Wanna know why I haven't been blogging?

Because my priorities are out of whack. (what exactly does "in whack" mean?)

Instead, this is how I should feel:

Psalm 127
A Song of Ascents. Of Solomon.

127:1 Unless the Lord builds the house,
those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city,
the watchman stays awake in vain.
2 It is in vain that you rise up early
and go late to rest,
eating the bread of anxious toil;
for he gives to his beloved sleep.

3 Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,
the fruit of the womb a reward.
4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior
are the children of one's youth.
5 Blessed is the man
who fills his quiver with them!
He shall not be put to shame
when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.

I need to commit this to memory, especially the parts in bold. I think my days would go much better if I could live this out. It seems to me that verse 2 affects how well I remember verse 3, and verse 3 greatly affects my ability to do verse 2.

On that note, blessing 3 is waking up, and I'm going to take the opportunity to snuggle her before blessings 1 and 2 wake up.

Jonah's Pilgrim Poem

Jonah wrote this poem today:

Some were cold
some were old

We ate corn
and babies were born

We scrubbed
while others rubbed

Thank you, God!

Dead ant, dead ant, dead ant, dead ant, dead ant, dead ant, dead ant....

Poor little ants. They had no shot at life in this house. We started with 17 keepers (lost two right out of the package). In this picture we had 3 hanging on to life. But today there is one lonely ant repairing tunnels. You can see where these three created a little ant burial mound. They dismembered and drug each ant up to the top and buried it. So sad. There are still several on the sides and in the bottom not even pictured here. Uncle Milton would not approve.

DRUMROLL PLEASE!!!

Our Chicken Mummy is wrapped.

Apparently, we had an extra-juicy chicken. (Tyson, eat your heart out!) But it was finally dry enough to wrap, so today was the day. The smell was very faint compared to those first few weeks. Although, Jonah did say "this smells like a dog", and Jorja responded with "no, it smells like poop!" I think it smelled of rotten cloves.

The girls lost interest in wrapping toward the end, so they watched cartoons while I prettied it up.

Enjoy the slide show:

I was just gluing something...

And was reminded of the time a tube of superglue burst open on my hands. It was all over me and the counter.

WARNING: do not for any reason relax your hand while it's covered in superglue. Keep it as straight and open as possible. If you let it close, it will stick together. Your only option is to test every chemical in your house to see which one unsticks your fingers from your thumb. Your children will think it's funny. It's not all that funny when you try to pull it apart, though, it hurts. However, three days later, after washing and lotioning two hundred times, all the glue will eventually come off, and then it's funny.

We learned about the Phoenicians Today!

And as a fun (and tasty) activity, we made Phoenician bread (AKA: pita bread). It was really pretty easy and actually tasted good. Mommy might keep this recipe on hand and use it for making sandwiches and to go with occasional meals.

Here is a slide show of our bread making:

Dressing them up is so much fun.

Wednesday was Jorja's Halloween festivities at preschool. I did not realize until that morning that they were to wear costumes. So I went digging and thankfully a costume that we had borrowed for Jonah 4 years ago was still in the closet. *My Bad*

So I threw it on her and she was absolutely fabulous:

Dorothy has not been so cute since Judy Garland.



And then there was tonight. Jonah really got into the "rock star" theme.


We may need to censor her High School Musical and Camp Rock watching for a while.

Our pumpkin this year turned out pretty cool, too. We used a dremmel and even though it sprayed pumpkin goo all over Jason, it was pretty easy.

Jonah got it, too.

But she seems fine now. Please, please, let us be on the mend.

A plague upon this house!

The two little ones are regurgitating.

Jorja started with #3 last night at dinner. (#3, by definition is #2 in liquid form. My friend Dinah and her family are to be credited with that one)

Sushi was a bad idea, that's for sure. She was being a very big girl, too. She kept asking to go to the potty, and then, well...you know.

At about 2:30 last night Jonah came to our room and told us Jorja was going to throw up. She kept making "hwah, hwah, hwah" sounds. When I finally came out of my sleep coma, I smelled it. Much like the liberal media, Jonah had only reported half the story, there was, in fact, vomit already. On Jorja, on her bed, pillow, blankie, Jonah's bed, and, of course Jorja.

Once Jason and I got the mess all cleaned up, I assumed the position on the couch with Jorja on a pallet next to me. Sometime later, maybe 4 am, Jorja began to whine. She wanted juice. I gave her a small sip of gatorade and some Emetrol and it was mere seconds before she launched that into the toilet. What a trooper. Obviously hurting and whining, she still managed to keep it in the toilet. The kid has aim, that's for sure. Then she turned and gave the toilet a what for from the other end. She actually smiled when it was over.

Once round two was over and cleaned up, we headed back for our pillows and slept for a few hours (me, not so much, waiting for round 3) until Josie woke us up around 8. Thank you Josie for sleeping in!!

Unfortunately, within 15 minutes Josie went to tossing cookies as well. She looked scared at first, since this is her first time throwing up like that, but I rushed her into the bathroom and set her on the side of the sink, where, in true Josie fashion, she finished throwing up while seeming to really not mind. Her motto will someday be "go with the flow".

So here sits a tired and kind of grossed out mommy, sipping coffee and waiting to see if our last round of gatorade stays down.

Sometimes you just have to "hug it out"

When you poop, that is.

Jorja has pooped on the potty two days in a row, without being reminded. This is a very, very big deal. Only, she was having a little trouble with it, and asked me if I could help. She needed me to "hug it out" for her. So I gave her a big squeeze and "viola" we achieved a big girl poo.

That might sound a little sick to some of you, but this pales in comparison to my adventures in the Corn Maze porta-potty with Jorja today. Ick. I am waaaayyy to citified for that mess. I was holding on until I had to bend over to pull up her panties and skort. And then...*hurp* it was bad. It stunk. And there I was leaning into it. *hurp* I quickly threw the door open and pushed Jorja out to finish getting her clothes on.

So my praise for the day is: "Thank you, most omnipotent God, for plumbing. I would be a mess without it. Amen."

I'm gonna start crying...

Just a warning. I'm going into Josie's room to clean out the clothes that are too small. This happens every time with her. It's the knowledge that she will more than likely (like 99.999999999999999999999%) be my last wearing all those cute dresses. And the shoes...*sigh*

Don't get me started on the burp rags, nursing covers, socks, rattles, bibs. It's just overwhelming.
This darn uterus...darn hormones.

Why do preschool teachers love glitter so much?

I opened up Jorja's backpack yesterday to find an orange carrot shape covered in glitter. Her entire backpack was filled with shinny orange specks. Including her changes of clothes. I took it to the garage in attempt to stop the infestation (this stuff spreads like gossip in a Baptist church) but it was too late. My house already looks like the Great Pumpkin farted orange sparkles all over it. Thank goodness I love to vacuum and dust, or this might tick me off.

We are finally back home.

And I'm not going anywhere I have to carry luggage to for quite a while.

I have to say, the last two weeks have been alot of fun, but man, I'm wiped out. Two cups of coffee and nothing! I still just want to lie on the couch and snooze all day.

However, I'm being a good girl and catching up the laundry, preparing for school...all that "good mommy" junk that we do so no one else finds out how lazy we stay at home mom's really are.

Jonah is having a bath...

I promised her a fun bath in our Jacuzzi tub with lots of bubbles. There are so many, you can only see her head.



She is in there now singing "Sovereign Grace":

Sovereign grace o’er sin abounding,
Waves of love in power swell;
‘Tis a deep that knows no sounding,
Who its breadth or length can tell?
On its glories, on its glories
Let my soul forever dwell.

Chorus:
Sovereign grace,
It reaches the depths of my sin
And kindles a fire within.
Lord, shed it anew
And fix all my passions on You
By sovereign grace.

What from Christ my soul can sever,
Bound by everlasting bands?
Once in Him, in Him forever
The eternal cov’nant stands;
None can pluck me, none can pluck me
From the Father’s mighty hands.

Heirs of God, joint heirs with Jesus,
Long ago this gift was won;
To His name eternal praises!
Oh! what wonders He has done!
One with Jesus, one with Jesus,
By eternal union one.

On such love I’ll ever ponder,
Love so great, so rich, so free;
Ever asking, lost in wonder,
Why, O Lord, such love to me?
Hallelujah, hallelujah,
Grace will reign eternally.

Leaving again.

Since we are unpacking/packing from Disney and for Atlanta I'm going to have to put a Disney recap on hold.

I might get in one day or so of trip description, and let me tell you, that first night was a doosie.

In the mean time, check out my big girls on the way down...


We made the pink princess pillows as a craft the week before...Jorja had such fun with the stuffing, she decided to decorate the living room with it. Nothing like gathering poly-fill balls off a 10 foot radius in your living room!

Back from Disney...

Brain is fried.

Here's a pic to tide you over...

I just taught Jorja how to properly pee on the floor.

Today I have been very busy with laundry, packing, cleaning, and watching The Office Season 4 Disk 2.

Jorja has been doing a fabulous job of peeing on the potty. Until 6 pm. That is when she came to me and said "Mommy! I got clean panties!" There was that sinking feeling. The one you get when you know you are about to clean urine or feces of something or someone. *sigh*

So we tracked down the pee spot. Holy carp. it was 10 inches wide by at least 4 feet long. On Monday I bought a bottle of Resolve Pet Stain and Odor. Today I emptied the bottle. That is just not right. So after spraying the heck out of the spot until my arm was tired, I asked Jorja, "What did you do...walk while you peed?" Her answer, not surprisingly, was "yes." So I found myself telling her to please make sure and stand in one place while she wet her pants. Ugh. I need a vacation.

Oh, and the panties are still MIA. I am sure I will just love where I find them.

I love Woot-Offs!!

Every once in a while something awesome happens in the techno-geek world. Woot.com decides to sell off all it's extra stock (read: clean out it's warehouse) and has a Woot-off.

You can get some amazing deals during a woot-off, unfortunately you do not get any sleep (not if you're committed to the woot-off) nor do you accomplish anything. I have been trying to avoid this Woot-off because I am trying to recover from being sick and need my sleep, and because I love my family.

However, this little gem did not escape my grasp (thanks to Brad who has been watching Woot!).

WOOT!!

Jorja peed on my floor from two shelves up.

This kid...*sigh*

I am going to start this one with a good note. While I was sick, Jorja decided to take care of me. She laid down next to me, rubbed my back, and sang "Nothing but the blood of Jesus" softly in my ear. She oozes cuteness.

However, she also excretes other stuff...

Apparently, if faced with multiple urges, she's going to go with the one that fills her tummy first. And sometimes that means climbing two shelves high in the pantry trying to reach the Princess Gummies and relieving herself all over the floor of the pantry. Our apple juice jugs and miscellaneous other food items are now nice and clean waiting to be used.

I have aseptic meningitis.

Or maybe "had" is a better term. Most of my symptoms are gone.

And take my word for it, it's not as fun as it sounds. One symptom is the inability to blog. Another is the inability to do any housework. Laundry included. Since we are heading to Disney (woot) in a couple days, I am trying to get the laundry caught up posthaste. This (paired with a mile long "to do" list) caused major laundry backup on my dining room table. It was obscene. If I had been able to find my camera, I would have taken a picture, but since I have an innate ability to loose cameras before any kind of vacation, it was hiding in the car. Don't ask...

I am feeling much better now, thanks for asking...but apparently the "swelling around my brain" is still causing some headaches. Nothing a few thousand Tylenol can't take care of, though!

I missed ITLAPD

I was sick. I'm so sad. I guess I will have to be twice as "piratey" next year.

I joined Facebook

Add me as your friend.

That is all.

Jorja speaks in the third person, and Jorja likes coffee.

Funny that Jonah is studying pronouns, because Jorja could use a lesson or two. She often asks questions in the third person.

"Is Jorja going to take a nap?" She will ask.

Today I was told, "Jorja is allowed to have coffee. Jorja likes coffee."

Oh, poop.

Yeah, I realized two things today, first, I have a small addiction to caffeine. Second, It's a big fat mistake to leave coffee on the table.

Let's address them in that order. For two days I have had a headache. I am drinking water, I took Advil...nothing. Then I realized. I haven't taken time to make myself a cup of coffee. Uh-oh. I'm going through DT's. Shaky, moody, headache...yeah, that sounds like caffeine withdrawal symptoms to me. So I am not only addicted to stroller shopping (ahem - we will address that later) but I am also addicted to a cup of morning Joe. I can live with that.

So moving onto revelation #2. *sigh* After I got my fix this morning, and Jonah and I were finishing up school, I got up from the table with my coffee still sitting at my place. Apparently, Jorja decided to try it (mental note: never leave a cup of bleach, acid, turpentine, or boiling water on the table...Jorja will drink it). She proudly announced to me that not only did she like it, but she was allowed to drink it. Now, this is a problem we are dealing with a lot lately. Jorja proclaims she is allowed to do a lot of things. Like mommy and daddy are so naive that we will just say "oh, well, if your allowed to do it, by all means, drink bleach!" Somehow, our discipline techniques fail.

So what is a mom to do when she realizes her 2 year old is about to go into warp mode? Do I dare drink another cup in an effort to keep up with her and risk instant coronary catastrophe? Or do I hydrate myself, do some stretches, and wait for the workout to begin? I chose #2. I'm still wondering if that was the correct choice.

After about an hour, she seemed to be alright, and I had a couple errands to run, so we loaded up the car (Jorja was already loaded-ha, ha) and headed to a bookstore. I know what you're thinking. Bookstore? Three kids? Do you not learn, woman? No, I don't. Newsflash: I'm stubborn and will not admit defeat. Not until I've alienated an entire store. So, after Jorja did one lap around Rock Solid (a home school curriculum bookstore, so they are used to those nasty, uneducated little antisocial home school types) the very patient saleswoman told them to pick out a movie to watch while I shopped. All I needed was one math workbook. That's it. But the clearance shelf got me. I only bought one Little House book, though, so don't fret. However, the caffeine started to kick in somewhere around lap 2 (OK, obviously before, but that's when it hit me that it hit her).

I paid and evacuated as quickly as possible. But we still needed milk, and my second errand was to buy some knock-off crocks at Walmart. So we swung into the Wally-world by the airport (it's far enough away from the house, I'm sure I won't run into anyone there again, anyway). So I had to throw Jorja into the back of the buggy because they didn't have the nifty kind like Publix does with the bench for the big kids and the baby seat, too. Mis-take! I fought her to sit down the whole time. She wanted the shinny shoes, she wanted to open the milk, she wanted this, that and the other. Everyone knew what she wanted. At one point, after screwing the top of the milk for the 152nd time, she yelled "Everyone! This is milk, I can open it!" Shopping. Trip. Over.

Thankfully, she came down on the way home, waayyyy down. She's still sleeping now, thank goodness, maybe I can get some work done in the kitchen and make dinner. Or, I can go lay on the couch...just for 15 minutes or so, you know, cat nap, then I'll get to work.

Ahhhh, yeah....

My husband is the best!! And I have some strollers to list on Craigslist!

He just let me buy this little number. It's the last I could find. I've been looking for weeks for one in stock, gave up and almost bought a cheap imitation today, but somehow I stumbled across this one:It's a thing of beauty. And it got great reviews!

Read and be amazed at it's awesomeness:

The Chicco Città Twin Stroller has a rugged yet lightweight frame that ways only 29 pounds! The Città Twin will meet both of your children’s needs with its independently adjusting five-position reclining seats and sun canopies. The five-point harnesses, adjustable leg rests, and all wheel suspension make for a safe and comfortable ride. The Città Twin has double the storage for double the passengers with its two storage baskets to carry all those baby and parent necessities. With its lockable swivels on the front wheels and its compact, umbrella-style fold, the Città Twin Stroller is easy to maneuver and transport.

Product Features

• Lightweight frame - only 29 pounds
• Independently adjustable canopies, leg rests, and five-position reclining seats
• Five-point safety harnesses and lockable swivels
• All wheel suspension
• Double the storage for double the passengers with two storage baskets
• Compact umbrella-style fold

Boo-Yah!

Mommy likes politics...sometimes too much...

To all my liberal friends (umm, both of you) I apologize in advance. This was humor wasted on a 6 year old.

Last week The girls and I made a diaper run to BJ's. In the checkout line a very nice woman was behind us, and asked if I could watch her cart (with 2 small children) while she ran to grab something she forgot. They were quiet so I agreed (I'd like to observe quiet children for a minute - sort of a case study kind of thing). She was gone much longer than I expected...actually I was almost checked out by the time she got back with an armload of ketchup and spices. (Don't get me started) While she was gone, Jonah pushed her cart forward in line and talked to her baby girl in the basket. Jonah told her what a cute baby girl she had, and the woman thanked her. They spoke for a moment and I overheard Jonah say "I didn't know she was a girl...I thought she was a boy." Which was silly, since she said earlier she thought she was cute.

Here is the conversation that followed in the parking lot...

Me: Jonah, sweetheart, I heard what you daid to the lady in the store. I just want you to know that you could hurt someone's feelings by telling them you thought their little girl was a boy.

Jonah: Well, I didn't know it was a girl.

Me: But you had just said you thought her little girl was cute, so you did know. It just wasn't the nicest thing to say. I'm letting you know, it's best not to do it again.

Jonah: But I was just saying it because she doesn't really look alot like a girl...

Me: Jonah, you are missing my point, it's not important why you said it, I'm just telling you that it could have hurt her feelings, and it's not the kind of thing you tell someone.

Jonah: (Miscellaneous arguing while I'm hoisting giant boxes of diapers and wipes into the car)

Me: (getting frustrated) Listen Jonah, I'm not going to argue with you about this. If you just accept you were wrong and say "yes m'am, I'm sorry and I won't do it again" it makes you a nice little girl. If you instead argue and make excuses, it makes you a Democrat!

Jonah: (holding back tears) But..but...I don't want to be a Democrat!!

Me: Oh, baby, I'm sorry, that was a joke, your not a democrat.

Oops.

Third time's the charm

Here she is, perfection in a cute little blue-eyed baby...

This is what Josie did Wednesday during homeschool:

*sigh*

So sweet.

...

Jorja's second day of school

Much better at pickup time...wow.

And the best news, well, I'll let you guess...take a look at the before school and after school pictures...


Ding, ding, ding!! Those of you who have recently potty trained got it, didn't you? For the rest of you suckas, she's wearing the same clothes! She didn't have any accidents at school. I may actually survive potty training her (with help from her teacher, that is!)

...

Jorja's first day of preschool

Yesterday was Jorja's first day of preschool. I really like her little school and her teacher "Ms. Anna." She was very excited and ran into the classroom to play, hardly noticing that we were leaving. There was sadly, no goodbye kiss for mommy. Just a wave and a "bye" as she played with some baby dolls.

Here she is, all dressed and ready to go:


And here she decided that her backpack was too heavy:



Waiting outside for the doors to open:


Here was her first day's lunch - grape skewers, cucumber stars, carrot flowers, bologna hearts and crackers(yes, I'm having fun with bento again):


And this was the goodbye:


Pickup was another story altogether. Jorja was obviously exhausted. As we were leaving, she decided to run into the one year old class. After trying to be calm and ask nicely, (gotta keep up appearances to the other moms) I finally went into the class and picked her up to take her out. That's when she bit my shoulder. Not wanting to make a scene, I decided to discipline her when we got to the car. I asked her to help me push Josie's stroller. As we got out the door, she made her break. She ran right down the sidewalk and in front of a suburban...with me close on her heels - I yelled to Jonah to stay with Josie and the stroller.

She broke right and made her way toward the playground, behind a bush. As I tried to run to one side to grab her, she would dart toward the other. We went back and forth a couple times, me getting redder and redder while she was giggling. It was fantastic fun for a 2 year old and insane humiliation for a mother. I finally faked her out and grabbed her arm.

Jonah, who was back at the stroller, pushed Josie to the car while I manhandled a screaming, kicking, punching Jorja to her car seat. We were making quite a scene, Jorja screaming "don't do that", and "you're hurting me", while I'm practically breaking her in half pushing her down into the seat to get it buckled. If you have never had a child straighten their body out completely to keep you from buckling them in, you are missing one of life's great challenges. It never ceases to amaze me how strong a 2 year old child can be. It's a real test of strength and will to get them into the seat without killing them or causing some damage to internal organs.

By the time we got home, she was only screaming at half volume, but she was really red and had tears streaming down her face. I plopped a very sweet and overtired Josie into her crib and literally had to pin Jorja to her bed with my arm to get her to stay in. She continued the screaming fit with me next to her and within seconds she was out and had probably one of the best naps of her life.

I can't wait for 1:30 today. I would say that she could never top that performance, but let's not kid ourselves. This is Jorja...

Fun with groceries...

Some would say I have too much time on my hands. I say I have creative priorities. Either way, this entertained the kids for a few minutes...


It also helped me realize that I need to clean the fridge. Maybe that's why the eggs are so freaked out - poor living conditions.

Oops, there's one of those nasty reasons homeschool can be hard...

How about when the teacher (mom) is sick.

Yeah, we don't get to call in a sub while "Mrs. M" is home in bed recuperating. Nope. Mrs. M has a poorly written contract that says she still has to teach. Mrs. M also has to be careful not to throw out her back again. That makes teaching and caring for 3 young children very hard. It makes it impossible for Mrs. M to be patient and kind. The children quickly learn that "M" is for monster.

...

Big Duh

I never said I was knowledgeable about blogging.

I have apparently overlooked the "anyone can comment" option a couple times, because I just saw it and to quote any southern mom, "if it was a snake, it woulda bit me." It was right there at the top... Big Duh.

So now you can comment even if you do not have a Google account. Let them fly...but be nice, OK?

*HURP*

http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/hairband.asp

I'm hooked.

I still will only commit to homeschooling this year...but...I love it. I love teaching Jonah anything and everything. I love that her knowledge of this earth and everything in it and the heavens is coming mostly from Jason and I. I love that we can read to her, sing with her, listen to her stories, and enjoy watching her become who she will one day be. This is a blessing. It is not easy, it is time consuming, at times frustrating, and I have my moments of doubt. But the positives outweigh the negatives in immeasurable ways.

And for your reading pleasure, Jonah's creative writing story of the day...written by her hand:


She is given a picture and her assignment is to write a story about it.

Here is a translation for those of you who do not read 6 year old:

One night there was a little bat that was so cold.
There were other bats going by.
He said "will you come snuggle with me?"

Hallelujah

Hallelujah, the closet is done. I have a laundry system that actually allowed me to do the impossible...wash everything!!

Here are the pictures of my new closet and the presorting area that my wonderful, gracious, supportive, creative husband built for me:

(notice the lack of laundry in the baskets...and NO! I did not just dump it out for the pictures, it was really washed!)

Chicken Mummy Update, Part Deux...

One of the new favorite "words", if you will, around our house is *hurp*. It's that kind of throwing up in your mouth sound. Delightful imagery, I know, but sometimes the only way to describe something is to sink to a 12 year old boy's level.

*Hurp* is how I would describe the chicken now. The smell, I admit is not as pungent as the first salt change, but still there, and the chicken is much smaller. We should have weighed it before and after, that could have counted as science and math!

Anyway, I still can't stand over it and breathe once the bag is opened or *hurp*. I tried turning my head to the right and taking a deep breath to clear my sinuses, unfortunately, I forgot I had set the open bag of chicken-moistened salt in the right side of the sink and well...*hurp*.

We are 6 weeks into the mummy, so theoretically, it's finished, but I'm going to give it one more week in the salt mixture, just in case. That being said, look for pictures and a description of our wrap job and sarcophagus in the next week or so.

Look to the right -->

Yes, folks, ITLaPD (that's International Talk Like a Pirate Day for you landlubbers) is just over a month away - September 19th, 2008. I happen to love the day, as it gives me an excuse to be a total goober and use terms like "ARGH", "matey" and "ye' scallawags". This year I must watch Pirates 1-3 in succession in marathon format all day if I can get away with it. It's on a Friday, so hopefully we can drive some random waitress nuts with it at dinner. No one seems to have a sense of humor at the Steak and Shake...maybe that would be a fun place to go...

Anyway, if you are not well versed in Pirate speak, here is a good online dictionary for you.

Laundry Update

It's bad in there. Real bad. I cannot describe the monstrosity in my closet. I do a load or more every day, yet the pile grows and grows. It doesn't help that (don't look Ashlie) at least one load a day is laden with poop or potty laundry (Okay, Ashlie, you can look again).

My fellow home school mom (and quite frankly, one of my mentors) gave me advice on how she handles laundry, but I have been unable to find a way to implement her system (yes, Jason, this means I NEED my new closet). Basically, she has a bunch of baskets in the laundry room and presorts. When a basket is full, she dumps it right into the washer and moves on. She actually likes doing laundry. This I do not understand. It's like I'm from Venus and laundry is from Mars. Okay, bad analogy, but you get my drift.

I would not mind loving to do laundry, though. I mean, hey, I love clothes. What is better than having clean clothes to wear? Oh, yeah, new clothes, or clothes cleaned by someone else while I watch Project Runway. But...since that is not currently worked into the 2008 budget (also known as "We need a roof") I guess I have to find a way to love laundry. Perhaps, like a young maiden betrothed to a hideous older man...I can learn to love it over time.

...

Let's get serious

Many of you know of my struggles with depression over my lifetime. God has delivered me time and time again from the hold that depression takes on my life, and ultimately the lives of those around me.

I realize that the chaos of my life and my slight insanity brings many of you back to read more...however...I have been feeling depression closing in on me more and more and need to do something before I cross the line to complete craziness!

I have been reading When People Are Big and God Is Small in my Monday night Bible Study. Now, understand, this book is one of those that breaks you down to the minute speck of dung you are (read:tainted) and then builds you back up (I hope) as a work of God. It stinks to read it. It stinks to be reminded of exactly where we go wrong (everywhere but God) but it is wonderful how it reminds us that God is patiently waiting for us.

Last week's chapter mentioned the book of Job and how Job concentrated on God instead of the people (and terrible circumstances) around him. And, as mentioned in the book, I am going to read the last four chapters of Job each day for a month. This is a task I cannot achieve alone. Please pray that I will succeed in this undertaking, as I know that the words of God will change my life.

I'm posting the last four chapters here so you can read them daily with me, and so each time I view my blog...I have them in front of me.

39:1 “Do you know when the mountain goats give birth?
Do you observe the calving of the does?
2 Can you number the months that they fulfill,
and do you know the time when they give birth,
3 when they crouch, bring forth their offspring,
and are delivered of their young?
4 Their young ones become strong; they grow up in the open;
they go out and do not return to them.

5 “Who has let the wild donkey go free?
Who has loosed the bonds of the swift donkey,
6 to whom I have given the arid plain for his home
and the salt land for his dwelling place?
7 He scorns the tumult of the city;
he hears not the shouts of the driver.
8 He ranges the mountains as his pasture,
and he searches after every green thing.

9 “Is the wild ox willing to serve you?
Will he spend the night at your manger?
10 Can you bind him in the furrow with ropes,
or will he harrow the valleys after you?
11 Will you depend on him because his strength is great,
and will you leave to him your labor?
12 Do you have faith in him that he will return your grain
and gather it to your threshing floor?

13 “The wings of the ostrich wave proudly,
but are they the pinions and plumage of love? [1]
14 For she leaves her eggs to the earth
and lets them be warmed on the ground,
15 forgetting that a foot may crush them
and that the wild beast may trample them.
16 She deals cruelly with her young, as if they were not hers;
though her labor be in vain, yet she has no fear,
17 because God has made her forget wisdom
and given her no share in understanding.
18 When she rouses herself to flee, [2]
she laughs at the horse and his rider.

19 “Do you give the horse his might?
Do you clothe his neck with a mane?
20 Do you make him leap like the locust?
His majestic snorting is terrifying.
21 He paws [3] in the valley and exults in his strength;
he goes out to meet the weapons.
22 He laughs at fear and is not dismayed;
he does not turn back from the sword.
23 Upon him rattle the quiver,
the flashing spear, and the javelin.
24 With fierceness and rage he swallows the ground;
he cannot stand still at the sound of the trumpet.
25 When the trumpet sounds, he says ‘Aha!’
He smells the battle from afar,
the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.

26 “Is it by your understanding that the hawk soars
and spreads his wings toward the south?
27 Is it at your command that the eagle mounts up
and makes his nest on high?
28 On the rock he dwells and makes his home,
on the rocky crag and stronghold.
29 From there he spies out the prey;
his eyes behold it from far away.
30 His young ones suck up blood,
and where the slain are, there is he.”

40:1 And the Lord said to Job:

2 “Shall a faultfinder contend with the Almighty?
He who argues with God, let him answer it.”

Job Promises Silence

3 Then Job answered the Lord and said:

4 “Behold, I am of small account; what shall I answer you?
I lay my hand on my mouth.
5 I have spoken once, and I will not answer;
twice, but I will proceed no further.”

The Lord Challenges Job

6 Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:

7 “Dress for action [1] like a man;
I will question you, and you make it known to me.
8 Will you even put me in the wrong?
Will you condemn me that you may be in the right?
9 Have you an arm like God,
and can you thunder with a voice like his?

10 “Adorn yourself with majesty and dignity;
clothe yourself with glory and splendor.
11 Pour out the overflowings of your anger,
and look on everyone who is proud and abase him.
12 Look on everyone who is proud and bring him low
and tread down the wicked where they stand.
13 Hide them all in the dust together;
bind their faces in the world below. [2]
14 Then will I also acknowledge to you
that your own right hand can save you.

15 “Behold, Behemoth, [3]
which I made as I made you;
he eats grass like an ox.
16 Behold, his strength in his loins,
and his power in the muscles of his belly.
17 He makes his tail stiff like a cedar;
the sinews of his thighs are knit together.
18 His bones are tubes of bronze,
his limbs like bars of iron.

19 “He is the first of the works [4] of God;
let him who made him bring near his sword!
20 For the mountains yield food for him
where all the wild beasts play.
21 Under the lotus plants he lies,
in the shelter of the reeds and in the marsh.
22 For his shade the lotus trees cover him;
the willows of the brook surround him.
23 Behold, if the river is turbulent he is not frightened;
he is confident though Jordan rushes against his mouth.
24 Can one take him by his eyes, [5]
or pierce his nose with a snare?

41:1 [6] “Can you draw out Leviathan [7] with a fishhook
or press down his tongue with a cord?
2 Can you put a rope in his nose
or pierce his jaw with a hook?
3 Will he make many pleas to you?
Will he speak to you soft words?
4 Will he make a covenant with you
to take him for your servant forever?
5 Will you play with him as with a bird,
or will you put him on a leash for your girls?
6 Will traders bargain over him?
Will they divide him up among the merchants?
7 Can you fill his skin with harpoons
or his head with fishing spears?
8 Lay your hands on him;
remember the battle—you will not do it again!
9 [8] Behold, the hope of a man is false;
he is laid low even at the sight of him.
10 No one is so fierce that he dares to stir him up.
Who then is he who can stand before me?
11 Who has first given to me, that I should repay him?
Whatever is under the whole heaven is mine.

12 “I will not keep silence concerning his limbs,
or his mighty strength, or his goodly frame.
13 Who can strip off his outer garment?
Who would come near him with a bridle?
14 Who can open the doors of his face?
Around his teeth is terror.
15 His back is made of [9] rows of shields,
shut up closely as with a seal.
16 One is so near to another
that no air can come between them.
17 They are joined one to another;
they clasp each other and cannot be separated.
18 His sneezings flash forth light,
and his eyes are like the eyelids of the dawn.
19 Out of his mouth go flaming torches;
sparks of fire leap forth.
20 Out of his nostrils comes forth smoke,
as from a boiling pot and burning rushes.
21 His breath kindles coals,
and a flame comes forth from his mouth.
22 In his neck abides strength,
and terror dances before him.
23 The folds of his flesh stick together,
firmly cast on him and immovable.
24 His heart is hard as a stone,
hard as the lower millstone.
25 When he raises himself up the mighty [10] are afraid;
at the crashing they are beside themselves.
26 Though the sword reaches him, it does not avail,
nor the spear, the dart, or the javelin.
27 He counts iron as straw,
and bronze as rotten wood.
28 The arrow cannot make him flee;
for him sling stones are turned to stubble.
29 Clubs are counted as stubble;
he laughs at the rattle of javelins.
30 His underparts are like sharp potsherds;
he spreads himself like a threshing sledge on the mire.
31 He makes the deep boil like a pot;
he makes the sea like a pot of ointment.
32 Behind him he leaves a shining wake;
one would think the deep to be white-haired.
33 On earth there is not his like,
a creature without fear.
34 He sees everything that is high;
he is king over all the sons of pride.”

Job's Confession and Repentance

42:1 Then Job answered the Lord and said:

2 “I know that you can do all things,
and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
3 ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’
Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,
things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.
4 ‘Hear, and I will speak;
I will question you, and you make it known to me.’
5 I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear,
but now my eye sees you;
6 therefore I despise myself,
and repent [11] in dust and ashes.”

The Lord Rebukes Job's Friends

7 After the Lord had spoken these words to Job, the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite: “My anger burns against you and against your two friends, for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has. 8 Now therefore take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves. And my servant Job shall pray for you, for I will accept his prayer not to deal with you according to your folly. For you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.” 9 So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did what the Lord had told them, and the Lord accepted Job's prayer.

The Lord Restores Job's Fortunes

10 And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job, when he had prayed for his friends. And the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. 11 Then came to him all his brothers and sisters and all who had known him before, and ate bread with him in his house. And they showed him sympathy and comforted him for all the evil [12] that the Lord had brought upon him. And each of them gave him a piece of money [13] and a ring of gold.

12 And the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning. And he had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 yoke of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys. 13 He had also seven sons and three daughters. 14 And he called the name of the first daughter Jemimah, and the name of the second Keziah, and the name of the third Keren-happuch. 15 And in all the land there were no women so beautiful as Job's daughters. And their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers. 16 And after this Job lived 140 years, and saw his sons, and his sons' sons, four generations. 17 And Job died, an old man, and full of days.

(taken from the ESV online)

Pudding is sooooo good...

Chicken mummy update...

Well, she's still here. Getting new salt about once a week or so. And still kinda gross...perhaps grosser than ever...

Sometimes you just gotta sleep.

I think this video speaks for itself...




...

She ate the bunny!!

I cannot believe it. Finally. Poop on the potty!!

My mother in law bought Jorja two chocolate bunnies back before Easter, with the promise that she could have one when she pooped on the potty. *Pwew* Finally, she earned one. What's funny is that for days I have been camped out by the bathroom telling her "I know it's time, I know you have to go...just poop on the potty and you can have the bunny!" Nothing. Day after day, week after week, month after month. I had even put the bunny on display in the living room. She would ask for it, I would tell her to go poop on the potty. Nothing.

But today, while I was making dinner...she came into the kitchen naked saying "I can have my bunny now." I ran to the bathroom, and there it was. Beautiful, glorious poo. I quickly questioned Jonah to find out if it was actually her poo, and even checked for resipoo on Jorja's butt. I used all my mommy detective skills, and finally deduced, it was indeed Jorja's. I screamed! Jumped up and down, we giggled and cleaned up the mess. (She's not the best at keeping it in the potty) and then she got the prize (which she shared with her sisters) THE BUNNY!!




...

Let's just recap today...

This is one of those days that I'm glad we did not schedule school. We would have failed. Big time.

Ever heard the saying "the S*** hit the fan"? Yeah, well, today it hit the floor.

Jonah and a friend are doing tennis camp this week. Today was their first day. I purposely left the morning open so we didn't have to stress about it. Camp started at 11:30, but we needed to run by the bank and get to the clubhouse early to finish registration. We were all up (and I was showered - insert Hallelujah Chorus here) by 7:30. We ate breakfast and I got a call from Jason asking where I was because a crew was headed here to install smoke detectors (read post below about in-laws house) and fix the doorbell (there goes the Hallelujah Chorus again).

Jason walked in...holy cow. He says "see my eye?" Uh, yeah. I see the big 'ol blister on your eye! Gross. So after I hung up from our insurance company upping the coverage on our homeowners' policy (again, notice post below), I called the eye doctor. No luck, they were booked. Jason called a doctor the first doctor recommended, got an appointment and said, "I have to go to the bathroom." That's where the fun really started.

Let me preface this by saying...if your husband comes out of the bathroom and asks "do we have a plunger?"...leave your home. Quickly. Do not return until a hazardous waste crew has cleared the scene. Ick, Ick, Ick.

Sooooo...Jason called the plumber because the water was not only overflowing in our toilet, but the toilet in the second bath, the bathtub...you get the picture. Just then, after hearing the bathroom was out of service, Jonah decided she had to pee "right now." Great. We still had over an hour until camp, the plumber was going to be another couple hours, and I had two electricians working. It was hitting the fan...hard...and it was splattering all over my day. I called my friend, she agreed to let us invade until camp time, we packed up, and headed out. The electricians were in charge until I got home. Thankfully, one is a good friend, and the other is just a nice guy.

After I dropped Jonah off at camp, I headed home. I, of course, forgot to go to the bank in all the mess, but I wanted to get home and get some cleaning done before the plumber got there. Oops, too late, he was there and the electricians showed them where to go. I unloaded the two little ones and made it half way from the car to where the plumbers were working and was greeted with "shame on you." Uh, oh. What did I do? I didn't #2 so bad it clogged the toilet and then try to unclog it with the toilet brush! Oh, but that pile of cotton and string on the ground...yeah, those were mine. Oops, again.

Hmm. Just because they say "flushable" on the box, does not mean you should actually flush them. Heck, I even bought the ones with flushable applicators and wrappers! Nope. Got the lecture...the same one apparently a lot of women get because this happens more than these guys care to think about. It was at least 2 dozen. They were fishing them out for about an hour. I just kept apologizing and asking if they needed water. That was an expensive lesson in "what not to flush".

So, both bathrooms were bleached today and as much as I wanted to say, "clean up your own doody", I dug in. *shudder* After all, it was my fault for believing a box of Tampax. That and being born female.

I have now cleaned up the feces of every being in this house. Wow. Does that earn me some kind of plaque?


...

Elmo has hair!

At least...according to Jorja he does. I was giving her a stern reminder that we clean up our mess before getting any other toys out and she blurted out "Elmo has hair".

Yeah, looks that way...lecture over...

My In-laws house was struck by lightning...

And now stands as a shell of it's former self. The lightning caught the garage on fire and spread throughout the second floor.

My knees started to buckle when I heard the news. MIL and her dog got out safely, and really the damage is not as bad as I originally thought it would be. The upstairs and the garage were the worst. But the smoke and water damage is pretty nasty.

Friends, family and neighbors came out of the woodwork to help. It's amazing what a tragic event can do to bring people together.

There is a lot of work ahead of us, and there is quite a bit lost, but as MIL said "it's just stuff."

Edited to clear my husband and father-in-law of all culpability in the fire that was caused by LIGHTNING.

Who's idea was this anyway?

Wow, a chicken mummy...sounds like a great idea, doesn't it? In theory, it sits harmlessly on the counter for 4-6 weeks curing in salt and spices. In reality, it half-rots on my counter for less than a week and when you open the bag to change the salt it smells like someone took a dump on a clove. Ick.

Picture me, at the sink alternating between wiping chicken-juice soaked salt off into the sink and putting my head between my legs to breathe. Putting my head down also served to help me not pass out. That would have been bad...falling to the floor clutching a stinky chicken mummy. I eventually succeeded in getting the chicken into a new bag with fresh, dry salt, but it's not an experience I would call fun, by any means.

I will have to seriously evaluate all homeschool projects from now on.

...

Touche

Well, I've been outwitted again...time to start brain games and brush up for the next face-of with one of my children..

Yesterday I told Jorja that she needed to poop on the potty, not in her pants because "big girls poop on the potty".

Her response: "Mommy! I'm not a big girl, I'm only two!"


...

Actual conversation with Jonah...

Jonah (from back seat) : Mommy, do ants breathe?

Mommy (fiddling with DVD player and putting on lipgloss): I don't know, actually. We'll Google it.

Jonah: I bet Mrs. Veleber will know...

Mommy (dialing daddy): Just a minute...

Hey, do ants breathe...? Okay...

No, Jonah, Daddy says they don't breathe like us.

Jonah (excited to hear the news): So they can go into outer space with no helmet on!

Hmm. I never thought of it like that.

How much do you love your mummy?

My girls are pretty darn proud of theirs! Their chicken mummy, that is!!

First, we all put on rubber gloves to keep germs off our hands...no one wants salmonella!!

Then, we mixed up our salt mixture - salt, baking soda, baking powder and ground cloves to kill the inevitable smell.


Then we washed and dried the chicken before putting it in the bag of salt




And here is our famous soon-to-be mummy chicken. Looks fantastic doesn't it? What? You can't tell that's a chicken in there? Hmm. Too bad for you, because it smells much better than it looks!


The good news is that Jorja only ripped off her gloves, touched the chicken and "tasted" it once. There has been no #3 or puking, so I think we got lucky. Let's face it, if someone was going to have gastrointestinal issues, it would be Jorja.

Updating...

I decided to take a minute while Jonah is procrastinating her math work and update you on a few things.

Potty training is going well, except that weekends are really slowing us down. I feel like every Monday we start all over. Weekends are so busy and we want to "respect" others that we put pull-ups on Jorja to avoid accidents. By Sunday, she's back to square one. So heads up people...we love you, and apologize if our kid pees on your stuff, but she's coming over in panties...tarps might we wise if you see us coming.

Homeschool is going well, we do enjoy it, and I can see this school year going great, but summer is hard, there is just so much going on that we keep pushing a subject here or a subject there off a day and always end up with about a full day's worth of work by the end of the week. Poor Charlotte - we have really neglected her web.

Josie is getting better and better at walking. She can stand up from sitting with no help, and takes 5-6 steps at times before wabbling over. She is so cute, but still a little fussy from this cold/teething that's going on. We are slowly weaning her from the bottle to sippy's.

Pacifiers are gone!! A dinosaur came and ate them all up. No one seems to mind, which is a huge relief since I thought we would really suffer through the change. Both girls are still sleeping just fine without them - that is, if you can get them to sleep!! UGH!! Nap time is a tragedy around here. but that's a whole other post.

Mommy is still sick. I am blowing gobs of green and yellow out in quantities that are frankly quite alarming. I am using tons of saline spray - yes, Judy, I am!! :) And each time it's like someone said "I don't know" and got slimed. Who's with me, here!? Man, I miss good kids programming...

Jason got a PS3 for his birthday...yikes! is all I have to say about the cost of that thing. We really need some people over to play with it...preferably people with games since the system is so expensive we have no money left for additional games! Oh, and movies on Blu Ray. Casino Royale is bitchin' in HD!

Wow, imagine that...all this typing and spell checking and she still has not finished those last 4 problems...better do some laundry...

A Little Healthy Competition...

My sweet but extremely hard-headed 2 year old Jorja has been avoiding potty-training for over a year now. I've heard it all over..."she's ready". So we have given it a go a couple times, each time she is very excited the first day or two, and then the fun wears off and it's just easier to pee and poop on the floor. Anyone who knows me can tell you...I hate having clean spots in my dirty carpets! They are beige from age and when I have to scrub poop or pee out of them...the resulting white spot only highlights the fact that we desperately need new carpeting. That's not something I'm willing to do until there are no more babies in diapers slopping milk and goldfish crackers around. Not unless we go straight to brown, dingy carpeting.

And we just give in and put the diapers back on. Bad mommy!

Well, today I happened to see Josie making her poo face and a thought hit me...so I scooped her up mid-squeeze and rushed her into the bathroom. I stripped her down and set her on the potty. She looked befuddled at first, but then we picked up Jorja's new potty book and I started to read. Jorja slowly crept into the bathroom, took in the situation and asked "Why is Josie on my potty? That's my book" About that time Josie finished off a deuce and gave a little sprinkle. I celebrated like she had won the Pulitzer. I clapped, Josie clapped, Jonah clapped and we all congratulated. I even told Jorja that we might have to give Josie part of the chocolate bunny we have been saving since Easter in honor of Jorja's first successful in-bowl poop. (That one did not go over well)

She's been dry most of the day today - but no more poo. I wonder what tomorrow will produce.

A little healthy competition never hurt anyone? Right?

Finally!!!

Gee Whiz!! What's a girl gotta do to blog around here!? First it was preparing for a first birthday party...then preparing for a romantic week away, then we got home and had the worst DSL luck...I guess it could be worse, right?

Well, Josie is now one. Holy moley. One. No longer an infant. (insert hysterics here) I am actually doing quite well...no jarring baby fever...no crazy thoughts of "just one more" (well, not long enough to count anyway)

Our trip to Jamaica was fantastic. I really like being the center of attention...the "princess" if you will. Hmm. Explains a lot about my kids, doesn't it? I also like being tan. I'm not really, really tan or anything, just enough to have actual tan lines. But this doesn't bode well for homeschooling this summer. I'm feeling the need to spend mornings in the sun.

Uh, oh...poomergency...Jorja took her diaper off and is running around with a dirty bottom...

You know...there were no kids in Jamaica.

Comments, Please!

I am having fun writing my blog, but I never know if it's actually read or not. I'd like to try an experiment. If you have read this or any post, please leave me a comment. Be nice, I know I'm not a professional, but I'd love to know if anyone is reading or not. (Apparently, it's a big deal among bloggers to actually have readers - who knew). My counter is up to whopping 30 something right now...whoo! That's pretty impressive for a nobody with nothing really important to say!

Well, add another store to the "we can't go back there" list...

Is there a good time of day to go shopping alone with 3 small children?

You would think that the 6 year old might be helpful, and that the 1 year old (seriously, she is almost one now!) being in the sling would make it so the only "handful" would be the 2 year old.

There are times, though, when they are all so on their game that it's a wonder I ever venture out of the home. Much less make it through an entire day without the help of pharmaceuticals...major pharmaceuticals...

Yesterday's trip to School Aids to buy flash cards tops pretty much every shopping adventure to shame. And that being said, I'm going to do my best to describe the events that lead up to my decision that none of them will ever set foot through those doors again. Not with me, and certainly not all three of them together.

We left just after lunch. Silly me thought that full bellies would help make them more subdued. It is obvious that there is a chemical in cheap Chinese take-out that is only triggered by microwaving it the next day (perhaps there is something to this BPA plastic hoopla) that will turn young children into crazy wilder beasts. It cannot be my inability to control them. Nope, that's not even a remote possibility.

They did great getting in the van, driving to the store, getting out of the van, and even up to the threshold. But once they got a look at the merchandise in all it's glory...the pens, pencils, stamps, puzzles, felt boards, flashcards, spinners, games, dry erase boards, stuffed animals, puppets and coloring books...it was all over for me. Jorja, in her stroller, kept yelling "Stop! Go back! I want that!" And when I would not...she let out a blood curdling scream. This happened no less than 20 times. A very nice woman asked if she could help me find something, and then led me to the math flash cards...they had exactly what I needed. All the while Josie is in the sling squirming and trying to reach everything near us. Jonah declared "I want to live here now!" And touched everything at least once, some things were so important that we absolutely could not move forward until I looked at them while she described them in detail and told me what teacher she knew had them and that's why "we need that, too."

I finally gave up. No browsing for me...I looked at 3 boxes of flash cards and decided that the big one had to have everything I needed. We headed for the front among screams of "I want to walk" and "let me out of here, I want that!" from Jorja. Josie was dumbfounded...I don't think she has ever heard that much screaming before. Actually, I don't think short of a slasher film, anyone has heard that much screaming before.

So we finally get to the front of the store where the nice lady starts to ring us up. Of course I want to fill out the form to get discounts!! Let's take 5 extra minutes to do that. My second very bad decision of the day...the first was taking 3 kids anywhere! While I'm filling out the form, Jonah manhandles every doll-dress-up puzzle on the rack, and Jorja, who is jealous that she cannot reap destruction on them, manages to escape the bonds of the stroller and run over with her. I can only get out "did you...? How...? Get back here! Oh, never mind..." And finish filling out the information. It was only a few seconds before I realized she was at the front door of the store, before I can get there, a very disgruntled store employee almost rips the front doors off their hinges trying to get back IN the store. She can't get the door open because...you guessed it...Jorja locked them! Humiliation sets in. I'm trying to apologize and explain to a woman without even the tiniest sense of humor that the 2 yo locked the door. She would not look at or speak to me. I have only seen someone that angry a few times in my life...and it always ended with a spanking.

I quickly finished paying, exited the store and held back tears of frustration long enough to make it home, open the pack of cards and realize...in all the craziness...I bought the wrong cards!

I'm being tested...

Sooooo, she thinks she can wear me down, huh? Not likely.

Today was full of a sleepy-headed pouter asking me every 30 seconds if we "really have to do this?" and "can't I just watch cartoons?" But we finished everything we had to do and even made up a little bit of work. (I forgot to read some poetry earlier this week) Jason read to her at the dinner table, she read her Bible story to him, and "interviewed" him at lunch for her history project. All in all a good, yet tiring, day.

Now, for the "I suck" part. I have planned on having a First Birthday/Father's Day Luau for over a month now. I have still not sent out invites. I'll be lucky if my few guests have a week once they get them. It's only family, but still...I feel bad springing this on everyone.