Sort of a backhanded “Things to Smile About”

I gotta do something about that rat picture so here you go.

I’m linking up with Emmy today for her “Things to Smile About”.

 

I’ve been a little MIA the past week.  I do have good excuses. Well, excuses…

The delight of afternoon fun when the girls get home from school is so abundant, it makes me want to puke! I don’t know what I am doing wrong to cause remakes of The Exorcist, Rosemary’s Baby and The Omen but that’s what we get to enjoy around here. Instead pulling out the belt (which is what instinct tells me to do but the law frowns on that) I’ve used a method almost as horrible. Lines. I make them write “I love my sisters”, “Annie is not a cry baby” or “I will not scream at my mom” at least 20 times. Ahhh the joys of a good punishment. I’ve even had one say, “Can I just have a time out??” or “Why do you hate us?” It only means it’s working, right?

ElRey has commandeered my laptop while he is working on this Pioneer Trek (when Mormons take their teenagers out to the wilderness and have them reenact a small part of what the pioneers went through to get to Utah) video for our church. One of the videos (he made several small music videos) was done to banjo music. It has now become the background music to my nightmares. I don’t think anyone realizes what actually goes into doing something like this unless you’ve done it yourself or you’re the spouse. He has put so much time and effort into this I’ve almost forgotten what he looks like. Or how my laptop feels in my hands. Where it belongs.

Two words for you: Season Premiers. So many shows, so little time. Favorite line of the week? “I think a woman in her late 40s saying, “Dude stuff” is on my Sadness Scavenger Hunt. Yes, there it is.” Which show people?

While ElRey continued working on the videos on Saturday, I took the older girls to see Ramona and Beezus. So cute. I cried. I worried that my middle child sometimes feels like Ramona and it made me want to shower her with as many hugs and kisses I could possibly muster. She started crying in one part when Ramona was really sad and I asked her if she ever feels like Ramona. Luckily, she shook her head no. She does great at school but she gets into a lot of trouble at home. It’s not as bad as it used to be but she certainly has her days.

To make up for spending the afternoon in a dark theater on such a beautiful day, I took all the girls up to Silver Lake in Brighton. One of my favorite places-especially with kids. It was so gorgeous I almost cried. My oldest thought I was nuts cuz I kept talking about it. She doesn’t know. As we were driving down the mountain I kept saying “It’s just so beautiful, I love it so much!” and my 6 year old said, “I love whoever made it” to which my 8 year old said, “No one made it, it’s just there” and I said, “Heavenly Father and Jesus made it” and 6 year old said, “ILOVEYOUJESUS!!” at the top of her lungs with her arms raised to the heavens. I don’t know when we went Evangelical but I appreciated the sentiment. Then we saw this guy:

While 6 year old and 3 year old were getting as far back in the car as they could crying, “He’s gonna eat us, mom! He’s gonna eat us! Can we go pppllllleeaaassee??” I was giggling like a giddy little school girl! Totally made my day!

I got money in the mail. Paid the bills. Now the money is gone. But the bills are paid.

I went to Barnes & Noble today and walked out with 3 books for only $14! SAWEET! I should not be allowed in that place unsupervised. Do you think anyone would notice if I moved in there? Oh, the smell, the books, the quiet. It’s my own personal Disneyland.

Gotta go! My 8 year old is going to serve me dinner her and her Activity Days group made for their families. Should I be worried? Maybe. But there’s a Rubio’s down the street and it’s $1.25 tacos Tuesday so all is well.

As my 6 year old will say as she speeds past you on her bike:

PEACE!