Have you seen my motivation?

I know, it has been a week since I sat down and blogged.  I'm a slacker and just haven't felt like blogging.  Sadly, I'm still not feeling it.  So I'm going to toss some pictures out there and let you know what we're doing. 

We got to go celebrate the birthday of a friend and had much fun.  And gobs of gooey cake.  I think I may need to add a new tradition and let my kids decorate their own cake.  It looked like a lot of fun! 

The kids harassed the dog.  Here he is looking disinterested as they blow bubbles at him. Ignore the freaky eye.  My red-eye thingy wouldn't fix it for me.

The girls got to wear bonnets and sing in honor of Pioneer Day.  Aren't these bonnets the cutest things you have ever seen?!!  I so wanted to keep them.

The kids and I tried out Chik-fil-a for the first time.  Adam, this picture is for you!  You are the entire reason I took it! 

And we spent 2 afternoons at the dentist.  Which worked well for most of us.  The play place there is AWESOME! 

This kid was not thrilled.  She had a tooth filled and has more to go.  Not fun for her. 

This is the one who wouldn't come down from the top.  But she had a good time running around. 

And that's how we're spending the Dog Days of Summer!

Bedtime Conversation with Rylee

Last night I was tucking in Rylee.  she has been stalling at bedtime and nap-times and not wanting to go to sleep. I thought that's where this conversation was headed, but it wasn't.

Rylee:  I want a pitcher.
Me:  A what?

Rylee: I want a pitcher!
Me:  A picture?

Rylee: Yeah!  A pitcher!
Me: Are you going to sleep with it?

Rylee:  No, I want to look at it and put it back.

Me: What picture do you want?

Rylee: I want a picture of Jesus.

Summer Fun

It is yucky here.  Yucky hot.  Yucky rain.  Yucky to be outside.  Yucky if the sun is shining, yucky if the sun isn't shining.  Mostly lately, it isn't.  Mostly we've gotten rain.  Lots and lots of rain.  Sadly, the rain is usually accompanied by some spectacular thunder and lightning, so the pools tend to close when the rain comes along.  The problem is that the pool is about the only outdoor activity you can do here in swampland.  Fortunately we have found a few things to do to keep the kids occupied this summer.  I am very very grateful to be able to go to the big library, even though we are not in that parish.  They have a marvelous story time, and there was a special program this week.

The library also has this awesome light table.  The kids LOVE it! 

These 2 even played fairly nicely with it which is an astounding feat. 

And then there was the program.  Behind Rylee you can see the 2 ladies.  They had cockroach hand puppets and read a very fun book about cockroaches and beignets.   I confess that I was laughing more than the children.  They were that good.

And then we finally got around to making beignets.  I have never had one before, but we found a good recipe at ourbestbites and Delaney helped me out. It was fairly easy to make.

The finished product.  It looks a lot like the "scones" my mom made us when we were kids.  Somehow, they were not as yummy as I had imagined.  I was in the minority.  A minority of one.

Rylee thought they were very good.  Or maybe it was just the powdered sugar.  I found several beignets with the tops eaten off at her place later. 

Marian proclaimed them really really good!

Best way to Start your Day

I have decided that I like having a dog.  I like taking him out in the morning for a walk, and I enjoy our evening strolls, laughing at his antics when he tries to chase the toads and tree frogs.  I make the kids take him out during the day, but I have rather claimed the first and last walk of the day.

However, a serene walk is definitely ruined when you are half a block from home and realize your daughter is dashing after you in her pajamas, carrying the "puke bowl", shouting that she has just thrown up the tylenol you gave her.

Mommy, can I take a picture?

Callie asked if she could take some pictures.  Since I have been a colossal failure in that department, I said yes.  I didn't realize she interpreted that to be "Yes, you can take the camera and take pictures whenever you feel like it."  I got the camera out to download pictures from our activities and this is what I found:

Levi in a floaty, all ready for the pool! 

Marian and Levi, but mostly just Levi. 

 One tired out little puppy.

One VERY good natured little puppy. 

Callie's self-portrait of her tonsils. 

Callie's shot of her big brother, who is  long-suffering as well. 

Rylee in her adorable striped footie jammies. 

A fantastic self-portrait of Callie! 

So now I know what happens when I busy in the other room.  Callie steals the camera and takes lots of pictures!  (There were another 36 shots, mostly of the dog!)

Totally Random Stuff

I ate nothing healthy today.  Nothing at all.  I got in the car at 7:06 this morning to drive 2 hours to the temple and realized I hadn't eaten breakfast.  No problem, Burger King makes tasty crissanwiches.  So I had one for breakfast.  After my temple session, I headed home.  And hey, there was another Burger King!  Whopper Jr for lunch.  I got home and sampled some of the tasty chocolate cookies Joshua made last night (with help).  And as the kids started snacking at 4pm I refused to make them dinner.  But I told them we could go out for "Snowballs".  That's what they call Snow Cones here in the south.  Maybe because they serve them in cups, not cute cone-cups.  I took all 5 kids out to the Dairy Dip- best roadside stand ever!  And I realized it was 5:15 and I hadn't had any dinner.  That's because all the good leftovers were gone.  So I ordered 5 snowballs, a corn dog and the best dang onion rings ever.  Oh, yes. I am a disgusting pig.

On the other end of the spectrum, I have been running.  I did it the whole time we were gone, and have done it this week.  I even took our sweet puppy with me.  Levi did great.  He trotted along next to me, rarely stirring himself to break into a lope.  We did 2.5 miles the first time, since I was worried about him, but he cranked out 3 miles yesterday and was still ready to play when we got home.  Such a great dog!

As for me, I think my friend Tanya may have found the missing link.  I've been struggling with headaches after I run.  Not right after, but an hour or 2, sometimes so debilitating, that I can't function and spend the rest of the day laying down or wishing I was.  I had started doing everything suggested- protein before running?  Check.  I eat 1/2 cup Greek yogurt and either fruit or juice.  Water? Double Check!  I usually guzzle 20 oz with an electrolyte replacement before running, and another 20 ounces of the same thing after.  And I regularly drink 80-100 oz every day.    Tanya suggested its a vascular issue and I go from being overheated to cooled off too fast.  So I have been working on completely cooling down before I come inside.  This seems to be working.  No big headaches this week!  Joyariffic!

I need a new jogging stroller.  I have one.  But it did not weather the trip to Arkansas and back very well and is falling apart.  I am really sad and cross.  I'm down to the last kid.  I do not want to have to get another jogging stroller!  I don't want to buy a new one, but I'm tired of buying used and having them not last either.  Sigh.  I have gone through 3 double strollers in 7 years, and I'm so happy to be down to a single, but I'm not happy about buying a new one.  Any suggestions?  I don't like the plastic inexpensive ones, but should I just do it?  I only need it till Rylee starts kindergarten.  Hmmm... that's in 2-3 years.  Maybe I do need a new one.

The weather here is awful.  It has rained every single day this week.  EVERY SINGLE DAY!  We managed to get to the pool one morning before it rained, but that was all. The rain sucks my will to move.   Fortunately it isn't a steady downpour all day long.  It comes in fits and spurts and I have been able to coordinate dog walking with light drizzle or no rain, but it is still leaving everything wet and muddy.  And the mosquitoes.... oh, the nasty mosquitoes! They are like ravening wolves and they are out in droves.  I hate them. But there are permanent places of standing water and they are breeding like crazy.  I may spend all summer away next year!

I know, you were hoping for something better.  Sorry.  I have not taken a single picture all week.  I'm pretty sure I have done nothing productive either.  And now, I am off to bed.

Driving Home

I figured you might be happy to know we arrived safely home.  It was a loooong 12 hour day of travel, and we did it all in one shot.  The kids were marvelous and the dog was great.  We stopped every 2 hours so Levi could get out and go to the bathroom, and it worked out really well. We found some decent places to let him (and us!) stretch the legs, and we discovered that yes, you can use a McDonald's parking lot, but I wouldn't recommend it.   I had my book on tape and it kept me entertained and able to drive.  It wasn't a memorable trip, which is a good thing.  Just miles and miles and hours and hours of moving along.

With 2 empty seats in the van, there was plenty of room for Levi.  He was very happy to lay across the backseat with Marian for part of the drive.

Callie took this picture.  She wanted to  take pictures so I could blog them.  However, they were mainly like this.  It did rain a little and we hoped it went north to AR, where is is badly needed.  There was no rain when we needed to stop to walk the dog, so I was pleased we were so blessed.

One happy doggy, sprawled across the front seat.  He did a great job on the drive. 

So we're home how.  Back to 99% humidity and misery.  And it is rainy here.  Blah.  I'm going to sulk for a few days and then I'll put on my big girl pants and get to the business of having fun at home.  Please pray that we get some families moving in who have kids that will play outside with my kids.  We so badly need that.  I know there are kids here, but none of them ever go outside.  Marian is so sad that she has no friends, and Callie's closest friends moved out while we were gone.  So we have empty houses around and we really really want new friends to move into them!

Desperation

Desperation is when your 4 year old declares that she really, really, really has to go to the bathroom right now. And you are on a road where there are no bathrooms.  Not only are there NO bathrooms, but you happen to be driving on the 50 mile stretch of Louisiana road that goes over the marshy ground, so it is essentially a bridge that goes on and on and on.  It has nowhere to pull over.  And no bathrooms.  Just miles and miles of road ahead and marsh underneath you.

True desperation is when your 4 year old says she really can't hold it anymore and you still have at least 30 miles to go.  And nowhere to turn off.

Yep.  That is desperation.  That might lead you to drive 78 in a 60mph zone until you realize it is not going to be enough. (And you can't afford the time or ticket if you get caught.)  Then you might have your child fish around to find 3 pull-ups in the trunk.  You might even have the 4 year old put them on one at a time and pee just enough to fill each one until she feels better.

Desperation just might lead you to do something so.... desperate.  Desperate?  Some might call that genius!

How to ruin your sleep

It has been hot in Arkansas.  106 degrees of hot most days.  It is hot at night, and that makes it harder to sleep.  So I have been quite cross to have lost sleep for other reasons.

What other reasons?  Well, as I was drifting off to sleep the other night, I felt a tick.  I know, Ick Factor of 100%.  Not only did I have to deal with that, but I had to deal with weird buggy dreams, and I had to freak out over every itchy feeling.  There's nothing like spending all night wondering if more nasty things are crawling on you.

And adrenaline is not conducive to sleep.  When I get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, I'm bleary eyed and lacking contact lenses or glasses.  When in a stupor of sleepy autopilot, I  grab a peice of toilet paper and end up with a daddy long legs in addition to the important papers.... well, how would you feel?  I know it was nearly impossible to fall back asleep after I finally calmed my racing heart.