She's here!

Sarah Nicolle

born 8:00 a.m. today

7 lb 1 oz

20 inches long

Next post....

...will be by Chad. He'll bring home some pictures and post them here for everyone.

Heads ups: Chad is man of action and great devotion. However, he is also a man of little words. Don't be disappointed by just some pictures and hard facts. I will be back to add the prose and recount the important stories before too long. :)

I slept a whopping one and a half hours. (But I got a luxurious 30 minute shower to make up for it.) I am so glad that I will have drugs to make me sleep. This insomnia is ridiculous!

Less than 24 hours!

The baby will be here soon! I expect it to be born by 8 AM tomorrow morning (or very close). By this time tomorrow, I should be lying in recovery...pleasantly drugged, getting my first real sleep. Or I could be awake a nursing a baby while flat on my back like I did with Joseph. Each situation seems to have its differences.

This morning I have already baked Rebekah's b-day cake (for Sunday) and put the bassinet together. A load of laundry is running and I have a few errands to run. We did a bunch of cleaning last night (I went to be weighing less than I weighed that morning!) and there is just a bit left to do. I have to remember to water the plants. I want to change the sheets on the bed. Somewhere in there I hope to get a nap, though I haven't been able to fall asleep during nap time for the past week. I have a book to read, but may end up taking that to the hospital.

Daniel has pack meeting tonight and will get his first red bead toward his Bear rank (it's really MY bead.) Chad has a PPI with the Stake President while we're there.

My mom will be here this afternoon. I have to wake up around 4 AM to leave by 5 and arrive at the hospital by 5:30.

And there is my "to do" list. Thanks for reading along. :)

Who spoiled our cat?

We have 10 cats if you count the 6 kittens. (Anyone ready to adopt?) Our oldest resident came to us with a companion that ended up needing to be put down. That would probably be the only way we would have adopted a 3-legged cat!

At first we let her be an inside cat, but I just couldn't take the fur on the bed, wet paw prints and hairball vomit. She's been with us for more than a year now and has managed to avoid the dangers of the great countryside. She's not a real social cat, unless you're human. She doesn't seem to like the other cats and keeps herself aloof.


Recently, she disappeared for about a week. I'm not sure exactly how long it was, but it was her longest stint so far. We figured she'd had an accident or something and didn't expect her back. She came back.


Suddenly, she's at the door a lot more, trying to get in. She's at the side windows meowing. (That sounds like whining and anyone who knows me knows that's not good.) So I want to know...who had our cat that whole time and spoiled her? Why does she think she should be allowed in again? Do you want her back? (Or did you try to adopt her and found out she has a hairball problem?)


Her "princess" behavior is rubbing off on another cat that used to be allowed inside and he's now camping out by the door more often, too. I'm less willing to send him away because he's a good mouser. But every time those furry creatures zip through the front door, I grit my teeth and feel my blood pressure rise. I hate them in the house. (He gets hairballs, too.)

Missing Pants

Joseph has two pair of church pants. One is navy blue, one is tan. He wore the navy blue pair 4 weeks ago and then they vanished. I couldn't find them anywhere. It's not like my laundry takes a real strenuous path from dryer to drawers. Even so, the pants were missing.

His tan pants were worn to church 3 weeks ago and that afternoon he drew all over the top half of them with a blue pen. That figures. It would have been better if he were wearing the blue ones when he did that. But of course, I don't know that he didn't do it to them, too.

Luckily, Joseph's shirts don't stay tucked in (I stopped even tucking them in to begin with). I'm sure very few people have been noticing the pen-marked pants at church. They were more likely to notice that he had the same pants on week after week.

Today, my big project was to restore order to the library. (You can see the mess in the video of the post just before this one.) Guess what? Yep. Found the pants. Behind the recliner. Of course! Why didn't I think of that before? We often look behind that chair when something goes missing. Good thing this baby is coming (and my mom) or I might not have felt the need to get the room back in shape! Now Joseph won't have to be embarrassed to wear the same pants for the 4th Sunday in a row. I know it's been one of his biggest stressers.

Conversation with Joseph

Joseph is 21 months old. He is all boy. He is feisty, stubborn, obedient, loving, energetic and quite adorable. He's also not talking yet. It's quite the adventure around here. I think he'll talk before he's 3 (unlike his brother, Nathan), but it's sure taking a long time!

I was thinking that Joseph sounds a lot like Curious George. He makes the same grunting noises and "oo-oo's." His eyes get big and round when he gets excited and he jumps a lot. This is handy since I often call him "George" for no reason at all. He also goes by "Freddy."

He has learned to say "yeah" in a very breathy sort of way...kind of sounds like he's gulping in some air. He can shake his head "no." If he wants something, we often hear, "mamamam."

Here is a video from this morning. I tried to get him to talk. At least he's expressive.

Recent Requests

Normally, I'm no good for requests. So I don't want any of you to start getting any ideas. I do not play well with others! ;)

But one person requested a picture of the chicken eating with the kittens. Another requested a view of my big belly (you'll be sorry). So I complied this ONE time!

I couldn't actually get a picture of the bird pecking because he's so darned quick! And I didn't catch it when all six kittens were eating, but this picture should be good enough. You can see he's not a big bird. We don't know if it's a bantam or just young. Time will tell...if he doesn't get eaten!


This is me this morning, right after I vacuumed and swept up by the garage door. (Found lots of earwigs in a backpack left on the floor.) No amount of exertion seems to put me into labor. And I was breathing like a marathon runner after I was done with my 10 minute job! I don't normally do side views of pregnancy. It's not pretty. So get an eyeful while you can...then grab some Tylenol for your eye pain. Joseph was wondering what I was doing in his room, staring at the wall.


I had a request of my own this weekend. The tub was beyond ignoring. I needed assistance and enlisted a 9-year-old boy to help. He had lots of fun, but the tub didn't look much better. (Most of that black around the wall is stained into the caulk. Very pretty and very stubborn. Not even bleach can touch it.) I eventually put a towel in there (so I wouldn't slip all around) and grunted and groaned my way around the tub. That didn't start labor either. So frustrating.

And there you go. You'll be careful to make requests in the future!

A week from today!

Exactly one week from now, I'll be laying in a hospital bed, pleasantly sedated and many pounds lighter! I'll be a mother of 6! (Though not likely any more responsible.)

I'm looking forward to next Thursday for the obvious "new baby" reasons and also because there are so many crazy things going on with me that I want this pregnancy over! I think my body is saying that it's done having this experience as so many new afflictions have come over me. Nothing has been serious (as far as makes a doctor concerned), but I've noticed a big difference between this pregnancy and the first 5.

Now on to the next stage of my life...raising the children to adulthood!

Little Buckaroo Rodeo 2009

It was rodeo time just recently. Our little town holds a rodeo for kids ages 18 months to 12 years. While all of our kids fit into that category, Joseph did not participate in any events. But the rest of them did!

It started with a parade of all the contestants. The rodeo takes up two nights. They had a little over 300 kids sign up this year. I hear if they get 350, they'll have to hold it over 3 nights. Nathan is the kid in the tan shirt, followed by the girls and trailed by Daniel in the navy blue (in other words, our kids are the one who aren't wearing cowboy hats).

Nathan was first to "compete." He had signed up for the mutton bustin'. The poor kid ended up on the toughest ewe in the circuit. He barely got out of the gate before he had a face full of dirt. She was just as rough on the other kids unlucky enough to be put on her back. But he was a good sport.

Rebekah's event was the stick pony race. She was to run around two barrels with her (borrowed) stick pony and come back. Daniel took her to the gate and then she said she didn't need any more help. She darted out towards the barrels as soon as they said "go" and didn't slow down until she tripped and landed in the dirt. Then she just sat there. Apparently, she was waiting for a rodeo clown to come and help her up. We must get the most from the experience!

Next up was Daniel (notice how the sun has gone down?) He was very excited to ride a calf. He's vowed to never attempt it again. The calf and the ewe must have collaborated before the boys got to them. They both dumped their riders fairly quickly. Daniel flew off sideways and landed on his side, with his arm tucked under. He looked to be a little hunched as he left the arena and I wasn't sure he wouldn't cry. He didn't, but he didn't want to talk about it, either!

Leah was last and the most reluctant to follow through with her event. She had signed up for stick pony goat roping. She made Chad go down with her and I wasn't sure she was going to even participate. Then they said "go" and the competitive side of her took over. She ran out to her goat and threw the rope over its neck before the boy competing with her ever got started. Don't mess with Leah.

All the kids that participated got a couple of tootsie rolls from the rodeo clowns and a little silver belt buckle with the rodeo name and a bronc riding cowboy on it. Sp now we have 4 belt buckles kickin' around the house...but no belts to put them on.

But that isn't all we left with. At the end of the rodeo, they have a Chicken Scramble for kids 5 and younger (no parents, friends, family, etc. are allowed in to help). Rebekah and Leah went in. Rebekah hung around the guy with the camera...as if he's going to protect her from the chickens? Leah ran her little heart out, chasing chicken after chicken. When it came to actually reaching down and really grabbing it, she "chickened out." Fortunately (or is it unfortunately?), someone had more than their limit and Leah happened to be standing nearby. So she got her chicken after all.

You'd think she'd been given a puppy. She and the boys lovingly carried it to the van and held it on the 5 minute ride home. She first named it "Sleepy" but by the time we pulled into the driveway she'd changed it to "Sticky Feet." I know of no other creature with that name.

We already have 12 chickens, but if we put this new bird in with the bigger, older ones, there will be a lot of ruckus. So Sticky Feet lived in a cage on the back deck for almost two weeks before I was able to talk Leah into letting him out and seeing if he could survive the cats and freedom.

He now roams the yard during the day and returns to the cage at night. We lock him up to keep him safe from tom cats. He has started eating cat food, so it's not an uncommon sight to see him surrounded by 6 kittens as he pecks to get his meal. This sure is a crazy place to live.

First Day of School 2009!

It finally arrived! I was very glad to see the first day of school this year. It had been a long summer of "brotherly love." And the kids were excited to go back, as well.

Leah was pretty nervous the night before but seemed to forget her fear that morning. Here they are, ready for the bus. They sure look like respectable human beings! You'll notice Leah is in a jumper. She's in one today, too. I think I'd better make a few more to get us through a whole week of school. What a picky kid.

Here they are waiting for the bus at the end of the driveway. The end of the fence is as far as they're allowed to go since that road is 50 mph and no car drives less than that. The bus stops right there to pick them up. LOVE IT!


When Leah got home, she was all smiles. She let me know that it wasn't scary after all. Apparently, I was the one that was worried.


While I was making dinner last night, Leah expressed her delight that it was almost dinnertime because that meant it was almost bedtime and then she could get up and go back to school. In my opinion, Leah's teacher is a big of a crank. I watched her bark at the kindergarteners all last year. It could be that she doesn't even notice because no one compares to a cranky, pregnant mommy!

The boys came home full of smiles, too. Daniel was loaded up with candy (already), and Nathan had some school work to show off, but no one had any homework. What kind of school is this? :)

It was another exciting morning today. I wish it wasn't too much to expect the joy to last.

Incidentally, I took Rebekah and Joseph out to run some errands yesterday. There was no fighting! It was so easy to only have 2 kids! That's not going to last too much longer.

Here is a video of the bus. It's not much, but I've hardly put any video up lately.



P.S. I hate you, Blogger. You have some serious bugs when it comes to adding pictures. Do you see how my pictures are all different sizes? I had to distort them all just to move them around the page. And what you do to the spacing between paragraphs is just mean. But thanks for not making me pay for the headache.

Swimming Lessons 2009

We survived another year of swimming lessons. This year was kind of a cold weather summer and it was an outdoor pool. A really persuasive person talked me into changing my time slot for lessons and I think it worked to our advantage. This year only had a few hot days and we got very lucky. Plus, I didn't have to feel like I was melting (like I did the year I was pregnant with Rebekah and chasing Leah around the park).

Daniel was in a Level 4 class, Nathan - a Level 2, and the girls - Level 1. Leah barely passed her level and the rest will be repeating theirs. As long as we don't go broke by then (it was $160 for four kids and 9 days).

Here are some pictures of the the kids. I'll let you try to figure out who is who. My apologies to those who don't really know my kids. But if that's the case, you likely aren't all that interested in this post anyway. :)

Oh, my aching EVERYTHING!

I feel like boards have been strapped to my sides with elastic cords. I should at least look skinnier!

Joseph has been cutting eye teeth (everyone groan...he's been miserable). He apparently also has a cold because even if every eye tooth were popping out a the same time, I wouldn't expect this much goop. He was reintroduced to the nose sucker yesterday. He started coughing yesterday (sorry, Krissy) and nap time has been a victim of his discomfort.

When Joseph's nap suffers, so does mine. I had taken some Benadryl yesterday and was especially tired. When Joseph choked himself awake, I couldn't let him cry it out as he would likely need several tissues.

So for the past TWO days, I've finished my naps on Joseph's floor. (He stops crying and goes back to sleep when I'm there. I really hoping he doesn't get used to the situation.) Two blankets folded into thirds have nothing over my 3" memory foam pad over a pillow top mattress. I keep telling myself it's a luxury compared to sleeping on a sidewalk (so glad I'm not homeless). It does create some extra weird dreams.

I sleep for a while on one side, flip to the other when I can't take anymore, and then gingerly and with the speed of a giant land tortoise, stand up and drag my pillows out. He didn't sound as congested today. Maybe that means I only have one more day of this?

I didn't know they had their eyes open!

We went to the hospital tonight and toured the Labor and Delivery wing. It was the last time we'll take this tour, in preparation of a new baby.

All the kids were very attentive and found different things to be interesting. They really watched as the hospital bed went up and down. They thought the warming bed for the baby was neat. They were surprised to learn that babies are purple when they are born. They got to feel oxygen blowing through the mask.

We saw a very chubby, hairy, pink baby. Leah was quite surprised to see the baby's eyes open already. Now she knows one more difference between people babies and cat babies!

Forgot

Yesterday afternoon, I pulled out some Schwann's frozen bread dough and set it in the oven to raise. It was our only bread.

This morning Chad reminded me that we hadn't actually cooked it. Nice reminder! I could have used it about 12 hours earlier.

This is what I found in the oven. I can't believe I forgot to bake the bread!


I hope we don't forget to bring the baby home from the hospital.

Just missed going into labor

We went to school registration on Thursday evening. It was there I got a nasty shock and nearly delivered this baby early.

I have spent a large part of this summer thinking my kids started school on the 17th. Wrong. They don't start until the 19th. I can't tell you what that bit of info did to me. I'd like to have a word with the person who sent out the kindergarten letter and badly worded it, causing me to believe relief was coming earlier than it actually is.

The 5-12th graders are starting on Monday. I guess the school doesn't realize that it's the younger ones who are driving their mothers insane. Maybe they do and that's why they don't want them yet.

Nice = Permissive

Leah made the following statement at dinner tonight:

"When I grow up, I'm going to be the nicest Mommy because I'm going to let my kids do whatever they want."

I'm sure she wasn't trying to send me any covert messages, as she's not old enough to be so clever. Even so, it wouldn't have worked.

I'm sure being that kind of Mommy wouldn't equal niceness, but rather craziness. I know I'd be crazy if I let my kids do whatever they wanted. I'd also be exhausted. Come to think of it, there isn't much difference between nice and mean...you end up feeling the same way.

Tiny Tomatoes

Joseph doesn't like tomatoes. I had some sitting on the table, fresh from the garden this morning. (Our garden is slow to ripen this summer...we've not gotten many little tomatoes so far.)

When I woke up from my nap, this is what I found.


I think it shows maturity that he tried every single one to be certain that he didn't like them. The older kids won't even touch something they assume they won't like. Or maybe it's just childlike faith. Too bad he didn't leave me any to try.

Dragonfly Summer

A part of me thinks that would be a great chapter book title. That part of me isn't strong enough to overpower the other part of me that says to let someone else write it. Anyway, that isn't even what this post is about.

This really has been a dragonfly summer. It's also been an earwig and grasshopper summer, but I guess the bugs share the world.

The dragonflies are in large concentrations around the weeds in the garden and the boys have made good use of their insect nets. This little guy is camped out on our front room screen. He's probably waiting until the temp rises a little more so he can beat those little wings and join his large, extended family.

Is this a joke?

I feel like I'm being "punked" or on some twisted program where they test the pregnant lady's blood pressure via her kids.

I was playing a computer game, trying to put my foot/feet up. The girls were going a little overboard with their cup selections and picking cups with lids. Normally, I say NO...this time I said I'd rather you didn't. They know that's not the same.

While they had the dishwasher open, Joseph starts taking out the clean dishes and putting them into the sink with the dirty ones (cereal bowls still full of milk and cereal). Rebekah lets me know what he's doing, but neither she nor Leah figures it's their job to do anything about it. Before I know it, they've left him to his game (with a still open dishwasher) and by the time I get there, the sink is full...both sides. I was unable to save 1/2 of the clean dishes that he put in the sink.

I was mad! I'm still mad. While I'm ranting and growling and slamming things around in the kitchen, I smell soap coming from upstairs. Apparently, the boys decided to finally take the shower I'd REPEATEDLY asked them to do 3 hours ago. The girls had gone upstairs and I heard Daniel say that the water was off. So I thought they were done.

Then I hear a piercing scream coming from upstairs. Leah always over-reacts. But I'm mad and on a war path. I stomp upstairs to see what the @#$% is going on. (Back to pretend swearing.) Daniel is standing outside the shower...completely lathered in soap. Nathan is sitting on the floor of the shower, in the same condition...except he has soap in his eyes. He's the one screaming, not Leah. No water is running.

I shove Daniel back into the shower, turn on the water and tell them they must be retarded (not one of my better parenting moments). Now I'm ranting and growling in the upstairs bathroom. I don't know how much angrier I can get! Of course, I have to tell them to TURN OFF THE WATER AND GET OUT OF THE SHOWER!!! Maybe they were staying in there out of self preservation. When they get out, they stand there naked and dripping. I have to tell them to open the drawer and look for towels. Really!!!! Is this a joke?

They are grounded in their rooms for now. I told them I'd call them for lunch. But first I have to make it. And I have to get out the chair from under the table that I shoved under in a lovely display of anger for my 3 youngest children. I'm not sure we're going to make it to the first day of school on Monday. I'm not sure we're going to make it to tomorrow.

Postcard Apology

I have to apologize to those family members who have been having b-days lately. I have been chronically late in sending out the postcards. And now a new problem.

I have run out of postcard stamps and can't keep putting first class stamps on them. If you have a child that I have missed, let me know if will help to send one later this week or if I should just let it pass. I know kids can look forward to the littlest things (and this seems to qualify as a little thing...I don't expect I'm making great impressions).

I just have to get my fat, lazy self to the post office during business hours to pick up more stamps.

Announcement

This is almost as good as announcing the birth of the baby...almost.

I am announcing the BIRTHDAY of the baby...27 August 2009 (Thursday).

Our appointment is for 7:30 AM. We have to be to the hospital at 5:30. Good thing the drugs will make me sleepy. I'm going to need a nap! :)

What the #&@*%^???!!!

If I were a profane person, it would have been plainly manifest this morning.

Due to crazy and confusing events (and pregnancy hormones, I'm sure), we now have 6 four-week-old kittens loose in the laundry room. They stopped staying in the laundry basket and last night I put a pan of kitty litter out for them. I'm getting a little tired of shaking out and then washing poopy towels.

This morning, we all (minus Rebekah) witnessed the first two kitties figure out the purpose of the box. It was a joyous event...for me, especially. One of them missed the box (just like a kid, I suppose) and I sent Nathan for a tissue to clean it up off the floor. I had already gotten after the kids for the amount of litter scattered on the floor and in the water dish nearby. That's when it was "clean."

When I came out from my shower minutes later, I found my 9-year-old, side-by-side with my 20-month-old, playing in the now "dirty" litter box. Joseph had his hand buried in it! Leah and Nathan were sitting nearby. I obviously started yelling. Daniel reluctantly withdrew his digging tool, but left Joseph playing in the stuff right next to him. More yelling.

What the @$*^#? We DO have a sand box outside. They don't play in that. Of all the things to choose to play in, let's all choose the litter box. If we aren't already suffering from brain damage, we're bound to find a way to lose some grey matter before the day is out. Maybe it will be from the big smack to the head that mom will probably give us.

I may not have to worry about college tuitions...they'll all be dead by 16. Or I'll be in jail and living off the state.

I knew it!!!

Nathan just came down from his room with a polo shirt on. "Mommy, do you know why my collar is up like this? It's because I'm an alien. Daniel neutralized me."

"What does neutralized mean?" I ask. I'm really curious to know his answer. I didn't even know he could say the word.

He fumbled around for a second and then said, "It means someone did something to change you and you can't go back."

I guess I can accept that definition. It's in the ball park.

Then he told the girls that he's always been an alien and now he really is because he's been neutralized. I knew there was something foreign about him! And I'm assuming that Daniel is the leader alien. There's something REALLY foreign about him! (I, of course, am using myself as a standard for normal. There may be some problem in my conclusion.)

Magic Ball please

When it comes to kids and health, I really wish I had a way to see into the future and know if a current problem was going to go away or become a bigger issue.

The night Leah ran into the glass wall, it looked like she was going to get a nice shiner. I wondered if she could get a concussion from hitting her cheekbone too hard and if I should have sent her to bed. In the morning, we couldn't even see a mark (though I think she could still feel it). Apparently, that was some wasted worrying.

This morning, Joseph woke up crying, threw up some water he'd drunk and became extremely tired and floppy. He wouldn't even sit up for me to dress him, but fell against me. When his arm fell across his eyes, he didn't even move it. His skin was cool and a little clammy. By the time the doctor's office was open, he'd perked up and was almost normal. So now, 3 hours after, I keep wondering what to do every time he cries or acts cranky. Is he over it? Is it coming back? Is there something to even worry about?

I really wish I could see into the future in a magic ball. I'd have to clean off all the smudges and fingerprints first. Do magic balls come with Windex?

UPDATE:
Since writing this post, I did take Joseph to the dr. (I got up from the computer and found him asleep on the floor behind me.) He couldn't find anything immediately wrong and thought he was probably coming down with something, but fighting it. We are supposed to give him fluids, rest and Tylenol/Motrin...because he's likely achy. I hate new illnesses on the weekend.

No Indian Summer

No Native American Summer, either.

We've barely even had a summer at all (and I am NOT complaining). It rained all of June, got hot for about 5-7 scattered days of July and now we're wearing jackets in the garden... 8 August 2009.

Here are some of us picking (purple)green beans from the garden this morning. At 10 AM it was 52 degrees.

Here is Joseph trying to get through the carrots, peas (already picked), and weeds.
And now it's raining. The lawn mower won't be started today.

I came inside and made hot chocolate for everyone. It was very yummy and really hit the spot on such a cold morning. One of the girls asked if it was almost winter. I'm not sure we can really say. Maybe we're in for a hard one this time. Brrr!

Hard Knocks

It has been a long two weeks. Swimming lessons finally ended today and "none too soon," I say. We have been getting late lunches and naps (or no naps) and missing out on a lot of the afternoon. It has definitely taken its toll on me and the kids.

Today, we got a mini break between swimming and dentist appointments (4 kids - no cavities, I'm happy to report). After the dentist, we went to the fabric store because I wanted to catch the pattern sale and see what else was irresistible.

I went to a lot of fabric stores with my mom when I was a kid. I remember how BORING it was and how LONG we'd be there. It's finally time to take it out on a new generation. We were there over an hour. (Sorry guys. I didn't think it would take that long.) The dentist gives out balloons. Three balloons ended up on the ceiling of the store, two got rescued. I'm sure the fabric store employees were glad to see us and our 4 surviving balloons leave.

By the time we left the fabric store, it was dinner time. We met Chad at a Subway on the way home. The meal went fine, especially considering that we had 5 kids who had been out and about most of the day. The older kids had fun in the back corner of the store while the two younger ones finished up. As it was time to leave, the boys went out the door. Leah prepared to follow.

The restaurant has double doors - and exterior and interior...probably to keep bugs out, though the interior door was propped open. The doors are connected by the masonry wall of the building and a glass wall on the opposite side (forming the "hallway" between doors). Have I completely lost you? We were able to enter without any difficulty. As Leah made a plan in her mind for exiting the building, a mental connection was lost and she forgot the exact path she used coming in. I never saw the impact, but heard it and the resulting screaming. She'd run full speed (a good 20 feet) right into the glass wall, instead of going around it and through the door. She ended up on the floor. It left a nice big smudge where her cheek bone collided. That was a really clean glass wall.

Most mothers would probably be concerned for their child. I immediately looked for blood and then told Chad to get her out of the restaurant. It was just one more chink in my armor. I am done being a mother this summer! I finished cleaning up the table and headed for the door. I did have to shout at the boys who returned to the scene of the accident to gleefully reenact it. Now there are more smudges on the glass. Can we please not work the frazzled mother into a frenzy? It will be a while before we go back to a restaurant. And yes, I was trying not to laugh out loud after she went screaming outside. It must have been something to see. (I do feel sorry that she got hurt, but I'm having a hard time being really sympathetic.)

We'll see if she's got a black eye or other bruising in the morning. I'll be sure to post a picture if she does. She's lucky she didn't break the window (I'm glad for strong, thick safety glass) or her nose!

Cryo-out-loud!

I've mentioned before that we have a little problem with earwigs this year. Actually, every year we have a little problem. This year we have a Gigantic problem.

Most of the babies have matured and we rarely see any tiny ones any more. The house is really is crawling with earwigs. I saw one making its way across the living room carpet yesterday and had a fleeting thought I should get the vacuum. It's a big vacuum and such a little critter. Plus, I'm really not feeling all that quick. So I walked away from the whole situation.

But you'll never guess where I found one of those little stinkers yesterday. Well, maybe you already guessed by the post title. Yep. In the freezer. I figured that's the "top" of the bottom. When you have earwigs showing up in your top freezer of your kitchen refrigerator, you know you've really made it. I wondered how it got in there and considered that it was another one of Daniel's freezer experiments. Then I realized that if Daniel had had anything to do with it, the thing would have been in a bowl of water, not just sitting there all alone. It must have been on a package we stuck in there or on top when the door was opened. Regardless, it's still there. At least that's one that won't sneak away from me!

Last Minute Prep

This baby isn't coming for another 4 weeks, but I feel like I'm making last minute preparations already.

For example, I just barely made dentist appointments for the oldest 4. School starts in 2 weeks. I thought for sure it would be impossible. Surprisingly, I got all 4 of them in on Thursday afternoon. I love smaller communities...even though we're driving into the "big" city to get to the dentist. I was just hoping I could get it done before the baby got here. That should be plenty of time. :)

Another last minute prep. I swept and mopped the kitchen floor this morning (let the spill fest begin). Yes, I did say the baby was not coming for another 4 weeks. But around here, this qualifies as last minute prep. I'm not sure it's going to get done again before then. It's embarrassing to admit, but I'm really the only one who cares much and I'm getting less and less likely to attempt it.

One more last minute job...the laundry room floor. That room is quite disgusting. There is cat food and cat hair littered around, thanks to a momma and 6 kittens living in there. We have an endless supply of boots and shoes "kicking" around in there, too. There are some other things that shouldn't be there as well as the normal dirt and stuff you would expect to find at the outside door to a farmyard. I tried to get the kids out into the garden to weed while the temp was cool this morning. I found them out there harassing a cat. But when I suggested they find some big sticks and beat the rugs, they all gleefully went searching for the biggest stick they could find. How do I make the garden so exciting?

I've had a little rest now and I'm back to my last minute preps (namely the laundry room horror). Swimming lessons are in an hour. There's always something.