ZAP

After this 'summer' post a few weeks ago, summer disappeared for a couple weeks again. It was magical. Wonderful. Glorious.

Time out.

Please pause for a side-note from your sponsor (?!):

Maybe you're tired of reading about the weather over the past few years. Namely, the heat. But I'm here to tell you that I'm not gonna stop writing about it. I thought about it, but then I thought "That's impossible!" Frankly, it's a big enough part of life here that how could I not mention it in this blog o' mine? So I threw all caution to the wind and instead of trying to avoid the subject I created a label for it instead. That's in case you've got a chill in your bones... you can easily read all my posts about the weather here. Most of them will make you sweat and will take that chill right out of ya'.

Ha!

Aaaanyway...

What was I saying?

Right.

That heat.

Soooo... summer is back now and ZAP! Just like that my energy is gone. Like, looong gone.

Fourteen times a day my eyelids weigh two tons each and my feet weight four tons each. My pillow calls my name like I have never heard before and my body wants nothing more than to be horizontal and motionless.

I. Can't. Seem. To. Do. Anything.

I keep trying to remind myself that this is normal. Each spring expectations must be adjusted and most rest must be taken.

Okay. Fine. I get it.

I'll try to adjust.

But wait.

That is easier said than done.

Who exactly who is going to feed my children and husband two to three times a day? Who is gonna fold the laundry that has been hung to dry all over my house? Who is gonna pack the bags for our summer travels? Who is gonna water the plants? Who is gonna brush the tiny teeth in this house? Who is gonna wipe up that mystery sticky mess in the 'fridge? Who is gonna check the whole bag of medications for expired ones? Who is gonna get that focaccia in the oven for our dinner guests? Who is gonna clear all the toys out of the sandbox? Who is gonna organize those messy shelves near the balcony? Who is gonna do scratch n' sniff painting one more time with my boy and who is gonna wash out those paint pots when we're done?

Um.

That'd be me.

Except the brushing tiny teeth part. I neeever remember to do that and so Mikey does that most of the time. I hope he doesn't mind.

Now... if I could just get my bottom off this chair, wipe the heavy glaze from my eyeballs and get these feet movin'... I've GOT to get something done.

Or I could just lay down on the rug in front of the cooler and 'rest my eyes' for just a moment or two...

Naptime Indulgences

Lately, I've been indulging when the kids both take naps (at the same time... Glory! Halleluiah!) in the afternoons.

My indulgences often include:

A. Showering in peace. This means:
1. I shower without putting the baby in her tripod in the bathroom with me and listening to her wail the whole time I attempt to rinse all sweat and dust off myself while simultaneously keeping up a a constant (failing) game of peek-abo from behind the shower curtain.

or

2. I shower without leaving the curtain halfway open, straining my neck to glance down the hall to see what my kiddos are up to and yelling "H?? H!! What is your sister doing?!" every twenty seconds while entertaining visions of her emptying a box of rice all over the house and then slipping in water that her brother spilled and cracking her noggin open in her short time of un-supervision.

B. Sitting down. That's all. I never knew what a luxury sitting down (for like, more than two consecutive seconds) was until I had two kids. Don't take sitting down for granted people. Just don't.

C. Napping. This is thanks to the many days of sinus headaches I battled recently. I have now bid the head pain farewell and so now I expect the napping to become less frequent.

AND to today's 'indulgences' (so far I've done A, and am currently doing B while blogging, duh.)
I will soon add:

D. Ironing in peace. This means:
1. Ironing without a 'helper' to hold and hide and sometimes spill the spray bottle and spray the clothes, his sister and myself every twenty seconds.

and

2. Ironing without saying "hot hot hot!" every five seconds while my very interested daughter stands far too close for comfort and contemplating what a terrible mother I will be if she gets burned because I want to get just one more item of clothing ironed...

I'm really living it up, aren't I?

Life is good.

I Love...

Last year for my birthday my sister bought me this:



A good ol' fashioned charm bracelet.

I love it. Love. Love. Love.



It's gold and silver (like I always wanted) and it came with the heart charm. My in-laws sent the beautiful cross charm for Christmas. A heart and a cross. This is a great way to start.



More recently Mikey and I went looking for a 'local 'charm and found this cute chai (tea) pot that will someday (when we're living elsewhere) be the perfect little reminder of the years that we made our lives in this place.

I hope to see and hear this bracelet sparkling and jingling around my wrinkly, spotty, ninety-year old wrist. I want it to speak of my life.... many memories wrapped up in tiny gold and silver packages... stories, experiences, travels, loved ones and all that God has done for me.

I've got a long way to go to fill this beauty up, but I don't despise small beginnings.

Thanks again sister...

Backseat Commentary

Lately, if you ride in the car with my boy, you may hear things like this:

"She's a nut" (referring to his sister, I think)

"Mama, I think dey want to see how pretty she is!" (probably referring to all the people in the bus staring in the windows. Sweet of H though, huh?)

"You're teasing me ooout..." (not sure)

"If dere is sand in the sky... dat's weeeeird." (only it's really not so weird in these parts!)

"Hey der."
"Hey der bus driver."
"Hey der car driver."

"Evweeone is teasing me ouut."

"Evweeone is at da stop wine! Dey're gonna wait for da wight and den dey're all gonna wace!"

"Pleeeeeechch." (don't ask)
"Squuuuaa" (not sure)

"You're doing good Mama!" (Awww, it's so nice to hear encouragement while driving in madness!)

"Go faster!" (not a good idea)

"Deez cars are going dat way and doze cars are going da oder way and all doze cars are going dis way!"

"All deez cars are teasing me out too!"

"You have to go weeeal fast so evweeone can win da race!!" (interesting strategy)

"Mama, we're doing good!"

"Mama, I sink we're winning da race!"



And we were only about ten minutes into the ride.

*smile*

Made by Me Monday

Today I got this out:



And all I have to say about that is "ouch."

I burned myself so many times working on these tiny projects that when it was all said and done I was peeling stuff off my fingers literally not knowing if it was dried hot-glue or my very own skin.

Yeah. Ouch.

But it was worth it.

So worth it.

Wanna see?











Do you like them? Sweet N does. I am conditioning her to love them by oohing and aahing and grinning and clapping and cooing every time I put one on her. She loves the attention and I think it helps her know that these hair accessories are a good thing.

Does that make me a bad mother?

I hope not. Cause I had such fun making them and love seeing them on her sweet head that I can't imagine that these would be the first and last hair 'pretties' I ever make for my daughter...

Jerry and Her Cake

I'd like for you to meet my house helper. She is Ethiopian and we call her Jerry.

We like Jerry so much! And not just cause she helps me clean my floors and my dishes and the general dustiness of my house a few times a week but because she has a beautiful heart following Jesus and a sweet spirit and she adores my children and she is so cheerful!

SO, when she asked me if I'd make a cake for her to celebrate her first wedding anniversary with her husband I was honored and blessed to be able to do so for her!



This is what I came up with. She was thrilled and so was I! She is such a blessing to me...

My Girly

This is a cute picture of my girly in church (Yes, church is basically outside). She's pretty challenging in church these days... her face says it all.



But don't her sweet dress and cutest pigtails ever and big baby blues counter-act the whiny little look on her face?

Yeah. I thought so too.