Long, Hard Week

I know! I know! Haven't been here in forever! Bad Mommy! Bad Mommy! Who knows how many cute, adorable things I have missed recording in the weeks(!) since I posted? Lots, I am sure.

This week started with me being sick. Running fever sick. I rarely get sick enough to run a fever. And a good thing, too, because this ship doesn't run well when the cap'n is down. Thank goodness they are getting old enough to supervise themselves.

Monday- Mom sick. I did manage to move from the bed to the couch. But then had to ask a short person to fetch my pillow because sitting up was too hard. Kids managed fine. House is destroyed, but manageable.

Tuesday- Mom still sick. I manage to work on the laundry a little, but had to go back to bed. Kids are fine with that. Another free day.

Wednesday- Mom is better! Yay! House is trashed. Let's clean it all up to sparkling in as little time as possible! By the time dinner was cooked (first time this week), Mom is well on her way to being dead. Kids aren't quite as happy. "Mom, don't you need a nap?"

Thursday-Mom is betterer. LOL Kids are worse! Rotten, even. What happened to my sweet, biddable children? (Oh shut up! This is my fantasy!) Sarah is swinging between hysterical giggling and pitiful weepiness. Brynna got a band aid stuck in her hair. Eric cut it out! Hello!?!? Then he was all offended because I was not pleased. Caleb spent his day being all outraged. Snarling and yelling and generally being mad every time anyone looked crossways at him. Lauren was pouty and whiny. Why, oh why can't she live across the street? Aiden spends a lot of time stomping his feet and screaming,"I don't like you!" By the end of the day, Mom is more than ready to retreat to her bed. What in the world is wrong with these horrible children? How did they turn into these hellions just because I was out of commission for a couple of days?

Oh, no! I have figured it out and it is NOT good news. For the first time, maybe ever, the kids did not bring home the illness and infect their parents. I think maybe, just maybe, Mom brought it home and infected her babies. Poor little angels. They are in for a rough Memorial Day.

Grammar Police

I am not the grammar police. Really. I just have a few issues that drive me insane. The 'Have a Gooder Morning' commercial for example. (My problem may be worse than I realized. Just having it typed there, mocking me, is making my skin crawl. Just a little bit.) Anyway...

Last night we had mashed potatoes with our dinner. Eric's all time favorite food. He will eat them until he is sick. Then he reheats them for breakfast, lunch. However long they last is how long he eats them. He is my main potato peeler. And the person in charge of putting the mashed potatoes in the fridge after dinner. (So they will be waiting for him come breakfast time.)

Mom, "Son, will you put these up, please?"

Son, "What? Did you mash them individually? You need to watch that grammar, young lady!"

I almost fell out. Not just because he was right, and I hadn't even noticed, but it was so quick. I really admire quick. Especially not having been blessed with it myself. I love my Eric.

For the love of CAKE!

I want to take this moment to thank my baby brother. Thank you for the challenges. The armadillo cake that started it all:

Bryan's Bleedin' Armadillo groomscake

Followed by the not quite successful snake cake. It wasn't pretty but it was a challenge. You added something really special to my life. And I thank you.

Cake

It has been a pretty busy cake week for me. The only week worse is the week of February 20th. When it was going good, it was wonderful. And when it wasn't, it was murder. But they are done.

Saturday's Crossover cake

Hot Pink Gun

Plunger cake

Webelos Crossover 2011

My oldest son is now officially a Boy Scout! No more cubbies for him. Me, on the other hand, I'll be a cubbie parent for about 8 more years.

My Boy Scout

We only went for the day. Once again we did not camp. Maybe next year. LOL. Sarah and Lauren did not go with us and for the most part I did not see the boys all day. Just chasing babies all day.

The babies discovered the joys of the 'forest'. The 'monkey'? forest. Or maybe the murky? forest. I dunno. It was the something forest.

The Monkey Forest

They had such a great time climbing. Up and down and in and out. Over and under, making me follow. It was only slightly exhausting.

They really had fun. And I had fun watching them. When I wasn't terrified of them falling, running into snakes, or disappearing. And who would deny them the joy of the climb?

And then it was time to go to the creek. I had never been to the creek before. Never been over the creek bridge before. I am not a fan of heights. These babies don't seem to suffer from that same affliction. We started over the bridge. Brynna refuses to hold my hand. Then she stops. By now, we are in the middle of the bridge. Aiden is running ahead, Brynna is lagging behind. Mom is in the middle of the bridge praying that she doesn't fall or pass out. Here it is....my shame. I followed Aiden. Left Brynna. There I said it. I am a bad mom. Left my three year old on the bridge to make her own way across. In my defense, I probably would have gone back for her. But I didn't have to. Mr. Moffett, my new hero, walked my baby across the bridge. Not that she was scared or anything. She just didn't want to walk with me. Brat!

Scary Freaking Bridge w/ Mr. Moffett

It was a wonderful day. And exhausting. And dirty. I really don't mind getting dirty. I really don't. But just as soon as I hit a/c, I want to be clean! I hate dirt between my toes. EEwwww!! The boys apparently don't mind.

Aren't they cute?