Done.

Laundry? Done. (well as done as done gets in a living household)
Dishes? Done.
Retreat stuff? Done.
Week? Done. Tomorrow is going to be so easy, it's almost not there.
House cleanup? Almost done.

What?
You can't have it all...

Ree - we have a tv you guys can sell and keep the $$$, if you want.
Let me know and I'll bring it over tomorrow.
I probably have some other stuff too.
I don't want you to get stuck with anything, but if it sells, you can have the money from it all.
If it doesn't sell, I'll take care of it.

I skipped church.

I really wanted to see everybody.
I feel like I chumped-out.
But seriously, I can't remember the last time I felt so tired and still had such a long list of stuff to do.
I already wrote a post this week and later deleted it called: Swallowed up by life.
I deleted it because I got a phone call from a great friend worried about me.
Nothing's wrong, not really.
I just can't shake this insomnia thing.
It is beginning to cut my productivity during the day.
I have fallen WAAAAYYYY behind.
If I haven't been heard from in 3 days, and someone finds my kids roaming the streets barefoot and naked...
Bring a forklift to my house, I'll be the 'mom pancake' you find after you peel the layers of laundry off me...

You know you've got a problem when you start to evaluate the success of a day by how many items could possibly be salvaged and re-worn without having to go through the wash...

Susan Powter, STOP THE INSANITY!!!!!!!

Yuckola!

Yuckola is right!
Crickets, crickets everywhere!
As we walked into school this morning, Little A said, as she pointed to each and every cricket and beetle, "Yuckola! Yuckola! Yuckola...." We could have stood out there being yucked out all day...
Another little boy came into my classroom and commented on the overflow of bugs.
He looked around and said, "We'o in Twoubow Now! They-o attacking ow-o howse too."
No really, I need a soundbite so your can hear how cute it was...

And one of the teachers said, "This has got to be Biblical"

Try getting 3, 4, and 5 year old girls to sit calmly in a classroom while crickets dance about -
Ok - now add prissy girls until you hit the number 8 or 9 - now add about 7-8 boys who get their thrills by torturing said little girls with the thoughts of cricket stew, or cricket hairbows...
This is my life.
I have an endless source of things to laugh about.
I might just live forever from the health benefits of laughter!

There you have it - from our school to you - a yuckola plague in progress.

Fun pictures.

Here are a few shots from Hunny's birthday!
We went to the circus!
The kids really enjoyed the first half of it.

(Wendy and 2 of her boys were there, all but the baby boy...
I have some pics of them - but no permission to post...)
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I guess it happens with every child...
My daughter has always been so photogenic, without trying.
She only recently started making "pretty faces" for the camera.
It's a phase, A very cute phase.

Strange.

I have noticed a direct correlation to the fact that EVERY time there is a weight loss show on tv, ie. 'The Biggest Loser' - I have an insatiable appetite for anything consumable.
Why is that I wonder?

Investing.

Proverbs 22:6 (King James Version)
Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

I was working on retreat stuff here tonight when I heard a fascinating commercial.
It was about investing. One of those big name firms.
The man on the commercial said, "I want to contribute as much to my kids' future as they contributed to mine."
It was a light bulb moment for me.
I don't even know if I can articulate what it meant to me.
I just have this overwhelming sense of purpose in my life.
Much of that purpose is directly connected to our heavenly Father, but there are other facets of my purpose that are more directly connected to my children (ultimately to God as well).

Prior to moments of motherhood, I had squandered much of my effort on things selfish, with diminishing returns...
Upon the mere mention of their existence, my life was filled with a purpose not of my own self.
The arrival of my children provided me with a future.

Reciprocity. I want to invest in their future, in part, because of the profound impact they have had on MY future.
I am not necessarily speaking of things monetary, although it is my belief that responsible stewards strive to ensure provision for their families.

But on the whole, an investment in their spiritual futures, their eternal journey, their lifelong relationship with their Creator, even the quality of their personhood.
That is what my future is about. It's my purpose.
Their very existence gave me my future.
Can there be any greater reward for an investor than to see exponential return on a worthy investment?

Where two or three are gathered...

Pray.
I have been torn as to whether or not to share a prayer request.
I have decided that regardless of the potential consequence, a life hangs in the balance.
My husband is a very closed person and frowns on my openness.
This prayer request involves one of his coworker's sons, so I was really not sure if it would be ok to divulge.
I have been tossing it around and decided to ask you, my circle of peeps, to keep this child in your prayers...
He is 8 years old and had a liver transplant as a tiny, tiny child.
He was born with a dysfunctional liver and keeping him alive until there was a donor was no small task.
Since the transplant, things have gone relatively well. At least where transplants are concerned...
The past few weeks, Chris has been having to put in lots and lots of extra hours because of complications that have landed Cole in the hospital.
He is not doing well.
I do not know the prognosis. (The indication I have been given is 'not good')
But I do know that he is struggling.
And I believe in the power of prayer.
Please pray for Cole.
And that through the trial of his life, God is able to reach those directly connected to the situation.

Cute.

The first thing my son said to me when I woke him up this morning:
Those earrings look like googly eyes!

The me nobody should ever have to see...

Today I (and a few others) saw a side of me that I really hate to see.
It's the immature, not coping well, angry, spoiled, you name it, icky me.
It is usually spawned by absolute exhaustion - coupled with unmet expectations.
The kind of exhaustion that before you had kids, you could, at some point, get refueled.
But once you have attained this level of exhaustion, the only thing you can do to get refreshed is, well I don't know - when I figure THAT out I'll let you in on the secret...
Honestly, my parents have just about always been there with bells on for those moments, they step in, usually in just the nick of time, to save me from pure craziness!

The problem is - I acted like the me I hate today.
I did not want anyone I loved or even liked to see me in my irksome state.
There are witnesses. I am embarrassed. I need to grow up.
I need to sleep, a full night's sleep.
What will that be like?

Kablot fix.

she's here............................

I got to see her, hug her, eat dinner with her, run around town with her...
It was awesome!
I am really excited about tomorrow!
We're going to hang out during the day while Hunny's at work.
After he gets off work, we're off to the circus with the kids!
I have never been to a circus. I don't 'think' I have ever been to a circus...
Dottedline, have I ever been to a circus?
At any rate, I am excited for a very fun weekend!
With my WHOLE family!