My Friend and Her Crazy Notions

Let this be a learning experience for all of us:

When you get all caught up in New Year's resolutions,

and eagerly buy stuff online, with pipe-dreams in tow, they take you seriously

and send you your order.

They don't chuckle and say, "Oh, sure...you're going to keep your resolution...

sure you are..." then wad up your order and throw it in the trash.

They don't do that.

They go right ahead and send it to you.

Never mind the fact that by January 11th, you've all but long forgotten about it.

But, no...you open your mailbox, and like a punch in the gut,

there it is.

That's what happened to a friend of mine.

I'll keep you posted on this...

 

Dodging Possums and Bad Bras

Here's a list of things that I've done this week, thus far:


1.  Wore a new bra that was not only NOT an 18-hour bra...but wasn't even a two-hour-and-fifteen-minute bra.  (Could not wait to fling that thing across the room at the end of the day!)

2.  I almost stepped on a frozen possum while feeding my chickens.  Long story.

3.  Held up the pick-up line at school because I had to clean up a pile of poo that my little Oliver left for me under the seat.  (Rethinking his liberties while going bye-bye with me.)

4.  I received this shipment of DELICIOUSNESS!

I'm not much of a candy bar person, but I'm telling you, THESE are such a wonderful treat that I had to buy a whole pack of them (I only eat a few six or seven squares a day...so they will last a good long time, and well worth the price!).  And now they're neatly hidden away, just for ME.  Buy some for yourself.  You'll thank me!  Go here:

(Six BIG bars!  And cheaper than Whole Foods. ;)

5.  I started following my sister's new fitness blog!  You should too! 

6.  I woke up at 2 AM on Tuesday, with THE worst tummy ache, then hurled it all away, again and again.  UGH!  I spent the whole day in bed, completely wiped out.

7.  And thanks to #6, I am well on my way to crossing off my weight-loss resolution.  Haha, take THAT, diet and exercise!

8.  I'm back up and running now and ready to face today!


That's all.  And that's enough!  I hope YOUR week is going splendidly.  And never forget, life is too short for uncomfortable bras, a lack of chocolate, or dodging frozen possums.  You can quote me on that.

Love you, deary friends!!

It's Good Being Me {this week}!

Well, how ya doing, guys?  I am SO FINE!  The last two days I have literally been TOTALLY ALONE.  As in, no kids!!  No kids at all.  Big boys are at work all day, Eli is at camp, the other three are at my parents' lake house.  Leaving me, ALL ALONE!!!

Here's what I've been doing:


Shopping (ALONE)!!

Lying on a beach towel in my yard (ALONE) (while my toes take over the universe!)!!

I've also been doing a few miscellaneous chores, but only because it's the right thing to do...because, after all, I've been complaining all summer long that I can't get anything done around here because of all these blasted kids. 


My plans for this afternoon are:  Go to the little local farm store to buy chicken feed and chat it up with the gals that work there.  Then maybe take a nap.  Then probably watch a few things on my DVR.  Then, maybe I'll throw something together for dinner.  Then lie down on the couch after all those exhausting activities!


It's a good week to be me, friends! 

My New Life

Oh, friends.  I learned a very valuable lesson last week.  Here it is:  Leave my laptop on the kitchen table with the cord across the floor and dog gets tangled up in it and pulls computer crashing to the floor, shame on him!  Leave my laptop in the exact same place the very next day and the dog gets tangled up in the cord and computer comes crashing to the floor, SHAME ON ME!!

Actually, shame on me both times.

After the first time, it continued to work fine.  After the second time, it is now toast.  I am praying that I can retrieve the vast amount of photos, documents, and other valuable information from the hard drive, but I don't know yet.   I am so stupid!!

Thankfully, Nick has an old laptop that he doesn't use anymore so I am using that now.  I have my Kindle, but goodness, it's not easy to blog from!  And I can't upload pictures.  (Or at least I don't know how.)

So, my life has been reset.  I am starting fresh.  I might even change my name and get a new family, who knows.



Here are my first two fascinating pictures to put on my new-ish laptop!

This is Isaiah after putting cucumbers on his eyes because he heard it was soothing.  

Putting ranch dressing on them first, however, was completely his idea.

Here is Brenden's entire dorm room kitchen inventory.

He brought this and his sheets home for their bi-annual washing.

Aaaaah!

Well, as you can see, my new life is off to a rather slow start.

Have the best Tuesday ever, folks!!

What I've been up to!

Friends!  How the heck are ya?  Goodness, I've missed you.  But I've been so busy (nothing new) and I've had sort of an I-don't-care-about-my-blog-I-have-other-things-to-do attitude going.  Not sure why! Probably because it is getting harder and harder for me to sit down for more than five minutes. But here I am!  I have a big mug of hot tea and a bowl of oatmeal by my side and I'll type in between bites and sips, alrighty?

Here's a few things I've been up to:

1.  Baking.  Surprise, surprise!!  But this week I tinkered with making a semi-healthy lemon poppy seed muffin with super tart lemon icing and it was sooooo yummiful!  I didn't take any pics, sorry.  I'm going to tweak the recipe a tad, then I'll post it.  It's perfect for spring!

2.  Monday I went to a make up class!  It was the first cosmetology related continuing ed class that I have been to in a super long time and it felt really good to be around other stylists and share ideas and techniques!

3.  We are working hard to finish up homeschool stuff.  We are all itching to be done!  And we're almost there.  Somehow we got way behind in math...so we're plugging away at that and plan to be done in a couple weeks.  Hooray!!

4.  The other day I bought some fresh cream from a local dairy to put in my coffee.  All my wildest dreams and aspirations have now been fulfilled!  Sooooo delicious.

5.  I started a new list-making method and it's working like a charm.  Like a charm!  Instead of listing my tasks for the day on a piece of paper or on my beloved post-it notes, I use a dry erase board...and my goal is to have the slate CLEAN by the end of the day.  Isn't that nice?  A clean slate!  

6.  K-Man picked up some more chicks on his way home from work.  It's an addiction, I tell you!

(And the little boogers are already busting out!  I'm moving 'em down to the big house later today.) 

7.  I've been working out really hard every day!  Every day.  Really hard.  I got my swimsuit situation all figured out and now I'll be covered top and bottom!  And hopefully everything in between will be firm and orderly by the time I sport them!  

Oh dear.  Sorry to cut this short, but my tea and oatmeal are gone, so I better get moving for the day!  My list of to-dos is longer than usual today (not the one above...that was a light day!), then I have to go to work!  Fun times!!

Have a super great weekend, my friends!  

Brench-Pressing People {and physics journals}

So, here's something fun that happened when Brenden was home last weekend.

He's really into working out, so he decided to bench press Lucy.

She thought it was the funniest thing ever!

And then, way less adorable, but much more impressive...

it was MY turn.

Brace yourselves.

Wow, that's probably the most flattering photo I have of me to date.

And here's something else very interesting.

Brenden left his physics journal on the kitchen table, and I couldn't help but take a peek.

And I was like, WOW! it's almost identical to MY physics journal entries!

It's my pleasure to have passed on my brains, looks, and talents to all of my children!

Have a great day, folks!

And don't forget to write in your physics journals.

You don't want to get rusty with your formulas and whatnot!

Lori Shops Online {fail}

In case you were wondering, this is what happens when Lori shops online for a swimsuit:

This means one of two things:

1.  Either I'm really bad at ordering a tankini off the internet (hence the absence of the the "tank" part.)

2.  Or perhaps K-Man is taking me on a trip to a topless beach??

Let's definitely go with #1, for goodness sake.


Now please excuse me while I go order a top...or two.

My Spring Break (South of France, Food Network, Freak Flag)

Hello.  Hello?  (Tap, tap, tap)  Is this thing on?

Once again, I beg your pardon for my extreme absence.  I really should have been chronicling my life in the last week, because, wow, has it been exciting!

I'll let you try to guess what I've been up to.  Was I:

A.  Enjoying a glamorous vacation in the south of France.
B.  Busy developing a new Food Network show called, "Lori's Kitchen: How to Train Your Family to Never Complain About Your Cooking, Lest They Die".
C.  Hanging on by a mere thread in full spring-break-survival-mode (dysfunction freak flag flying high).

Ding, ding, ding!  I wish you didn't know me so well.  Yes, it's A.  I kid, I kid.  Truth is, I've been steeping in option C.  But since I don't want to show you too much of the Debbie Downer side of me, I'll stop right there.

The good news is, school is back in full swing in two more days!  And with a steady stream of coffee, medication, and a semi-normalcy, I'll be back to my old self in no time.

As for this weekend, I am putting together my weekly baked goodies order, planning/fixing weekend meals, doing laundry, taking care of chickens and children...and working at my waitressing job (the paid and unpaid one). :)

By the way, I know it's so not politically correct to use the word waitress anymore.  But, dang it, I like it.  I prefer to see myself as a 70s-type gal, ya know?

And that's exactly how I wear my hair to work, too.  (Oh, I wish!)



Anyway, that's about all that's happening here, ya'll.  I gotta get busy now or none of the above is going to happen.  Productive Procrastinator is my middle name!




Enjoy your weekend immensely, alirghty?

Love ya!

Eleven Random Things on This Fine March Day

Hello, Peeps!  How the heck are ya?  

I'm in the mood for some randomness, which is typical of me.  So, here's my latest:

1.  Today was quite possibly the most beautiful day ever.  After a wretched winter, God was most definitely wanting to show off His creative and tropical-like skills today!  Yay, God!!

2.  And so I stopped for a fancy cold coffee drink.  But I'll tell you this.  I am so over fancy coffee drinks. Way too expensive and way not me anymore.  So unAmerican!  I'm a purist and am happy as a clam to drink drip, straight from home, on the cheap.  But I do love our little local coffee shop!  It's the best ever gathering place.  

3.  Isaiah has re-re-discovered the costume box.  And the wigs.  

(This one scares me a little quite a bit.)

 4.  Both of the Littles took advantage of me having my scale out the other day while I was baking, and did an impromptu math/science lesson, of sorts.  I will mark them down for extra credit!  Little overachievers.

5.  So, while Brenden was home we had a conversation about adverbs.  As most mothers do with their college-age sons, you know.  He proposed that adverbs are completely unnecessary.  And after a long discussion, and his searching my blog posts, showing me my ridiculously absurd over-use of them, I concurred.

He also told me to quit using passive verbs.

And now I run every sentence I speak/write through a hyper-filter in my brain that has my head spinning. Along with being paranoid beyond measure, please know that.  I trust you'll be patient with me during this transition.

Let's just forget this conversation ever took place, okay?



6.  I love bananas that are on sale every Thursday for 19 cents a pound!  And Lucy and Isaiah begged me to peel the ripe ones and put them in freezer bags.  I let them do it, reluctantly.  (Was that an adverb? Possibly.)

7.  I am so intrigued and mystified by the whole missing Malaysian flight thing.  Oh my word, it's so crazy, isn't it?  I feel awful for the families who have no answers about their loved ones.  AWFUL!  But the whole thing fascinates me.

(Don't get me wrong, I'm horrified!  But the mystery of it is so...science-fiction.  I wish it WAS fiction.)


8.  K-Man and I are thinking about getting an automated chicken-plucker so we can process our own meat birds like machines, man!  It's going to be life-changing, really.


9.  I'm sooooo proud of the Wichita Shockers!

10.  I remember when my wonderful mom used to read to me, The Little Red Hen.  And Isaiah just read it last week.  And I think that the whole entire America needs to read it, too.  Yes and amen?

NOT I???  Yes, YOU.   Work dang HARD to pull your own dang weight, dang it.
  


11. (BONUS!)  Lucy went outside to take pictures of the amazing sunset.  (Sorry for my kitchen window screen filter!)

All right, I think that sums up my riveting thoughts for this fine March day.

Work hard at all you do and be a blessing to those around you, okay?!!!

Here's What's Happening in Lori Land

Friends!  How the heck are ya?  My gosh, this week has completely gotten away from me, blog-wise.  I hate that I haven't been in touch with you but my time is being prioritized and sadly, my bloggy world has had to be lowered to the mid-section of my list.  Wahhhh!

But here I am!  I wrote on today's to-do list that I needed to update my blog and by golly, I'm doing it!

Anyhoo.

Here's a few things going on in Lori Land lately:

1.  Tonight is pizza night! (It is my absolute favorite go-to dinner when I am otherwise clueless.)

Here's my dough that's been doing its thing since this morning!

2.  I am also making Ezekiel bread today, which is a huge relief to me because I haven't made nary a loaf in weeks!  I also made three loaves of banana bread.  And the children logged 7 1/2 hours on the Wii.

3.  I've done a lot of hair this week, which is a fun because it's on the complete opposite side of my house, on the lower level.  Sometimes my kitchen and I just need a break from each other, ya know?

Here's my shop!  (I don't think I've ever shown you before...??)  Maybe I have, I don't know.

4.  I think I'm going to spray-tan myself soon.  I am looking really drab lately.

OH, and that reminds me of a story.  About ten years ago I used to workout with a group of fun gals and we often went for a 4-mile run around our town.  Anyway, one week I had been experimenting with self-tanners and well, in retrospect I'm pretty sure I must have gone overboard with it because I showed up one morning for our run, seriously waiting for my friends to rave about how glowingly golden I was...but they said nothing.  In fact, they didn't even really make eye contact with me.  I was very perplexed because man, I looked gooood.  And then the subject of going to the pool came up and I took that opportunity to tell them about my new Dorito-colored tan-in-a-tube that I had been using (heavily), because apparently they hadn't noticed...but no one said ANYTHING, nothing. Crickets were chirping.    

It's these things in life that teach us hard-core lessons.

Never mind what I said about spray-tanning myself soon.  


5.  Did any of you take short-hand in high school?  I did.  And I've been thinking a lot about that lately.  It seemed like such a promising way of quick communication and a skill that any up and coming secretary would certainly need!  I'm disappointed that never panned out.

That was possibly the most random thought I've ever had.


6.  I've started this new approach to cleaning, which is to storm through my house for about 30 minutes and get things done real quick!  And I tell the kids to storm along with me for ten minutes.  And it's so fun and fabulous and works great!

That was my tip o' the day for you.  (As if you've never thought to clean really fast.)

Which reminds me, I got a free ebook on speed cleaning and one of the tips was, if something isn't dirty, don't clean it.  Wow, now that's something I never thought of!  Geeeee.  It takes an act of Congress to get me to clean the dirty stuff, I'm certainly not going to clean something that's, ummm...clean.  Hellllo?


Goodness.

I could go on and on here but I think this has been long enough.  And I certainly don't want to pour out all my wisdom on you in one single post.  I bet you'll savor this one for a good long time and you won't even notice if I'm gone for another few days!  (Feel free to refer back as necessary.)


Have the greatest Thursday evening ever!!

Love ya!

A Very Random Musing by Your's Truly

Wow, what a crazy-busy Valentine's weekend I had, filled with romance and gourmet dinners!

Oh, not for my valentine and me, but at my weekend restaurant job.

(At a high-end, very unique eating establishment.) 

It was so super busy!

And I'll tell you what, waitressing is for the young...but I hold my own.

(Well that's what I keep telling myself.)

But here's what kept me smiling the whole time, seeing sweetly in-love couples holding

hands across across the table throughout their five-course dinner.

It was all I could do not to pull up a chair next to the younger folks and tell them

how to keep the sparks flying for decades to come!

But they didn't ask my opinion.

Hmmmm, if only they knew what vast experience and knowledge I hold!

Well anyway, fast forward to NOW (Monday night) and

there is zero romance in the air on the homestead, as K-Man is working late,

and I'm pulling together dinner for the childrens with about as much enthusiasm as

vegan in a meat locker.

And shame on me but here's my dinnertime snack that gave me the jolt of strength I needed

to get spaghetti and meat sauce on the table for all the people.

Speaking of dinners, here's my menu for this week:

Monday:  Spaghetti and meat sauce (check)

Tuesday:  Baked Potato Soup

Wednesday:  Chicken Pot Pie

Thursday:  I have no idea

Friday:  I have no clue

Saturday:  Good heavens, can't these people cook for themselves?

Sunday:  See Thursday, Friday, and Saturday's selections

And now that I've inspired you to greatness, go out there and have yourself a fabulous evening!

Bye for now!

My Four Thoughts for Today

1.  I got our taxes done today.  

And let me just say this:  If I ever speak of wanting to become a CPA, stop me at all costs, please.

It baffles me that anyone can sit at a desk all.day.long. crunching numbers, and not go absolutely crazy.

And did I ever tell you about the time, about ten years ago, that I sat straight

across the desk for about an hour with our tax guy (same guy as today), wearing two

completely different earrings?  Dangly earrings, even.  Completely different.

That's what I did. 

Anyway, we're getting a refund.  Hooray!

(And my earrings matched this time)

2.  Today was Lucy and Isaiah's Valentine's Day party at school.

But Isaiah kept calling it the Thanksgiving party.

And I'm thinking, he's not going to be giving thanks for this holiday once he's a grown man.

That's what I'm thinking.

But he had a blast.  And by that I mean that he was all kinds of crazy, all day long.

I should have known things were going to be off-kilter for that one when he 

woke up this morning and told me,

"Mom, today I have one million energies!"

And his teacher did in fact confirm that with me later today . 

  

3.  K-Man and I went on a date the other day!

We actually had quality time together and quality conversations.

Such as, a discussion on whether we would be able to go on a little getaway vacation,

just the two of us, this summer (like last year).

We toyed with the idea of a cruise, a week on a tropical island, beach resorts, etc.

Then K-Man said,

"Maybe we could just get a waterbed."

And trust me, he was/is completely serious.  

Vacation plans are now on hold (not that we can afford to go anywhere anyway!) and waterbed

plans are totally underway.

And let it be known that it is completely against my will.

But far be it from me to stand in the way of my man with a plan.

That, I will keep you updated on, for sure.

4.  I personally think that the homeschool year should be officially over by month's end.

We seem to be going nowhere fast, ever since Christmas break.

What I'm saying is, get me to a deserted island immediately!

Or a waterbed, whichever.

And that concludes my thoughts for today.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some Olympics to watch!

USA - USA - USA!!!

Olympic Hope and Cow Eyeballs

Good Tuesday, my friends!  How the heck are ya?  The ridiculously frigid, single-digit temps continue in my neck of the woods and I'll tell you what, I'm done with it.  DONE.  I can handle cold, but this is stupid.  The only smidgen of good I can possibly think of that will come out of this is that all the ticks and mosquitoes being wiped out, come summer.  But that's a theory that doesn't even seem to pan out, as logical as it sounds.   

Anyway, have you been watching the Olympics?  People, let me tell you this.  I LOVE THE OLYMPICS. Any sport, I will watch it!  And love it.  I'm all like, "USA - USA - USA... Goooooo USA!"  But, my heart just swells with pride for whoever wins, honestly.  They've all worked harder than any of us can imagine and I think that's just so neat.  They are the epitome of discipline and focus!  And my very, VERY favorite part is hearing the back stories of the athletes, the adversities they've endured, the obstacles, their families, all of it, I love it!  

OH, and I absolutely LOVE seeing the parents on the sidelines.  Goodness, I just weep.  How fabulous for them to watch their babies climb to such a place in life!

Do you love all that too?  I hope you do.  Oh, and the commercials.  Goodness!  The "Thank You, Mom" commercials??  Stop it.  It's almost more than my heart can take, my gracious.

And I'll tell you one more thing.  I can easily convince myself that I can do just about any of those sports, as I sit there on my couch in my bathrobe.  They make it look so effortless and easy.  Man, they're good.

But around here, here's what's been happening:

Lucy and Isaiah rediscovered their doctor kits and gave me a full exam (but apparently they didn't have a pregnancy test in there, to save myself $4.  Don't worry, I didn't mention it to them, this time.)   

Lucy was the doctor.

 And she appointed Isaiah to be her nurse.

(I love that!)

Lucy insists, however, that she is going to be a dentist and a farmer.  Goodness, that will come in handy! Because I'm pretty sure that dentists can get their hands on some good Botox.  You know, for those who need that sort of thing.

This most recent round of medical interest was I'm sure prompted by what's going on in Lucy's homeschool science class:

Yesterday they dissected a cow eyeball!  And even though Lucy was quite proud of the fact that SHE didn't throw up like one of the boys in her class did, I think we can easily conclude by this picture that she wasn't all-in on this, being that she's not the one wearing the gloves.  But she was still fascinated.  Almost as much as she was last week when they dissected a snake and found a bird in its belly!

Blah!  And that's reason #458 that I'm so thankful for the wonderful homeschool classes they go to!  I can't handle dissecting anything that was once breathing.

So anyway, my apologies if you were eating breakfast while reading this.  But lucky for you, that's the only picture I have. And so that concludes this riveting post.


I hope your day is filled with Olympic hope and low on cow eyeballs!

Love ya!

So this happened...{ahhh!}

Okay, friends...listen up.

For the last almost two weeks I've been slightly/fairly/kinda freaked out, but sorta not.

BECAUSE, my last period never came.  Hello?  Where are you?  What's the delay?

Menopause, is that you?  Helllllo?

Or....good heavens, old-lady pregnancy????

I completely knew that I knew that there was just almost no way I 

could possibly be pregnant.  But stranger things have happened, and, my fresh-out-of-nursing-school

sister told me that it's been known to happen...so I better make sure.

Well, I still felt certain that I wasn't.

Surely not.

Surely God's sense of humor isn't twisted like that.  Right?

I had been to Walmart several times in the last week or so and briefly glanced at the pregnancy tests.

Thinking to myself, I will NOT spend $4 on something I already know.

I will not.

I cannot.

But this morning I had the sniffles and a stuffy head and ran by WM to get some cold medicine.

And then I couldn't help but think to myself, what if there is a little bean-of-a-baby in my belly!

I can't take cold meds!

What kind of monster am I anyway?

My poor little surprise-bundle-of-joy needs to be nurtured!

So I bought a test.

I intended to discuss it with the check-out clerk, you know, because that's how I am.

But the test got all mixed up in all my other stuff that I forgot.

I'm sure she saw it and is still on the edge of her seat wondering!

Anyway, I ran home, and went straight to the bathroom.

And right out of the gate, that sucker screamed NEGATIVE.

NEGATIVE!!!!!

So that means that I probably missed because of stress and/or menopause!

Hooray for stress and/or menopause!!!

Then I immediately texted K-Man.

And then I sat down for a nice healthy non-pregnancy snack!

I won't lie, as relieved as I truly am...I'm kinda disappointed!

A little caboose bio-baby for this crazy-train family would have been fun.

But I'm perfectly content to hold out for grand babies.  (In due time.)

Happy Monday, everyone!!

And really, I think I deserve a refund of my $4, dang it.




***UPDATE***

Wouldn't you just know it.  Just hours after taking that blasted pregnancy test,
I started my dang period!
Only me, you guys, only me.

And now I REALLY want my $4 back! 

Dreaming of a Warm Vacation! {and a cleaning lady}

Happy Tuesday to you, friends!

Are you enjoying tropical temperatures like we are here in Kansas?  It's positively balmy, at a whopping 5 degrees.  And I'll tell you something, I'm so over it.  I have a fresh new appreciation for, say, 30 degrees...or even 20.  I'd love me some 20 right now!  But sunny and 73 would be way better.

Anyway,  

For the next two weeks I'm on stand-by for jury duty.  I have to call in every couple nights to see if they need me the next day.  I feel so important!  And boy, are they in for a treat if I should actually have to go in. Finally, my chance to throw my power and opinions around at the county level.  I've been waiting my entire life for this!

With any luck, I'll keep my mouth shut just enough to get chosen for a sequestered trial and I'll get to kick back in a hotel room in the evenings!

On the home front:

Yesterday morning I was seriously plotting to secretly hire a cleaning lady.  I had it all figured out.  (Or should I say, I HAVE it all figured out.  This idea is still brewing.)  Two days a week I am the only one home for a big chunk of time.  All I have to do is have a cleaning lady come over, I'll pay her cash (or give her a perm in exchange, whatever), she'll clean my house like it's never been cleaned before, I'll throw a little Windex behind my ears just in time for K-Man to get home, and KA-POW, suddenly my man, my kids, and the world just assumes that I've finally got my act together.  It's the perfect crime!

I think it's very clear that Lori needs a vacation...a very warm vacation!  Because the cold is eating away at my last remaining brain cells.  

Okay, I gotta snap back to reality! I need get busy with my day while I try to stay warm with a tropical umbrella drink hot cup of tea.



Have the best Tuesday ever, everyone!

Cheap Entertainment

I have found that it's usually easier to not ask questions...but to just grab my camera.

We cleaned out a closet...and Isaiah found all new props.

Cheap entertainment via productivity!  SCORE.





Have a blessed Sunday, friends!  

And clean out a closet or two.  It's like Christmas all over again!

Ten Thursday Things!

Good day to you, my Thursday Friends!  I hope your day is off to a lovely start and that it's filled with rainbows and glittery unicorns, all the day long.

Here's a list of ten random things for this fine Thursday:

1.  It would be so pitifully sad to see a little boy playing tennis by himself...if it weren't for the fact that he really could not have been happier doing it.

Too bad he doesn't have any siblings who would eagerly play with him.

But, there's this.

Which, I suppose, could explain why they sometimes distance themselves from him.


Moving on.



2.  As I do every single morning, I made myself a delightful breakfast!  Mmmm, gets my day started just right.  Today's fare:  Eggs and waffles w/ a walnut-butter-maple drizzle, and green tea.  And a giant bowl of oranges.  (I didn't really eat all those oranges, you sillies!)

3.  I am sticking to my workout routine like a champ.  And so is K-Man!  We are going to be so buff and ready for the beach, come summer!  Which would really be great if we were actually going to the beach.



4.  Tell me, what difference do you see in my bedroom windows, pictured below:

Does one of them look starkly different than the other?  No?  That's what I thought.  So my decision to only clean one (out of three) sets of blinds, after I got incredibly bored, was a good one.  Nobody cares, nobody notices, so why waste my time, is what I told myself.  The world is a better place with whimsical people like me!



5.  Somebody found themselves a red-hot deal on toothpaste!  Score.

6.  Somebody splurged on new mascara!  Every 2-3 years like clockwork, I tell ya.

7.  Here's what I'm reading right now!  I really think I need to read a book on the power of prayer about every six months, at least!  This is a good one*.

8.  Look at these little darlings!  Homeschooling is coming along just swimmingly.  And by that I mean, I'm drowning!  I cannot seem to get my homeschooling mojo back after having taken a long Christmas break. I'm thinking about just selling all our stuff and buying a big RV and set out to tour the country.

Oh wait, that would mean a smaller space with all these people, plus I'd still have to cook.  Dang.


9.  Completely related to #8, I literally scoured my vitamin cabinet this morning looking for WHATEVER I could shove down my gullet to boost my mood.  I settled on L-Theanine*.  We'll see how that works out.

10.  Tonight's dinner is going to be calzones and salad.  (Which, is partly why I was so stressed this morning. I was trying to get the dough started, but lost count on how many cups of flour I had put in because there were a thousand little children (okay, two) saying over and over, "Mommy, Mom, Mama, Mommy, Mommmmm!"  So I banned everyone from the kitchen for ten minutes while I re-made my dough and swept my shattered nerves off the floor.)



Here's to a happy and stress-free afternoon!




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