rain on tulips

Know I bought duct tape.

Know I bought extra so I would still have some after the boys got through playing with it.

Can’t for the life of me find it now.

Gah!

Update: I just went and got some new duct tape, thereby guaranteeing that tomorrow I will find the formerly purchased stash. How it always works!

Catching up on camp laundry. Fuul and I both taking summer classes — him for college credit, me for continuing ed. DA finally got a day at the movies with his friends for his birthday (only four months late)! CC out of speech until September. AE planning lots of social things with friends. GC invited to lots of playdates and birthday parties in the next few weeks. JS visiting family and friends for a couple of weeks. EK taking off, and needing more speech and sign help; looking into opportunities now. DS busy busy busy. Lots of guitar playing, computer graphics designing; some knitting. I was released from visiting teaching coordinator this week; one less thing to have to take care of. School shopping has started sporadically; need to shift that one into higher gear. Not enough kids reading books due for fall; AE struggling to write the two required book reports for her new school, but I’m sure she’ll get into the swing of things and do fine.

I’m sure updates and posts will increase once things settle in to fall. Summer is just so — off schedule!

all the kids returned from their respective camps. fuul and i escaped for a couple of hours tonight for dinner and live music and adult conversation. now back to the grind.

I had some free time today (well, a little bit) and roots that were showing far to much ’sparkle’ (or blonde, as Fuul would say — bahahaha!), so I went ahead and touched up the black in my hair, and for fun, put a peekaboo lock of pink in one side.

I pre-medicated.

I’ve got a migraine anyway.

Tomorrow, when the color looks good and the headache is gone, it will so be worth it. Maybe I’ll even get a photo taken or something.

AE is off to camp. (Was that really only 12 hours ago I dropped her off for her ride?)

Shopping was finished up.

EK, CC & GC spent a nice seven hours with a church friend, playing with kids and going to the park. CC crashed out on the couch within minutes of getting home!

I survived chaperoning Cub Camp with DS for seven hours on the hottest day this week — archery, carving, obstacle course, raven masks, button blankets. Got some sock-knitting done while the boys created.

Fuul got to girls’ camp in one piece, all packed up and ready to go. He’ll be doing his homework while he’s there then uploading it tomorrow when he gets home.

Home. Tired. Want to knit. Need to write — paper due for critique/edit next wednesday.

Overall: survival.

monday

• JS and DA have to be at the church at 5am for scout camp
• AE needs to be at her girls camp hike at 9am
• AE needs to be picked up at noon
• CC has speech at 1:30
• DS will be picked up for cub camp at 1:45
• must finish shopping for last minute items for girls camp for AE

tuesday

• AE needs to be ready for camp by 9am
• CC has speech at 1:30
• I am chaperoning DS & cub camp from 2-8:30
• Fuul is chaperoning girls camp overnight
• Yes, that means I have to find babysitting for 3 kids for the entire afternoon

wednesday

• breathe
• DS has cub camp
• Fuul comes home from girls camp

thursday

• DS has cub camp
• Family evening at cub camp; must get all the little ones there and back, without losing my mind

friday

• breathe… and then remember that I have a 6,000 word assignment due for my writing class the following wednesday… what are the chances I’ve even thought about it??

saturday

• sit around, waiting for the calls from various and sundry kids who are dirt covered, sunburned, and waiting for a ride home

Maybe I can breathe next month??

Sometimes things move along, and you follow the rules and make sure you’re doing everything you can and everything you are supposed to, and then someone comes along and in some off-handedly threatening way changes all the rules.

Yeah. That’s where I am today. And I have so many other things to do. And all the rules were being followed. Until someone else decided theyjust didn’t like the rules as they stood.

So *ppbbbbbtttttt!!!!* to them.

(No, it doesn’t make it better, but I gotta start somewhere, don’t I?)

“Just because we have chiseled abs and stunning features, it doesn’t mean that we too can’t not die in a freak gasoline fight accident.”

Fuul took me shopping today for my birthday, and I actually found a couple of dresses that look nice and fit! Both are floral and lighter colors than I had in mind, but the fact that they fit make up for a lot, and I don’t dislike the colors! (one is an aquamarine-y floral, the other a little more lime-y and cream floral. Both fit, hit at a decent length, and will be nice to wear for church! Not to mention they’ll look great with sweaters over top — heehee, more knitting incentive! LOL) I also got two new tshirts at Old Navy; one is a black v-neck, the other a pink not-quite-stripe-y perfect tee. Love both of them!

Now, if I could only find some good ‘beach pants’ for summer… you know: linen-y, rollable, midrise… I’m not picky or anything, am I?

We came home, had some chinese takeout, and I got in a nap while Fuul played xbox and the kids napped (the ones that were home, that is).

Now, back to editing/critiquing stuff for class, and maybe getting in a bit of knitting. (I’ve not knit at all since tuesday, and it feels a little strange!)

Well, here I am with EK at the hospital for her (how many is it now?) sleep study. She’s all wired up and in bed, but not sleeping. I have internet access (what can get past the system’s web-blocking software) but no email; I have pictures on my phone of EK all wired up, but no wire to move the photos to my computer.

So. Here we are. Think she’ll sleep early? (Think I’ll get any writing/editing/critiquing/knitting in?)

Only time will tell!

10:58pm: Still awake. She’s been almost asleep a couple of times, but every time something wakes her up, and we start over. She’s dozy now, and has a bottle, so I’m hoping this is it. (I’m really hungry… I picked up some Taco Bell on the way here, but haven’t had a chance to eat it yet, and I know if I open it up before she’s asleep, I’ll have her all over me trying to eat instead of sleeping!)

11:08pm: Or not. *sigh*

11:27pm: She finally seems to have given up her obsession with getting candy (don’t have any here) and fell asleep… here’s hoping it lasts the rest of the night! I’ve broken out the burritos, and she hasn’t stirred one bit….

12:06am: Its been long enough I think she’s really sleeping. Good. I thought I might stay up and try to get some editing/critiquing done, or maybe knit a little on the socks in my purse, but instead I think I’ll likely call it a night and see if I can’t get a bit of sleep. Woohoo… happy birthday to me!

We survived the zoo. Well, basically! Next time, we need to go earlier, so there aren’t so many meltdowns toward the end (and I’m not just talking about the toddlers, either!). Next time, I need to wear better shoes; no matter how cute the skull flats are, they are not meant for long distance walking on asphalt. Take bottles, even if its just for the ride home. Take a sign along that says “No, we’re not buying snowcones/elephant ears/snacks/drinks at the zoo today,” so I don’t have to keep saying it over and over again!

The kids saw lots of things, and loved them all. EK loved watching the jaguar wrestle with a fallen log. Everyone thought the tiger yelling was pretty cool. We learned some neat stuff about flamingos and owls and elephants. We saw ‘dinosaurs’ (komodo dragons). CC got to watch a huge truck move dirt. (What else could a boy ask for!?)

And now we’re home, watching a movie, feet up, toddlers napping, psyching up for planning dinner. (Or maybe we’ll just eat this entire bag of chips instead and call dinner a wash?)

The kids have been out of school for two weeks now, but my summer vacation may be starting up finally… keep your fingers crossed that the stomach virus that would not end is finally passed. Of course, its being replaced by the ugly head and chest cold that is running around.

But. CC’s speech teacher just called to reschedule speech from this afternoon, so I think we’re going to take the opportunity and run to the zoo, at least for the morning while its still cooler outside! (Supposed to reach 78 degrees, but with 80% humidity. Ugh.)