie was invited to go to her friend's house. So here I am. At home. Alone. For 2 more hours. Now here is a brief list of things I could get accomplished...pass out the Primary Program parts to the moms of the kids who weren't in Primary Sunday, make my bed, continue to case lot buy, clean the house, organize the food storage mess in the basement, open the blinds, read a book, watch a couple episodes of The Office, watch a chick flick...oh the list could go on and on. But as I have been sitting in the house all alone, very quiet, I figure I deserve a treat! So I ran to the store and bought myself a box of Ding Dongs. Oh yes, Ding Dongs. Just for me. There may not be any left when they all come home.
I don't have to share what they don't know I have. If I have any left, that is. Maybe I will sit and watch mindless TV for a bit. Are you enjoying your Tuesday afternoon? And, yes, I did eat one in the car on my way home from the store. Why do you ask?

Cheap Entertainment

This weekend has been a little rough on Ruthie. She threw up a couple of times and had the runs. She is finally done, though, and this morning came running into my room and jumped into bed with me to prove she was feeling better. As she got snuggly in bed with me, she pulled out a little flashlight and said she wanted to tell Spooky Stories. Okay. I ask her if she has a spooky story. Yep, she says. She turns on the flashlight and puts in under her chin and begins the scary tale of a Princess. That's so not spooky. She begins The 3 Bears. Hmm. Not really a spooky story. So I tell her it needs to be scary. Okay, she says, how about you tell the story of the Big Bad Wolf. Hmmm. I don't think she really gets the spooky part. Alright. So she shines the flashlight on my chin and I begin the story. Once upon a time, there were 3 pigs who were ready to go out on their own... I get to the part where the first pig buys some straw for $100 and Ruthie begins to tell her own version of the tale at 200 mph giggling all the way! I say, who's telling the story?? She stopped. So I get to the the part about the chinny chin chin. The girl has a giggle fit to end all giggle fits. So we finally got through the story and giggled and hugged and then had to get up to get our boys ready for school. Sometimes the best entertainment is the cheap, homemade kind!

I Need More Of Me!

My sister was here visiting with her 4 kiddos a couple of weeks ago (Hi Katie!) and when I mentioned that I'd like a nanny and a chef, etc, she recommended clones. Now I've never really thought cloning was a good idea. Have you seen Multiplicity?? So many unpleasantries. But Katie may have a point. Let's visit all that the mommy has to do in a day...

*Laundry...Neverending!

*Homework...I was already in first and third grade, do I really have to do it all again?

*Meals...Why are they always hungry?

*Dishes...It all goes back to the meal thing.

*Shower night...Children should be able to lick themselves clean, right?

*Floor cleaning...Between feeding them and all the stuff they track in from the backyard...Sheesh!

*Taxi-ing to school, preschool, activities, etc...I'm not so concerned about the gas as much as I thought my title was "Stay At Home Mom".

*Gardening...The hubby would like to comment on this, but I would just like to say that I THINK about getting out there...

*Bed making...Don't we just have to get back in them?

*Vacuuming...I would like to refer you back to Floor Cleaning.

*Bathroom cleaning...YUCK!

*Wall washing...Seriously?

*Baseboard washing...Are you really supposed to wash them?

*Home lunch to be made for school...Isn't that why I paid an arm and a leg for the school lunch cards?

*Window washing...I already know what the outside looks like, do I have to be able to see it clearly, too?

*Car cleaning...I have 3 children! C'mon!

*Blogging...I find a certain need to do it!

*Grocery shopping...And this entails: matching prices in ads, clipping coupons and making detailed lists. It's not a job for sissies.

*Primary stuff...Oh, WOW!

*Wifely stuff...It's fine. I am currently certified.

*Nurse duties...I'm not currently certified.

*Psychiatric duties...Again, not currently certified.

*Background checks on the kids' friends...Well, making sure the kids are decent and nice.

*Refereeing the fights...Can't we all just get along?

At this point I could go on for several more moments. But I think you get the point. So here is my plan. I will clone myself into at least 20 me s. I think I'm pretty cute and fun and stuff, So I don't see a big deal having so many of me around. With all those other Jennies I will be able to get focused on only one thing. And when I decide what the one thing is, I may let you know. But if you can't tell which is the real me, it won't matter. I could flitter around each day and just pick what sounds super great! Right now, I want a nap. The whole thing just makes me tired.

Once Upon A Time... Part 15

Sunday morning I got up and dressed my best and was upstairs to wait for Dan. The morning was going slow. I went over my lesson to make sure I had my head on straight. The doorbell rang. Yes! He's here. We needed to go, too. It was almost 11.

I had to sit on the stand in Sacrament meeting because I led the music. So he sat by himself. I think I came down to sit by him after the Sacrament until the closing hymn. I mean, how could I not! I loved that he was there, that he was him and that he was there for ME!

I taught my lesson and was only slightly, okay, tremendously, distracted by my smiling brown eyed angel who was watching me. He seriously just smiled through the whole lesson. I loved his smile. His eyes twinkle when he smiles. We split up for the third hour and I missed him. I watched the clock, willing it to move faster. 2:00 finally came and I met him in the hall. Smiling. Twinkling!

I had him come into the room where we would have choir practice and showed him where the tenors sat. He went out to talk to a guy he had met in class and it disturbed me that he had left the room! He soon came back in smiling and twinkling and sat down. I noticed many of my choir members glanced at the new tenor. All I could do was smile. I probably twinkled a little myself.

As we practiced, we watched each other. I had hope that Dan's superior tenor singing voice would lead my tenor section to new heights. Inexplicably, they still struggled. They seemed to even struggle a bit more than usual. Maybe they were all just thrown for a loop by the most handsome of all men that joined us that day. Hmmm.

It was finally time to go. Home. Together. We left together for my house. Aahh. I introduced Dan to everyone who was already at my house. Parents, brothers. I had told him to bring a change of clothes and we each went to get out of our Sunday go to meetin' duds. Soon after, my sisters and their families started to arrive. They all shook hands with Dan and sized him up. Remember my track record. They were all curious as to what made him tick. Dan played basketball with the guys and we had dinner and made light conversation with family.

After dinner, Dan and I went to the basement to talk and watch a movie. He again asked if he could put his arm around me. Yes, my dear. I don't remember what we watched, but we didn't watch for long. We talked. A lot. We talked about our families, our dreams, what kind of life we each wanted, how many children we wanted, where we wanted to live, what kind of home we wanted to raise kids in. It went on for a while. Neither of us can remember how we got to the end it got to. But it got there. The conversation moved around and around until we got to the point. We wanted the same things. We had the same goals and dreams. I told him that I wouldn't be able to have a lot of kids because of the Diabetes. I wanted to adopt. (This was a big deal and a deal breaker for me) Dan nodded his head and said, "We can do that. I'd like to do that" He asked me if I would stay home with our kids. I said yes, of course. (The deal breaker for him was if I didn't want to raise our own children) We decided that doing these same things together would be a great idea. We talked about which temple we would get married in and when would be a good time to get married. I was laying down on the couch next to Dan with this arms around me. I turned to look at him and said, "Does this mean we're engaged?" He looked at me with those dark brown eyes and said, "Guess so!" We smiled at each other.

This was it. This is what we had both been waiting for. All the turmoil of dating (yes, turmoil of dating!) and the agony of wanting something and never quite getting it. It all culminated in this moment. Dan said, "I think we should kiss." You got it! We did. Wow!

We decided we needed a plan. We also needed a date. First we needed a ring. We decided that we wouldn't say anything to anyone until we had a ring. We planned for him to come get me on Tuesday evening to look for a ring. Oh, yes, I would choose my own ring! We planned to tell our families when that ring was on my finger. It's funny how things never really go the way you plan them to.

It was getting late. We walked upstairs and we held hands. Oh, yes! I held his hand. At the door he said he would be there Tuesday to get me. He kissed me and said he loved me. I was a little taken aback by such a statement. But it was a wonderful statement. And it was exactly how I felt, too. "I love you, too." He kissed me again and said good night. Good night.

Does it really count??

...If your son, who doesn't like to sit on the stool for 6 minutes when he breaks a rule, comes right into the house and gets on the stool before the one he's inflicted comes in to say what happened? I mean seriously! It necessitated a stool sit. I just would have liked to have known what he did before he put himself there. Is it like robbing a bank and then walking right into the county jail and sliding the bars closed? Hmmm. I'll have to think about this one. Silly dude!

Mother of the Cub

My blog has had a suprising lack of pictures lately. Last night I went out to a cooking show and missed Pack meeting where Isaac got his Bobcat badge. So I went to the camera to see the picture one of the boys took of Daniel and Isaac. I'll show it to you later. I realized that I haven't put any of his fun Cub Scout pictures on!! What an outrage. So this post is dedicated to my first born. To the boy who made me a mom. To the boy who has my freckles. To the boy who made an awesome car for the Pinewood Derby. To the boy who can build cities and towns with a handful of Legos. To the boy whose smile melts my heart. To the boy who never throws away his Capri Sun wrappers....


Here he is at day camp earlier this summer. He had a blast and Daniel got to go with him. Here he is walking an unsteady rope that hangs over crocodile infested waters. The rapids in the crocodile infested waters are strong enough to take your life before the crocs get to you. He smiles because he knows how to outwit croc infested rapids! Needless to say, he made it across safely and without injury. Some of the other boys weren't so lucky.
Remember the crocodiles? Yeah. Someone had to take them out. Isaac was a crackshot with the BB gun. He took down 17 crocs with just a smattering of BBs. The other boys didn't take it as seriously as my son. If only there was a window in the visor of his LA hat. The concentration on his face would have sent the crocs running before shots were fired!
Isn't he handsome?? You know that he looks just like his mom? He sure is cute. If he would just let his hair grow and then let me put a pink bow in it... or a braided headband on his forehead... he would look just like...me.

He chose a Hot Wheels-Train motif for the Derby. His race time came in 6th of 237 cars. Not too shabby! He also won a certificate for biggest car. Next year I think he'll go for a sleeker look. Just as long as it's fast! Flames will most likely still be involved.
The big moment his mom missed! He finished the requirements for his Bobcat a couple months ago, but we haven't had regular pack meeting to get it. Dad is especially proud. He also earned the BB gun shooting belt loop and the archery belt loop. That's what you get when you shoot so many crocs and then use the bow and arrow to hunt lunch for everyone! Mmm...fire roasted rabbit. Smile, Isaac!! Sheesh!
And then there's his dad! Wowzers!! Be still my beating heart. Which reminds me...I need to post the next part of Once Upon A Time. How about tomorrow? See you then and have a great day!

Our version

of Family Night.

At least tonight's version. Ready?

Make the kids clean up their rooms and the house--activity.

Get all the kids into the van and buckled of their own accord.--family bondage, I mean bonding.

Get twist cones at the Triple Stop--refreshments.

"BE NICE. AMEN."--lesson.

Listening to the radio--opening and closing songs.

"Please make my kids like each other and listen to their mom."--opening and closing prayers.

I'm A Nut.

I'm a little acorn brown

Lying on the cold, cold ground

Everybody steps on me

That is why I'm cracked you see

I'm a nut (crack, crack)

I'm a nut (crack crack)

I'm a nut, I'm a nut, I'm a nut (crack crack)

The crack is when you click your tongue on the roof of your mouth. It's also the sound of me cracking.

Why am I a nut, you ask? Why am I cracking? It's Primary Program time. Not enough detail? Parts, music, who sings what verse, how many kids can give the same talk, how are we gonna get over 110 kiddos on the stand, do we have them up there during the Sacrament or just all come up right before we start, will they get all the talks written and back to me on time, will the little kids sit reverently, will the littlest kids sing, will the president's head explode???????

I hope not.

I mean I hope my head doesn't explode. I DO hope they sing, do their parts, are reverent, etc.

It'll be fine. Just smile and wave. Enjoy the cracking. It'll be all over soon.....

It's a WHAT??

A Girdle.

As I brought Ruthie into my bathroom to comb her hair, she sees this thing draped over the side of the tub.

"What is that, mom?" she asks.

"My girdle" I say.

"What's a girdle?"

"It's what I wear to hooolllllll...hmmmm. It's what I wear when I wear a skirt to keeeeee.....hmmmm. (How shall I put this??) Iwearittoholdmyrolls." (Think of me saying that really fast)

"What rolls?"

"Um. These rrr...hmmm. Just my tummy, honey."

"But where are the rolls?" Isn't it obvious, child? I mean, I'm not even dressed yet.

"The rolls on my tummy."

"I JUST DON'T SEE ANY ROLLS THERE, MOM!!"

After wiping the tear of gratitude from my right eye and giving her a kiss of thanks on her cheek, I realize that she most likely is thinking of the rolls we eat. Oh well. I enjoyed her response anyway!

As long as the rolls live, Long Live The Girdle!!

Once Upon A Time... Part 14

Dan came to pick me up for our fourth date. I was determined at this point to be more obvious about what I wanted. Him. Dan had made reservations for the Macaroni Grill. I suppose he was determined to take me there. When we got there, they said it would still be a 45 minute wait. Oh man! So we walked over to a neighboring furniture store. It smelled of leather couches and Dan's cologne. We just meandered through the store looking but mostly talking.

We found a beautiful black leather chair. We took turns sitting in it. Mmmm. Comfy. We just sat there and talked and then a clerk came over to ask if we were there to buy or just look. I remember looking at Dan and thinking, "One day, we'll be in a furniture store to buy! Together!" Just the 2 of us. We said we were just looking and the clerk moved on to find a buyer. Dan looked at the chair closely and said he would buy it if he had a way to get it home. He had a small car. I was impressed. Oh Yay!, I thought, we'll have leather furniture and stuff.

I'd like to insert here that we do not own anything leather at all. One day, though, I will have a vehicle with leather interior, leather couches, leather counter tops, leather toilet seats and leather pants. Wait, not counter tops. What was I thinking??

We finally decided it was time to head back to the restaurant. Bummer. The chair was so nice. We ate and decided it would have been better to go somewhere else. It was ok, just not worth 2 weeks of date wait! But the talk while we waited was nice. So was the view.

We went back to my house to watch a movie then. My parents and youngest brother were there and said hi to my dream man. We picked Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark to watch and headed to the basement. We cuddled under a blanket and the movie became background noise as we ki... talked! ( I'd like to insert here that I have previously referred to myself as Chastity's Poster Child.) We talked. He asked if it was ok to put his arm around me and I said yes. We cuddled and then a voice appeared from no where.

Adam. My brother. He wanted to meet Dan. Dan got up and went to shake his hand. Adam looked at Dan's stature and said, "Do you play basketball?" "Yes." "Good, we'll have to play sometime."

Awesome. I told Dan I was teaching Gospel Doctrine on Sunday and what I was going to teach. He said he would like to come to hear me teach again. Of course. I asked him if he'd like to just stay for dinner after and play basketball with all the guys. Of course. I told him I had choir practice after church and he was welcome to come to that or just come back to my house to wait for me. What kind of dumb invitation was that?? Come to my parents house to wait without me? Whatever. He would come to choir and asked if he could sing with us. Of course. What do you sing, I ask? Tenor. Wonderful! I need more tenors!

When he left that night he gave me the tightest, best hug at the door. I was twitterpated! I was falling for him fast! I was excited he would be with me at church the next day. Oh, what should I wear?? Doesn't matter! He liked me no matter what! I told my mom to expect one more for dinner the next day. I think she was excited he would be coming. Actually, all of my family, upon hearing that he would be there, was thrilled he would be there. I think they were all thinking the same thing I was. This is it!

NO MORE...

...Pinching the Ward Clerk's bottom, No More Catching his eye while he counts, No More winking at him, No More stealing a kiss from him in the Clerk's office...

I don't think his wife would appreciate that!

I'm moving on to greener pastures. A new bottom to pinch. A new eye to catch in the hall. New kisses to steal. I'm moving on to the...

CUBMASTER!

He's hot!

(Daniel was released as the Clerk and then sustained as the Cubmaster)

All I Want For Christmas...

Last night we went to a BBQ for Daniel's work. Argentinian BBQ. YUM! They rented 3 bouncy thingys for the kids and that's all my kids did. At one point Sam came to me with a tear in his eye, hands that were shaking and a napkin in his mouth with blood on it. He had lost the other front tooth. Remember what happened to the first front tooth...refer to this post if you forgot. He had been bouncing on one of the bouncy thingys and his tooth got stuck in the netting on top of the slide part that is there to keep the kids from bouncing. A lot of good that did.
So as we are driving home late last night, Sam says, "All I want for Christmas is 3 Godzilla movies, a Godzilla toy, another Godzilla toy, another Godzilla toy, 2 more Godzilla movies and my two front teeth!" Got it, Godzillas and teeth. Oh, and no more bouncy things or nets.

On another note. I figure I should explain something I wrote in this post. Considering my mother in law doesn't smell like moth balls, I thought I should give some background. I didn't meet Daniel's parents until I was about 4 months pregnant with Isaac. They had been serving a mission in Vietnam. While they were gone, everything they owned had been packed away in moth balls. So every time I went into their house while they were away, that's all I could smell. She wasn't even home, but when I smell moth balls, it reminds me of my mother in law. You should meet her. She's a very nice lady. What's really weird is that Daniel's brother Stephen and his family were living there while his parents were gone. I don't have a moth ball connection to any of them.

Maybe I'm the weird one after all. But at least I don't get my teeth knocked out on trampolines and other bouncy thingys.

The Sarajune Project

Now I realize I've called this string of musings several things...The Sarajune Project, Sarajune Project, Sarajune Chronicles, The Sarajune Chronicles. Seems a little funny that I can't keep the same title. What's a girl to do? So I'm gonna go back to my original title of The Sarajune Project. Thanks for reading!

Tomorrow is a red letter day. Ok, maybe not so much. Over the last few weeks I have been riproaring emotional. Of course there are the obvious reasons for emotion. I mean, I'm a girl, after all. But for some reason this has been a little more than usual. Last weekend I got home from church and just cried into Daniel's shoulder. A little while later, I looked at the big calendar on the wall and looked at the coming week. Then I realized where the emotion was coming from. Saturday, September 13, is our 2 year anniversary of waiting for Sarajune.

Now the wait hasn't been exactly 2 years. We did 9 months of paperwork before that. The anniversary is our LID (Log In Date). So what does that mean? It means our paperwork has been in Beijing at the CCAA (China Center of Adoption Affairs) since that date. It is the date that officially started our "wait".

Daniel suggested some ideas to distract me on Saturday. I didn't like some of them because they involved people coming to my house, which I'd have to clean, feeding them dinner, which I'd have to prepare, and niceties, which I'm not ready to give. So we're going to the Dinosaur Park as a family to have lunch and see the 'saurs. It's always more fun when dad gets to come!

I have gotten two particular questions a little more than usual lately. So I figure this is a good place to answer and hopefully explain those!

Why is the wait so long?? and Is there a baby already waiting for you??

To the first question...I don't know.

The wait is just what it is. China used to have the most dependable program of all the international programs. You knew you would have your baby in your arms in a certain amount of time after your LID. Over the last 3 years, the wait has spread and gotten longer. The program is run by the CCAA and they are the ones who make all the decisions. It doesn't matter what agency you are with or what country you are from. The CCAA sends out a number of referrals (pictures and info on your baby) each month. That number is what determines how long the wait is. We are in a very long line. The CCAA just sent referrals for 9 days. That is a good number. When we got Ruthie's referral, they sent a month and a half of days. Right now, 9 days is gigantic! (Compared to the 2-3 days they have been sending)

To the second question...No.

At the rate the CCAA is going, she won't be born for another year or so. As they get closer to our LID in the line, the greater the chance is that she has been born. We won't know who she is until we get our referral.

And yes, we are looking at another 2 years.

With that, I have let the emotion come when it has gotten close to the surface. It's been close a lot lately. But my arms are full of my three gorgeous kids and all the fun and stuff that comes with them! Even though I feel the emptiness of one more child, I am grateful I have my kiddos who are here in my arms already. Sarajune stays tucked away in my heart.

You won't have to ask when our referral comes! You will know. It will be the shouts of joy and the screams of delight that echo throughout the land that will let you know that we have her picture and will be packing to go get her. China. Aahhh. I can't wait to come back to see you!

I'm not really as big of a basket case as you might think, at the moment. Time heals things. And since I've got plenty of time, I will probably be healed of any and all ailments and that would be a good thing. Wish us luck with those 'saurs!

A Day...

Today is a day of remembrance. A day of sorrow. A day of joy. Yes, joy. I have my family. I have a home. I have love in my life. I have been blessed beyond any of my expectations. No matter what others choose or have chosen to do, I know who I am. I know that God is in charge and that He wouldn't just allow anything to happen. What have we learned over the last 7 years?

What have I learned? I have learned that my country means more to me than I was aware. I have learned that with my family around me, I have everything. I have learned that we have agency and that no matter what choices we make, others will be affected. I have learned that we live in the greatest nation on earth and God will only bless this nation if we are worthy of it. I have learned that people still need constant reminders to remember that tragedy is what brought us together. I have learned that no tragedy should make our nation pull together so quickly, we should already be united. I have learned that I am weak in so many aspects. I have learned my strengths as I strive to do what is right. I have learned that so many in this country are willing to give everything for it, still! I have learned that the pride in my heart for my country will not soon die.

Make today a day of reflection. No matter your political stance, who you will vote for or not vote for, no matter what you have felt about war or unrest in the world. Remember what the Lord has said of our great nation, "Wherefore, this land is consecrated unto him whom he shall bring. And if it so be that they shall serve him according to the commandments which he hath given, it shall be a land of liberty unto them; wherefore, they shall never be brought down into captivity; if so, it shall be because of iniquity; for if iniquity shall abound cursed shall be the land for their sakes, but unto the righteous, it shall be blessed forever." (2 Nephi 1:7)

Refect on where you stand for righteousness' sake. That is what will make our nation great! May God bless America in every way He possibly can because of our righteousness!

Once Upon A Time... Part 13

I need to pause the story and back up a little on this week that just passed. Dan had been doing some research of Diabetes. He was worried about going on in this relationship if this little thing I've got would cause tragedy and woe later on. After all, why continue a relationship if it's not the right one? Was I the right one? He got as much information as one could possibly get without drawing attention to oneself. He finally decided that it didn't matter. I was worth it!

Each of us, on our own time and in our own way, knew by Saturday that this was it. I was his T.O., he was my T.O. We each spent time in the temple, praying and Dan did lots of fasting. (I can't fast) So we both were on the same page but still not saying anything out loud. And especially not saying anything to each other. But Saturday awaits.....

My mom asked if I was going out with Doug again. Um. Doug? You mean Dan? "Oh, I thought his name was Doug!" Nope. Always been Dan. Lovely, lovely Dan. She asked if things were getting serious. This was just our third date coming up. Maybe she sensed what Dan and I had already decided. This is it!

Saturday night came and he came to the door to get me. As soon as I saw him I KNEW he was The One! No denying it! I said goodbye to my parents and we were off. He smelled so good. He looked so good. He was definitely my T.O. He wanted to take me to the Macaroni Grill, a new restaurant. When we got there the wait time was horrendous. We were hungry. So we went to Marie Calandar's instead. As we walked through the parking lot, we were walking close to each other and I wanted to just reach out and hold his hand. I didn't know what to do. Would he think I was way too forward? What if he doesn't even like holding hands? What if he didn't want to hold my hand?

Then we were going inside. Darn. Opportunity gone! But, I knew that I would get to hold his hand sometime. Especially if he were feeling the same way I did! That would be my goal!

We were seated and we just talked. Although this time it got a little more personal. We got on the subject of quirks. You know, the weird little things that we do that maybe no one really sees or knows about. He outlines things with his eyes. Very strange. I do everything in evens. Even stranger. Hmmm. Maybe I'll share that strangeness with you sometime. Not now. There are other things to discuss. We talked for a very long time. Finally it was time to go.

We went to what was the 49th Street Galleria. I think it was the Fun Dome, though. Now it's a pet center. We played Miniature Golf. We talked and talked and Daniel won. I let him. I'm nice like that. I figured I would stroke his ego. Cause I'm really good at miniature golf. Stop snickering!

We played some video games then we decided to go. We went back to my house to talk. Again. We talked for a long time about lots of things. I knew I wanted to talk to him forever. When it was time for him to go, he gave me a hug and said he'd call me Sunday. He did. Then he called me Thursday to plan a date for Saturday. This was definitely what I wanted. Everything felt right. Everything was right.

So what will happen next?? Another date? Then another date? Then another? And on and on? Or will we finally say out loud what we were screaming inside? This was the greatest time of my life. I had only just met Dan 20 days earlier. And I had known for just days that he really was The One! So what will the next weekend bring for us?.....

When do 3 kids feel like 3 bazillion?

Right in the middle of Sacrament Meeting!

That was today's joke, by the way. My kids right now are playing hide the tack. Not hide the penny or hide the stuffed animal. No. Hide the thumbtack. I went in to see what all the excitement was about and Isaac was rolling around on the floor saying, "Hotter, hotter!" So I asked if the tack was somewhere where I could step on it and get hurt? He said No, it's in a spot where he is in complete control. So there you go! Hide the Tack. The new game at our house!

Home Alone.

Ruthie started Preschool on Wednesday. Yay! Ruthie! Today will be her second day. I haven't posted about it because, well, I've been watching Season 4 of The Office and just haven't had a moment to do it! So there! Since I've now watched all the episodes and the deleted scenes and most of the extra stuff, I'll be submerging once again to watch the episodes that have commentaries. This is a very serious hobby of mine.

Anyway! Back to my sweet preschooler. She gets to go 2 hours a day for 3 days a week. Woohoo! She absolutely loves Teacher Vicki and Sophie the dog and Marshmallow the bunny and and and... There's just so much. And that was just the first day.
Isn't she just cute?? So today she gets to go again. So I will be home alone again! Yay for mom!! I will go grocery shopping and then work on sharing time for Sunday without little people of any kind. I might just be able to get used to this! I guess maybe I should also work on my next Once Upon A Time episode, too. Maybe. I still need to watch The Office with the commentaries!

Shoo Fly Don't Bother Me.

Have you noticed all the flies? They come in and claim territory inside the blinds and on door jams. They go through extensive training in fly school and know the fly swatter when you get it out. They quickly fly away as soon as you think, "Oh, fly, just you wait. I'm gettin my pretty purple fly swatter and I'm comin for ya!"

They always come inside the house at the same time every year...canning season. Although I'm not canning this year. And maybe that's why I don't seem to have as many as I usually do. But still. They have come and taken over. I'm blaming the kids.

One of the funnest things I do as an entertainer is swat flies. I run around the house and make flying leaps and get as many of the dirty rotten scoundrels as I can. And we all count them as I swat them. One day I got to 23. That's a lot of flies for one kitchen.

I have a vaulted ceiling in the family room. That makes it really hard to swat flies who go to where the best heat is. Heat rises, ya know. But then again, when they are on the regular, not so high, ceiling, I still can't get at them easily. Did you know that a person who is 5'2" and 1--lbs and who has extrememly short limbs cannot possibly build up the momentum necessary to possibly swat at a fly on the regularly high kitchen ceiling? Didn't think so.

We have been missing a screen door for our back door for a few years now. We actually were doing ok in the fly take over area. Then last Saturday Daniel went to the Man Mall and bought a new screen door. Now all of a sudden we have a bazillion flies in the house. How did that happen?

So that's what I'll be concentrating on today. Fly Swatting. I'm pretty good at it. The poor flies rarely know how their demise came so utterly quickly. Fly heaven has got to be a full place. Which makes me wonder...is there a fly heaven? Or do they really just die and enter into a black abyss where no fly can manage to return from? Hmmm. Sometimes they return.

It is getting colder at night. That's especially helpful because flies slow down when it's cold. But as the day gets warmer, their reflexes speed up. So maybe I should get on this. I'm a goin' fly swattin!

Have a terrific day!