Seminary

Two down and ..... how many more days do I have to do this? It's true. I'm the seminary chauffeur. How funny is that? The two family members that have the hardest time getting out of bed early are waking up at 5:30 a.m. There is something totally wrong with this picture.

Night owls' observations:

• at 5:30 a.m. it is dark outside
• people are actually driving to work at 6 a.m.
• seeing an orange sunrise behind Mt. Jefferson(?) is breathtaking!
• Mormon standard time is alive and kickin'
  
• at 7:30 a.m. you can get a front row parking spot at WinCo
• WinCo only needs one checker in the early morning
• Lynn should not be taken into WinCo just after the shelves have been stocked. She will feel compelled to fill the empty spaces and organize anything that is out of place. She is also super giggly and begs for stuff (a.k.a. doughnuts)
• Lynn thinks one hour power naps are too short
  
• the crash begins at 3 p.m.
• mom is very grouchy in the evenings after getting up so early
• she wants to go to bed early therefore everyone else must too
  

Don't shoot me...

Can I admit that I'm looking forward to public school starting on Wednesday? I love that my girls have friends, but I'm looking forward to fewer interruptions and better focus. Even if their friends don't come over, just knowing that friends are available seems to contribute to "but mom I could be playing" attention deficit. Of course we'll have to adjust. Every year we go through the "I'm bored" stage for a couple of weeks. Then, we revert to the "knocking on their door the minute they get off the bus" syndrome.

Girly Math

Who needs counting bears when you can
use bottles of nail polish instead?

Counting bears are math manipulatives used to help with counting and sorting.

Unwanted guests

I found myself dancing with an unwanted guest last night...in my bare feet! After jumping over him several times and squealing an expletive or two, I convinced him to go sit in the corner. Fast forward to tonight. I guess he thought the coast was clear to hit on me again once hubby went off to bed. But, my faithful kitty came to my rescue. Although I must sadly report that the cat decided to help another creature join the "one less leg" club. I'll have to tell you about the slugs hubby found in the kitchen this morning another time.

BTW, I spent a considerable amount of time online trying to identify the spider. It could be a hobo or a giant house spider. Apparently, hobos are hard to identify because they look similar to several other spiders. Regardless, I had a good time lying on the floor with a flashlight and magnifying glass getting as good a look as one can through an 8X8 pyrex dish.

A Day in the Life of....

After a terrific heat wave (104, 108, and 102 degrees Fahrenheit), I think it is time to start living again. Time seemed to stop for a few days. Only the bare necessities were performed so as not to produce additional body heat. Dirty clothes and dishes have piled up along with every toy or item that was used in the last few days. I've decided to share what today's recovery effort will look like. (Special thanks to DH who braved the hot weather to do the dishes and laundry which did get done. Oh, and he slaved away in the garage during the early mornings to fix the van.)

• Woke up at 9:15 a.m. Walked out of our cool bedroom to find that the rest of the house didn't get quite as cool. Considered being a slug again today.
• 7yodd decides that copying people is fun. 11yodd and I copy 7yo for 5 minutes. 7yo gets rather frustrated and realizes that copying is a form of teasing and it isn't fun to be on the receiving end.
• Seeing that cabin fever is brewing, I announce that they (7 & 11) should play at the park while it is cool. I retract said statement upon seeing the state of their room.
• We role play. I'm the slave driver and they are the slaves. I think it is a fun game. They don't seem to get as much enjoyment out of it as I do. Their room is pronounced clean. Role playing ends. They flee the house.
  
• I fill out paperwork for today's field trip to a local climbing wall. Did I just sign my life away?
• I try to rouse 14yodd. She apparently HAS decided to be a slug today.
• Washing my jeans that looked like a Brownie Batter Blizzard rained down them yesterday. I don't know how that happened.
• The park didn't last long. Now listening in as kids watch "Martha Speaks." Martha can speak Polish?

Continued...

• Beginning to feel claustrophobic now that I'm actually acknowledging the cluttered state of our home. The veil has been removed from before my eyes. Shudder!
  
• Vacuuming one area rug shouldn't take an hour.

Eat where?

Aah, much better!
(now to clean off the piano bench where I dumped the stuff ;)

• Trying to calm my anxiety by eating a fudgsicle.
• Returned all Wii game discs to the appropriate cases.
• Slug girl has arisen (2pm!) and is attempting to morph into a human being.
• Trying hard to squelch the "this is hopeless" mantra that is getting louder in my head. I am beginning to hate stuff.
• When your house looks like it has had an explosive BM, shovel the contents of your bedside table into a box. Dust the table and the pretties. Feeling overwhelmed? Go sit by bedside table and admire it until you have the strength to return to the battlefield.
• Avoidance - called my mom. They are in Nauvoo, IL. I encouraged them to take their time driving across the states. DH still needs to go next door and clear out his model train stuff. I have NO idea where he's going to store it.
  
• Avalanche prevention - cleaning off the top of the dryer.
• Started the dishwasher. Unsure what to do next, so I start eating Cheeze-It's. Yes, eating. That doesn't take any effort.
• Note to self: STOP buying stuff!
• I admit defeat. Retreating to my room.
• My favorite distraction - crossword puzzles.
• Rock climbers are home and in one piece...now enjoying their favorite distraction "The Brady Bunch."
• Computer died forcing me back into the fray. Digging through the bedside table clutter which was dumped into an empty dishpan earlier.
• 14yo & 11yo made cheese and bean quesadillas for supper. What wunderbar children!
• As Cliff Hanger (Between the Lions) says, "Can't...hold...on...much....loooonger!"
• Hard to get anything accomplished with my cat in the room. There is nothing like a one-eyed, three-leg, mangy looking cat. He is just too irresistible. I must hug and kiss him each time I pass by.
• 11:30 p.m. Load in the dryer, load in the washer. Goodnight.