Quote Board

Well, I've officially been working at West for two weeks now.  Quite surprisingly, the house hasn't fallen completely apart--yet.  Before school began, the kids were so sweet, pitching in with extra chores and babysitting.  Now that school has started, they have been really helpful with getting themselves up and dressed, making lunches, and being responsible for their own homework. 

Overall, I've been pretty shocked by how smoothly things are running.  Brooklyn gets herself to the bus by 6:45.  I walk Eli to a different bus that leaves at 7:15.  Talia heads off to help at the school library around 7:50, and I drop Annika off at kindergarten on my way to work around 8:20.  Today I managed to get up at 5:20 to clean the kitchen, go to the gym, go grocery shopping, throw in a load of laundry (sadly no time for a shower), work seven hours, read in Spanish to Eli and Annika, fix dinner, take Eli to scouts, eat dinner, have family scripture study, go to the park, practice piano with the kids, clean the bathroom, and fold laundry before climbing into the bed.  Oh, plus I put the the robot vacuum to work sweeping  the floors for me. (Thanks, Callie and Adam, for the best working mom gift ever.)

But here's the deal.  I'm exhausted.  We are keeping it together, but it's taking our very best effort, plus some.  I worry what will happen once I burn out and stop trying so hard.  I guess a messy house, which frankly isn't any different than what we had before, so I suppose that's okay.

 And now for some laughs from the quote board:

• Annika (reporting about her day to me after I got home from work):  "I had a healthy cereal today.  It was called, um, eggs."

• Kara: "Annika, you smell...[searching for the right word]...actually, I could end that sentence right there."
• Annika: "I know.  I wore my undies for a long, long, long, long, LONG time."  (Believe it or not, she is a clean undie fanatic who generally insists on changing her undies about twice a day.)

• Kara (calling out to Annika as she speeds down the hill on her balance bike): Slow down!
• Annika: "But I'm wearing my helmet, you silly."

• Annika (nearly every morning):  "My breath smells like poop."  (It's not really potty talk in this case, just an unpleasant observation.)

• Annika:  "Is it fast Sunday or is it slow Sunday?"

• Annika: "When I grow up, I want to be a vegetarian."  (She's since learned to say veterinarian, but it was pretty cute while it lasted.)

• Annika:  "Mom, if I find a baby dinosaur with a long neck, can I keep it?"  (Nice mommy that I am, I granted her permission to keep all the dinosaurs she finds.  Per her request, she may also keep any lost dolphins, as well as any stray ponies.)

• Annika:  "It wasn't me.  It was the Invisible Nail."  (Annie's siblings had a long talk with her before she started kindergarten about how she couldn't continue to blame things on her invisible nail in school.)

• Eli:  "We need an espatula."  (I think hanging out with espanish espeakers has rubbed off.)

And my very favorite:

• Jason: "It's time for the best time of the day."
• Eli: "Bed?"

A boy after my own heart.  Good night, all!

**********************************
24 Hours Later...

I take back EVERYTHING I said about having it together.  I spent five hours chauffeuring the kids all over town today, but couldn't seem to get anyone there on time.  Jason made macaroni and cheese for dinner at 8:00.  Talia and I ate the cold leftovers when we got home at 8:45.  The house is trashed.  Piano practice? homework? Fuhgeddaboudit.  It's 9:45 and Annika's still not asleep.  Oh, and we were supposed to go camping tomorrow.  All I want to do is curl into a ball and weep.  Just keeping it real, folks, keeping it real.

Good news is, it's the best part of the day.  Bed.  We'll try again tomorrow.