Sleeping Beauty in the eye of the beholder

The Setup: This morning, Miss A has been coloring various Disney Princesses and some of their supporting cast of characters. For example: Cinderella and Prince Charming and Gus, one of the mice.

She just excitedly presented me with a picture of "Aurora (aka: Sleeping Beauty) with her blue fairy, Mary Magdalene!"


(The Fairies of Sleeping Beauty: Flora, Fauna and Merryweather)

Miss A is in mourning

Ohhhhhhhhhh, the sadness of it all. Now, she DID see the color we were going to paint the house, but I guess it didn't really sink in until she saw the front of the house, which is a glorious brown taupe. I think it looks great. It also looks like some of our neighbors' places, which makes the taupe somewhat ubiquitous, but Luke has said that it's going to dry darker, so...whatever that means. Anyway, I love it.

But Miss A, for whom change is very very difficult, has declared that she wants the back left as it is...which is with all the trim painted taupe-brown, white caulking spots and faded green paint. This way, she reasons, we can all be happy.

Oh, uh huh?

I told her to think of it as a delicious chocolate cake. Nope. Not gonna do it. I told her that when she is older, she can paint her house whatever color she wants. This is ridiculous, I am told, as she will not be living in this house when she's old enough to paint it because we'll probably move (is she psychic????).

In any case, I do feel a little bad for her because there is a bit of nostalgia at looking at the green as it's being painted over. ...But not for long. :)

Let the Painting...BEGIN!!!!

So, they are painting...even as we speak. Well, I *smell* paint and I see buckets. Maybe they are still taping things, but it's going to commence very very soon. Yay!!!!

In preparation, we went out early-ish this morning and Super J trimmed around the house and *I* watered all our new trees and our garden. I say that because I'm not the biggest fan right now of outdoor yard work, but it was kinda fun. And I told Super J that I'd be willing to water trees if that would take the burden off of him, so he took me up on the offer this morning. Hate mud. Happy to help, though, so it balances out.

If you can imagine a compass, we are in the "East" position. Our neighbors to the "South" are also having their house painted by Luke et.al. and are currently having their house power washed (even as we speak) and our neighbors to the "North" of us are having their lawn mowed. LOADS of activity outside. Yay!!!!

How'd I miss this?

Remember, I'm not in favor of polygamy, child abuse and alot of things that still need to be determined about the FLDS in Texas. That being said, I am hashed at how they yanked all the kids from their families, so to me, this is really good news. Yay!

Texas high court: Removal of sect kids 'not warranted'

So, I guess they are done with part 1

It appears that all the caulking has been done. It's very exciting, and as far as I know, no one plummeted to injury, death or grass burn. Very reassuring. Maybe they know what they are doing after-all. :)

So, of course the church visits lasted longer than I planned. I wanted to go, visit with these ladies and then go to Walmart to buy a hair drier. Here's a sad tale: my hair drier conked out yesterday and I had no replacement. So, I stood in front of Jason's little space heater and tried to use the scrunching method to...um...style my hair. It styled alright: Ultimate Frizz. So pretty. Today it was a little better. I didn't bother to wash it (why dry it again with that method? Ugh. So depressing!) and it was humid outside, so the frizz morphed into some ringlets and curls and I just ratted the heck out of it and put it back with one of my usual headband and then sprayed the holy cow out of it with some hairspray and ventured out into the world. How sad to admit that it has looked worse. Yegads!

ANYWAY! I needed a hair drier, so after I took our sweet babysitter home (the girls love love love her. I like her, too. She's super sweet, cute as a button and really plays with the older girls, but honestly, with much love I gotta say, she's a wee bit of a flibberty-gibbit--in the nicest way, though. I asked her to get Miss O up from her nap, no later than 5:00pm. I got home at 5:30 and Sweet Babysitter proudly told me, "Yeah, Miss O has slept the entire time." Ugh.) off we go to Walmart.

I got 2 hair driers (a portable one which is now the official backup), 2 folding chairs (you know, the ones you can haul camping...because I will never go camping in my condition, but I am desperate for chairs that I can haul to the front or back of our house so I can watch the kids when they want to play outside! I felt I got a great deal, too, because in the sporting section, I swear they were about $20.00, but I thought...these are better quality chairs than others on display. ANYWAY! They rang up for $10.00. Sweet!), 3 frozen pizzas (can we say: DINNER!) and a few other random groceries. It's now 7:30 and my kids will be eating as soon as the pizzas come out of the oven. Ahhhh, yes. Good parenting.

Wonder if they will paint tomorrow?

Yay!

I am having heart palpitations and a bit of nerves because...the painter people are here to finally finish caulking the house and prepping it for painting so as to start painting!!!!!! Wahoo!!!!!!! I'm hoping the color we picked out will be dark enough without looking TOO dark (though maybe that's okay, too.). Our house is currently a faded weird green with some sad and tacky trim that reminds me of a farm barn. Seriously. So I'm so excited that we are finally doing something about that.

Okay, so far, I have counted one...two...three guys. Hahahahhaha! Yay! I'm wondering what the process is. Do they caulk and then start to paint today or what. Do they paint tomorrow? When it's 90 degrees???? Hmmmmm. Will I be able to leave the house? Because seriously, I'm getting a babysitter this afternoon so I can go do my church visits and an errand. Hmmmmmm.

Okay. I'll just focus on the fact that I'm giddy that it's getting done (our neighbor has a painting business and he's just mosied over to talk to the guys. Good to see the man in charge).

Um...hello! This is new. I just looked out of the window and one of the painter dudes who's going to be working on a very very tall ladder just took off his shirt. That cannot be safe! What if he falls? Can you even imagine???? Or gets sunburned? I swear I am getting old. Everyone looks about 12 years old. When did that happen? Are 12 year olds allowed to be climbing ladders that tall???? And now all of my little girls are staring out the windows, at these shirtless guys. (I think another 12 year old just took off his shirt). The girls are all worried they are going onto the roof. Nope, I try to tell them...just caulking around the windows. The girls have just gone upstairs to watch the guys on the tall ladders do whatever they are doing.

Hmmmmm...and what are they doing? They are now pounding on...something? Weird. And yet fascinating. Hmmmmmm, again. This'll be good, trying to put Miss O down for a nap whilst they are pounding on who knows what. Hope this won't freak out my babysitter. Hope I'll be able to leave the house to GET my babysitter. Hmmmm...

Miss A just asked me why they didn't have their shirts on. I told her the truth: I have no idea. They must want a tan?????

Holy cow the ladder is wobbling (you should know that I'm afraid of heights and my husband often says I'm like one of the Corsican Brothers [you know, based on Alexandre Dumas' story of "separated conjoined twins who are mutually empathic," so if one is hit, the other feels pain] and I'm FREAKED out that one of these dudes is going to plummet to the ground and get not only broken bones but a nasty grass burn as well).

Okay. There's Luke, the man in charge. Still wearing all his proper clothing. Thank you Luke.

This is almost hilarious. I think I've figured out the shirt optional part: one 12 year old just came down the ladder and he's got gobs of caulking all over himself. Truth be told, I'd rather have that all over my shirt than my skin, but since *I'm* not climbing death defying ladders, I really have no say in this, I guess.

HOLY COW something just banged up against the wall. Ahhhhh, said death defying ladder. OY! They are back to pounding. It is very startling when one doesn't expect it.

I need to put Miss O down for a nap. And Miss E just scraped her chin. Ohhhhhh the mayhem! lol. (...to be continued!)

Oh my gosh, I *AM* one of those mothers

Have you ever watched a movie where the little rich kid (boy or girl, who often is the snot of the movie) is finally allowed, through the grace of whatever main character they are following, to play with some toy or get dirty or whatever? Meanwhile, in the background, their parents in their most hoity-toity voices are like, "No, Muffy! We shan't get our dress all dirty!!! Come here this instant!!!" But it's too late: "Muffy" is getting to enjoy this new freedom and will forever be changed into a normal human being????

Well...true confessions (Oh the shame, the shame!!!!). I realized: That's me. Not Muffy, but Muffy's PARENT!

Miss A had a friend over yesterday afternoon and they spent hours playing under the deck in the backyard, in the dirt remnants from Super J's tree planting extravaganza. I thought...ugh. But I knew that we can wash hands and legs (and clothes...how did they get that dirt on their backs?? Will Miss A's friend's mom EVER let her come back???? Yegads!). I felt a certain amount of personal growth that I was like, whatever. It's just dirt.

Until I was getting Miss O up from her nap and looked out the window. What a spectacle!!! Miss A and friend had turned the hose on and they were DRENCHING each other!!!

(can you hear it??? "Muffy! Get out of that water!!! MUUUUUUFFFFFFFYYYYYYYYY!!!")

I rapped on the window and I'm not sure when I moved so fast to get downstairs. I had them turn the hose off and come upstairs because (OF COURSE!!!!) our sweet little friend's mom was due ANY SECOND! Oh dear heavens above! And I needed to find some clothes for this little petite flower! Maybe something of Miss E's??? As they are coming upstairs, what does Miss A tell me in passing?

"But we were having fun."

Long story short: Amanda arrives to pick up her daughter and is completely...I don't know if fine is the word, but she definitely not flinching and is, in fact, quite lovely about the whole thing. She may even let her petite flower come back! I tell ya, Amanda's attitude definitely helped Miss A avoid a fierce scolding (she wasn't supposed to turn on the water...this was a directive given before they went outside, so I guess I don't feel quite so hideous upon that reflection, but still! "MUFFY! No, NO!").

But it was later when I was telling Super J about the whole situation that I had that "Oh my heavens" moment of realization. I'm not sure how one learns which battles are truly necessary to wage in order to win the engagement of parenting. Obedience to NOT turning on the hose OR allowing some leeway during summer time? I dunno. I'm still trying to figure it out. But I *do* know, Amanda's attitude is the one I want when I grow up. It's just water and dirt, but may actually turn out to be the fabulous experience that truly adds to their humanity.

Or mine.

Get Fuzzy

I love this comic strip, in general, overall. I think it's funny and clever, and some days I think I'm like Satchel (the dog) and other days I feel like Bucky (the cat). And May 25th was too cute. I feel this way about some books, too.

Getting back in the swing of things...

It rained yesterday morning here, so our church breakfast was a wee bit soggy. But it seemed everyone had just the best of times...except, you know who had her knickers in a twist half the day? Me.

Wow, was I a snot!

It's weird to be on "the other side," and realize, "Wow. I was a snot yesterday morning." I feel like going around and apologizing, because it wasn't ANYTHING anyone did or could have done to "fix it" or anything like that (though it might have helped a little if people had just left my breakfast alone when I took my girls to the bathroom instead of swooping in to take our seats. Grrrrrrrr.). Like food poisoning, I guess it just has to run its course. But, boy howdy...I was in a nasty little mood. And ohhhhhhhhhh, you should have heard me...um...critiquing other people driving in the rain. The good thing was that it was under my breath, for the most part. The bad thing is that *I* know I did it.

It's kinda funny thinking back on it, because it really is like having a "What happened with that???" kind of moment. Oh well.

Today is a new day. Thank goodness. :) And the stores are open. Did you know that both Costco AND Aldi's were closed to commmemorate Memorial Day? Humph! You'd think it was a national holiday or something. ;)

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So, do you ever wish you had a maid service? There are days I wished someone else was responsible for my kitchen duties. Well, heck. All of my "household" duties, now that it's mentioned. Except vacuuming. I love to vacuum, but if they didn't mind carrying the vacuum up and down the stairs, that would be great. Oh, and they could vacuum the stairs while they were at it...I'd be okay with that, too.

I wouldn't mind helping out with, let's say, the laundry. I don't mind putting laundry in and changing it--in fact, I'd hazard the opinion that I'm a bit of a control freak about how much soap and softener and stain spray all of our clothes get and at what temperature in which it's cleaned (not because I'm the best at that, I'm just a control freak with it)...it's the folding and putting away that always get me. Ugh.

I'd definitely be more efficient if I had a helper to fold and put clothes and stuff away, except for my "delicates" because I'm a bit weird about other people handling my "foundation garments" (Have you ever heard your underwear called that? My girlfriend was getting fitted for a wedding and that's what the salesperson kept calling her ...um...intimate apparel. Interesting, non? I guess it's a pretty accurate, if not somewhat formal, description of the basic layer of cloth next to your skin. ANYWAY! Regardless of what you call it, I'm weird about other people folding mine and putting them away. Probably because my "foundation garment" drawer is CRAMMED with said clothing. In many different sizes, conditions and now shapes. I'm excited to be done being pregnant and nursing so I can purge some of them with wild abandon...but that's a post for another time.)

It was so great on Saturday to have help cleaning. Super J helped with the folding and putting away and we even got the girls in on the act with help dusting and putting away toys and such (of course, having them match socks SOUNDS like a good plan until it's actually implemented and the fighting ensues). In no time at all, we got everything spit spot. And today is Tuesday and I still see remnants, but it's not as crisp as it once was.

Today would be a good day for a maid to come in. lololol. I like to refer to myself as the maid sometimes, but if I really were the maid, I'd have to fire myself because I'm quite inconsistent. I do good work, but some days, I just don't show up. And my kitchen is a mess. Which brings me back to my original question. Don't you sometimes wish you had a maid service? Ironically, though, I'd probably start cleaning so the maid didn't think I let my family live in such conditions. lol. Then I wouldn't really need a maid! I'd need a nanny to take care of my kids because I'd be so exhausted from all the cleaning! Guess we'll just have to stick with the status quo.

Simple Pleasures

Sometimes, simple is so wonderful. Why do I not take advantage of simple things more often??????

Tonight we decided to have F.H.E. because tomorrow is going to be a crazy day (and Super J decided we needed to address a few issues on reverence that came up today during Sacrament Meeting...I wouldn't know about those issues as I was OUT in the hall, literally chasing Miss O who was dashing about like a crazed animal in our very humid church building. Nothing like going into Primary already worked up in sweat and lather. Pretty. And now, let us sing.)...wonderful but busy, you know?

So, tonight we had Cheesy Tuna Helper for dinner. That's it. No veggies. No salad. No fruit. Just tuna helper, which took maybe 15 minutes to make. Oh. And Lemon/Lime "Cool-aid" (some off brand) with only about 3/4th the sugar, but a treat none-the-less.

And for the after F.H.E. treat? Brownies. From the box. Made exactly as they were directed with nothing added (I'm quite fond of adding chocolate chips or nuts or a combo and maybe something for the top...anything to make it "special." So when I say I made it just from the box, that's something for me). Confessedly, I did offer the girls a scoop of ice cream, which 2 of the three accepted. So I gave them vanilla. Simple. Delicious (though still messy).

Okay, have to add that Miss A (the abstainer) just asked for a scoop of ice cream saying, "I always planned to have my ice cream AFTER my brownie."

Oh, uh huh? Really? I'm a sucker right now, though, so I gave her one.

Simple. Not complicated. I need to do this more often. Will I??? Nah. Probably not. But it's something I need to consider. :)