Randomness

Beans runs up to Mouth and gives her a big hug , "Watcha doing?" she asked Mouth
Mouths answer? "Gonna go put deodorant on, wanna smell???" as she raises her arm and fans her other hand so Beans gets a big whiff. gag gag gag and Beans falls to the floor :)

"Azoozoozoozoozoozoozoolalalalalalalala, la te da lalalalalala, azoozoozoozoozoozoo" sings Baby Sister as she does dishes. I know. she's crazy. we love her anyway.

"I have some great ideas for research papers mom! We should go to the MOA and I can write a paper on how much $ I spend, on the good deals I received, and how I REFRAINED from spending more. I can also write a paper on social interaction between people, between strangers and those that obviously know each other." Yeah, Beans has it all figured out.

"where is the pencil sharpener?!?" asks Little Brother
"just use a pocketknife that's what I have been using" Beans tells him
(yep, we can be kinda redneck)
"its upstairs on my black shelf, in my jewelry box" interrupts Blue Eyes...
We all turn and look at her and say "WHAT?!?! how long have you had it up there?"
(we have been looking for it since Christmas break was over)
"Since Christmas. I use it for my art pencils." and no one can be mad at her. she is in her own little world. it must be wonderful.

Ok, this is a funny one...

So we go to town to go sledding at the "ice slide". During the day. when all other kids are in school. when we get there we see a ton (maybe 18?) of kids there. all ages. and maybe 3 adults.
the Brat Pack is disappointed, they are used to being able to be rough and bowl each other over and be loud and goofy and just generally have FUN. Yes, they do know how to play nicely with others, but given the choice they would rather be able to act like wild animals. anyway, we are watching these other kids sled, they don't follow the rules, btw, Baby Sister was very quick to point out. "They don't wait for their turn. they are very disrespectful to the other sledders, mom". she was annoyed. As Mouth and I stand at the bottom of the hill watching everything that's going on, she leans over and whispers to me, "why aren't they in school?!" I pointed out that they are probably home schooled, just like the Pack. She looks at me, horrified. "But we aren't WEIRD like them are we? I mean, we are NORMAL homeschoolers, right??" Yes honey, we are totally normal ;)

Spring

yep, I am looking forward to spring. when everything comes back to life. when you look out the windows and see colors! not just white on white on white, with a little bit of brown and black mixed in (dirt). when the Brat Pack will be outside making noise, running, turning cartwheels, chasing each other, yelling and screaming. Instead of in. my. house.

Swimming, suntans, a zillion kids coming in and out of the house, sleep overs in the tree house, the CABIN!! windows open, a clean porch, fresh veggies out of the garden. the smell of fresh cut grass, shorts, tshirts and tank tops (ya know how many loads of jeans and sweatshirts you do compared to loads of shorts and tshirts?? crazy!), days spent at the park, picnics...

the quietness of an empty house as the Brat Pack never comes in the house until its time for bed! ahhh, blessed quietness. I miss that. I need that.

I should record a day in the life at our zoo... you would have a headache too ( as I am listening to Baby Sister say, ' azoozoozoozoooalalalalala azoozoozoozoo a la te da" over and over and over again as she does the dishes... CRAZY I tell ya!!!).

Drip Drip Drip

Ok, so last night, I am getting ready for bed and I see a huge wet spot in the middle of my bed... now we are beyond the years of little munchkins jumping on my bed, and of diapers springing a leak.
So what do I do?
I look up.
and see the problem. Our roof is leaking :P again. but this time its in my room! urgh.
So I get Mouth and Blue Eyes to help me move my monster of a bed and then of course you have to vacuum the whole room, and move everything around so that we can move around said bed freely. And I try to get all that done b4 HH comes in and sees the problem. I know he will see there is a problem (duh!), but to save him the stress of something he can do nothing about was my goal.
Poor guy. He hates this house more and more every year I think. Dumb ice dams this year have not won this house any points with HH.
I will be painting ceilings and patching holes this spring :) and I am ok with that ~ I have been wanting to scrape this awful popcorn texture off this ceiling for forever! Now I have my perfect reason to get it done.

See, I am trying to keep a good attitude about this. I. am. trying.
But I just have to say it. You know Chinese water torture?
You've experienced the dripping faucet that can keep you from having a good nights sleep, right?
Well, let me tell you, a dripping roof. the drips getting caught in a pan. that sound can drive you CRAZY!! especially when its at the foot of your bed.
Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip....

A 2 day break...

Ok, Handsome Hubby is gone for the next few days. It used to be an every week occurrence, in fact it used to be a huge treat to have him home for 4 days out of the month... but that hasn't been the norm around here for almost 2 years now (oh, how sad it still makes me. I miss those days of travelling!). So he caught a plane this morning, and will be back tomorrow night. And the kids are running around the house, getting their chores done. And are super excited for a popcorn and ice cream and movie night. And I am looking forward to reading all night :) I am NOT looking forward to a cold bed to myself.

I feel guilty for feeling this way! yikes! Why is it that HH leaves for 2 days and I feel like it is a mini vacation for the Pack and I? It really isn't that way. HH is a wonderful husband and dad! And we love seeing him come thru the door every night after work.
And I love cooking wholesome, filling, hot meals for him to come home to.
Ok, I don't always love that part.
I love making sure his jeans are clean and mended and his socks are matched and lovingly put in his dresser.
Ok, I don't really love that part either.
I always make sure the Pack is clean, and presentable and respectful and quiet so HH can come home and relax after a hard day of working out in the cold. Put his feet up on the ottoman (cedar chest), the tv remote is next to his favorite spot on the couch and a cold can of diet Mt Dew is waiting for him....
Ok, that doesn't really happen. I am a horrible wife. Really. Really. Horrible.
And now I feel very very guilty for all those things that I should be doing for this man who works out in the cold. Sometimes 7 days a week. So I can be home with our Pack. And now he is gone for 2 days and I am feeling like its a mini vacation. And feeling even more guilty for that too.

Oh good grief.

I better go clean our bedroom.
And iron his dress shirts.
And mend that stack of clothes.
And throw his clothes in the wash machine so he will have only clean clothes to come home to.
And plan tomorrow nights supper so he has a nice wholesome, filling, hot meal to come home to.

I think I just made a ton more work for myself.
Maybe I should hit "DELETE" and forget that these thoughts ever crossed my mind...

So much for a 2 day break ;)

Sympathetic ?

I was informed last weekend that I do not have a sympathetic bone in my body.
You know what?
I think you may be right.

Handsome Hubby messed up his back Saturday morning.
Was I overly helpful the rest of the weekend?
Not especially so.
Sorry.

Thursday
Midnight
Blue Eyes sneaks into my room quietly
stops by MY side of the bed and whispers
MOM!? *notice how whispers are the louder than normal talking voices when whispers
are said by children?*
"MOM!? Baby Sister just threw up all over our bedroom"
my response?
"Get a bucket of water and a rag and clean it up"
She *whispers* "I can't. I'll throw up too if I do"
She has her daddy's stomach of steel I tell ya.
So I drag my tired body out of bed (did I mention that I hadn't slept well
for the 3 nights previous? Darn stress :P),
up the stairs, get on my knees and scrub the carpet.
Baby Sister is lying on her bed, pale, moaning, clutching her stomach.
"Get yourself a bucket. Clean up around your bed. And go rinse out your mouth"
I tell her.

Yep, you heard me right.
No, "Ohhhh Baby Girl, are you alright?" "Do you want to cuddle on the couch with me?"
No, " What can I do for you sweetheart?"
Nope. Not me.
I'm a 'black and white' type of girl.
A 'see a problem and fix it' type of girl.

I guess what I'm trying to say is,
If you have a problem that needs fixing?
I'm the girl for you!
If you are looking for a shoulder to cry on?
Ummm, call someone else ;)

Crazy Energy

Hey Mom Hey Mom Hey Mom Hey Mom Hey Mom
WHAT?!?!?!?
I forgot..... giggle giggle giggle giggle

five kids and a dog running around the house
five kids chasing a big dog around the house in one direction
one big dog chasing five kids back around the house the other direction
AAAAHHHHAAAAHHHHAAAHHHHAAAAHHHHHAAAHHHHHAAHHHH!

picture in your head the screaming and yelling and giggling done by the five kids

ENOUGH!!! You are driving me crazy!!!

Laugh laugh laugh laugh giggle giggle giggle giggle
answer the five kids
WOOF!
answers the big dog


Later in the day....

Hey Mom, would you let me dye a streak in my hair?

Nope, I answered her

Ok, mom. You have to pick ONE... another hole in my ear? OR a streak in my hair?

Neither
MOM!
Nope I don't have to pick one. I will not allow EITHER of them. And ya know what?
What? she asks (pouting)
I'm the mom! SO THERE!!! *cue the evil laughter ~bwhahahahhaha! ~ sometimes being the mom is such a power trip ;)

If you ever happen to spend a week with us this is what you will probably hear in the mornings...

'What's for breakfast?'
the BP ask me
'Pancakes!'
I answer them
grumble grumble grumble
grrrrrrr

next morning...

'What's for breakfast Mom?'
'scrambled eggs, sausage, biscuits and juice!'
I answer them
pout pout pout pout whine whine whine whine

*seriously?!?!?! *
grrrrrrrrr!

this morning....

'Mom? Whats for breakfast?'

'CEREAL. COLD. MUSHY. CEREAL'
I answer them

YYYYAAAAYYYYYYYY!!!!

smiling happy kids running around the house telling each other,
"WE GET CEREAL FOR BREAKFAST!!!!"

Seriously??? Why do I even try?

Furnace Working?

Ok, our furnace went on the blink last year. We heat mainly with wood, so I really didn't think much of it. Wellll, HH has decided today that he wants to find out whats wrong with the furnace, so he goes down to the basement, takes the panel off the furnace, and starts monkeying around with things. Pretty soon I hear this rumble and feel a breeze. Yep, he got the fan working on it, but it won't ignite. Probably a simple fix (I think this has happened b4 and it ended up being like a $30 part).

But you know what?

Yep. I. HATE. THE. NOISE!!
This is the girl who cannot sleep with the surface light on above the stove. The girl that, if she had her way, would not have a lighted alarm clock in the bedroom. The girl who cannot fall asleep with the dryer running. Good grief, she even has to have the printer off in the schoolroom so that annoying blue light doesn't keep her up all night.

Trying to figure out a way for the furnace to "break" again so I don't have to hear that awful rumble... hmmmmm.