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Friday, July 19, 2013

Cram One More Thing In

I thought I might add one other thing into this new writing tradition....dinner.

Tonight, we had teriyaki chicken:
image: lilluna.com
1 C. water
1 C. sugar
1 C. soy sauce
some garlic
chicken pieces

Throw them in the crockpot on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours and serve over rice.


Okay, now for the good and bads of the day:


image: vvicrew.com
Someday, I'm going to learn, but I'm fearing that it may be too late. I guess what I'm saying is that I might now be considered an "old dog." New tricks are just not my thing. I continually try to do "one more thing" throughout my day, and with this comes a chaos. I'm always in a rush. I think I'm finally deciding that that's just who I am. That's how I roll.

image: waltworks.blogspot.com
My brother was in town last week. As we talked, it became apparent that I may be sharing too much here, in his opinion. Well, he's going to love my first bad....Talk about TMI. I figure there might just be a mom or two out there who might just commiserate with me and my life. They might nod and smile along with what I write as they read. I hope this is the case, anyway.

We were raised in a very hush, hush household. There were too many taboo topics to number. Someday, maybe I'll make a little list for you.

So, consider yourself warned....TMI ahead.



Bads

  • Not on the floor?!
I went to a public place today--a museum, actually. I needed to speak with the curator and spent quite a bit of time talking to her. I had a little entourage of four with me. I had told the kids before we walked in that they were not to touch anything and this was an adult place, so in order to go in, they needed to act like little grown ups. They did a good job.

image: clarkhoward.com
After a few minutes of me speaking to the curator, #7 came up to me and told me that she needed to go to the bathroom. Being relatively new to using public facilities, #7 does what each of my children did at this stage in life--ask to go to the bathroom anywhere and everywhere. I guess you could say she's becoming a connoisseur of public restrooms. She could probably tell you where the best place to go in the entire Beaverton area, if you know what I mean.

Anyway, this museum was no different. The little girls room was calling her.

I had the kids dressed in swimming suits as there is a park with a fountain close by. I thought that if they could do a good job on this errand, they could be rewarded with some fun time in the water.

The kids kept wanting to go into a back room. They knew they shouldn't, so they stood at the entrance and looked in. The restroom was in the back of this area, but clearly written on the door were the words "Not a public restroom."

#7 kept coming up and pleading with me. I finally said, "Well, then, we'll just get in the car and go home. Her response was immediately, "Oh, never mind. I don't need to go bathroom."

Within moments there was a new water feature in the museum. Ugh! EMBARRASSING!

I went and got some carpet cleaner and took it to the museum. 


  • Trying to cram more things into small spaces.
image: olympia.com
I went to pick #5 up at the church today from Cub Scout day camp. There was a blood drive going on. 

As I pulled into the parking lot and saw the signs, I remembered that I had missed the last one, so I thought it might be a good thing to do this time. I pondered my schedule for the rest of the afternoon and evening and found that the only time I had available was during that next hour. I could do this. I was sure I could.

I need to add that while I waited, my cell phone died. 

#5 got into the car and the plan was created. At this point, I had six children in my care--three ten-year-old boys and three younger children.

There is an elementary school across the street from the church. I decided that I'd take the kids to the playground and let them play. I would run across the street on foot and do my thing. They would then have the car at their disposal if they needed it. I left it unlocked but took the keys with me.

I borrowed every phone I could, knowing that the Warden would be heading home and would pass the school, to reach him to have him stop by the school and watch over the kids for a few minutes. I heard nothing from him.

image: nydailynews.com
Never have I wanted to bleed faster. I knew once I was hooked up, there would be no escape. The pressure was on. Thankfully, I got in there, got it done, and everything was fine, but my stress level was HUGE.

There's more to this story than I'm sharing, but that would make but another bad thing, and I've limited myself to two, so there. Let's just say that I was supposed to be home by 5pm in order for a mom to come pick up her boys, but I didn't get home until 5:13. I had missed her, and I was sure she had stressed about where I was and where her boys were.

When I finally spoke with her, she had been late, so she thought it was her fault because I had to have #5 to soccer practice by 5:30. Ah well. It all worked out, but it doesn't change that fact that maybe everything would have been solved if I hadn't decided to give blood.




Goods

  • Parks.
image: juliashinkle.com
I have been a mom to two for these past three days. #1 is obviously not around. #s 2 and 3 have been a EFY (an LDS youth conference kind of thing). #4 has been at scout camp (surviving, literally). #5 has been spending his days at Cub Scout day camp. That leaves #s 6 and 7 in my care. To be honest, it's been pretty sweet! It's been fun to focus on just the two of them. We went to the movies, just us three, yesterday and bought a big ol' $8 popcorn and had it refilled just before we went home. Sa-WEET!

Anyway, today ended that. I have the little girl I keep every Thursday and her older brother. It's been great because they play so well with #s 6 and 7.

image: kuik
We went from park to park to park today. Including the fountain and elementary school playground I mentioned above. All in all, I think we must have gone to five different parks today.

  • Spiritual highs.
I LOVE picking my kids up from EFY. I think I told you this a couple days ago. The first day was wonderful, Tuesday and Wednesdays were okay, but tonight was a total spiritual high. 

The kids dress up one day during EFY. The kids looked so sharp when they left this morning.

#2 went home with some friends to play games afterward, so it was just me and #3 for the ride home. She went through all of her notes and shared everything she'd learned and what it meant to her. I feel honored to be entrusted with such experiences and feelings.

  • Milkshakes.
image: twirlit.com
I make a KILLER peanut butter chocolate milkshake. I made them for the third time this week tonight. I really have done well to cut back on my white sugar intake, but this one just can't be avoided...yet. I have cut out the white flour--the stomach pains just aren't worth it.



Tomorrow, #1 gets her travel plans. She'll depart from the MTC within the next two weeks and will be on her way to the very rainy Philippines. We'll read about all of this in her email on Saturday.

Also tomorrow, I'm off to Cub Scout day camp to hang out with my good buddy Tonya.

Once all of this week's activities are over, next week will be surprisingly mellow, but you know I probably won't allow it to be that way. It's the old dog in me.

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