Gingerbread soldiers

You might think we were making gingerbread men with a few star shapes thrown in.  Wrong.  What started out as a creative baking/FHE endeavor turned into a full fledged mock war.  We have the Alphas (large gingerbread), warriors (small gingerbread) and throwing stars (stars and snowflakes).  You might also see frosting and sprinkles. They are actually casts for the injured and dismembered folks along with a good dose of blood.

You will also see homework, packing slips, expensive electronic equipment, leftover dinner, ice packs, and other household items mixed haphazardly together.  This is called real life.

Mismatch mashup

My photo taking skills obviously stink, but this moment of childhood was too awesome not to share. 

 We have two mismatched outfits mashed together.  If this isn't what first grade is all about than what is?  Brianna is sporting a ballerina embroidered top paired with a ruffle-flower short sleeve shirt, slightly contrasting headband, pink bracelet, purple gingham/flower skirt, and purple heart pants.  She completed l'ensemble with her new silver glitterific Ugg boots. 

You go girl.  Live your childhood fearlessly. 

Geometry

The first few times I saw the Sagrada Familia I thought it was weird looking. It is weird looking.  Definitely non-traditional.  Which is probably why Gaudi earned only one award during his lifetime and only for his most traditional building.  I thought the Sagrada Familia looked like a giant candlestick with wax melting down the sides.  Charlie and I were planning on going to Barcelona in Feb of 2011.  It didn't work out.  Life pretty much sucked the whole year.  

We're making plans to go this year and Charlie's mom is attempting to tend the kids here while we're gone.  In preparation I've been reviewing my Spanish and checking out travel guides.  It turns out I've got some major Spanglish going on.  5 years of Spanish language classes don't last more than 9 months in my brain.  

A couple of months before our 2011 intended departure, the National Geographic, of which we have a subscription, published a lengthy article about Sagrada Familia.  The article explored the genius behind the construction.  The cathedral is constructed according to the laws of nature with the interior pillars making a forest with tree like limbs.  Gaudi felt the traditional flying buttresses of European cathedrals were only crutches.  One reason the cathedral is being built so slowly is architects and computer programs are still trying to decode Gaudi's genius.  They are finally approaching technology that can replicate his geometric imagination. He uses complex geometric shapes like hyperboloids and hyperboloic paraboloids.  He stacks cubes with spherical openings.  The tree-like columns have never been matched in load bearing capabilities. 

As I begin to see the reason behind the design it becomes more appealing and amazing. While it still looks like liquid stone, I recognize the appeal to mimic God's design in nature.  I also appreciate the patterns, or even code, of geometry.  It was always my favorite unit in Math.

  I find it in how I choose to decorate my whole house.  I shy away from most fabrics that aren't geometric and love to trace the symmetry of the angles and curves on the collection of medallions above my bed.  In short, I'm looking forward to meeting the Cathedral on March 2.

BOO!

How's this for my first selfie? Just had my last pre-op LASIK exam. I also asked for disolvable plugs in my tear ducts. They felt like a little poke, not like bamboo under the finger nails, and they are so tiny I can't see them.

My days: Wednesday

Wednesday

7:45

Pry my eyes open, resist getting out of bed.  Boys are in benadryl induced coma. Play some music to try to wake them up. Make breakfast, pack Brianna's lunch and snacks for the boys.  They are buying school lunch today. Get dressed, pack Carter's backpack because he's not going to make it to the bus on time.  Encourage Will to change his shirt since the sleeves are three inches too short, yank snarls out of Brianna's hair, run to bus without prayer or scripture study.

9:00

Answer support group emails and phone calls, report attendance and service hours.

11:00 

Gardening.  Today I need to turn the compost heap, since it hasn't been touched in 9 months, and its actually not raining today.  The mixed pile is approximately 4 cubic feet.  I enjoyed myself but now old back is protesting.  I enjoyed listening to an Amelia Peabody book while I worked.

2:45

I scrub as much dirt as I can off my hands and make some lunch.  Follow up with a hot pack on my back.  Clean up the kitchen, try my fancy new dry broom, use new hair and lint tool on my bathroom, threw away a hair ball of alarming proportions. Transfer laundry.

3:45 

make plans to host book club and help a friend tomorrow. Out to bus stop. Backpacks, coats, etc. Get ready for scouts which includes choosing and preparing a healthy snack to share. Walk plate of hot scones to neighbors house to thank them for frog-sitting.

4:30

Comb Brianna's hair into a ballerina bun on top of her head according to her illustrated instructions. Herd Will and Brianna into the car for scouts and errands.

5:00

Bring a friend back home with us for a short playdate. Help with some studying, fold two loads of laundry, answer texts and phone calls, set up appointment at the Family History Center to teach a lady with the elders. Talk to Charlie.

5:45

Pick up Will from scouts, drop Rebekah back at her house. Warm up potatoes and ham for dinner, eat, listen, console, reprimand, calm, explain. Clean up dinner. Find supplies for Carter

7:00

Run Carter to scouts, doodle some new flash cards for the 12 x tables.  10 minute chill session on the floor. Google what to do with the coffee beans I got as a Christmas present.  Looks like for garden benefit they should be already used.

8:00

Pick Carter up from scouts,  start bedtime routine, reprimand, console, give up.

8:30 

Impromptu math lesson teaching Will to subtract a set of two digit numbers borrowing from the tens column.  Complimentary lesson teaching Brianna so we are equal. Forgo tooth brushing.

9:00 

Finally get kids in bed.  Blog. Clean up kitchen and living areas. Listen to my audio book so I don't hear the kids scampering about upstairs. Put William back in bed. Grind oatmeal for whole wheat pancakes and prepare the mix.  Make a batch of syrup, talk to Charlie.  Snuggle Brianna in my bed as I fall asleep.

My days: Tuesday


Tuesday

7:30 am

Brianna snuggles with me before getting up.  

7:45

Oats and cocoa for breakfast, wake boys, pack lunches, encourage William to eat before he personally insults everyone in the family for the third time.  Dress, ground Will from speaking to anyone until he can say something nice, comb hair, short scripture study and family prayer for patience. 

8:52 

Barely make it to the bus. Wave to Brianna with lots of I love you signs and blown kisses.

9:00

Start a load of laundry, collect county library books. Read my own book.

9:30

Volunteer at the school

12:15

Drive from school to Elizabeth's house to catch up

2:00 

Stop at library to print off support manuals.  Snag a couple of books about bathroom remodels on the way out.  Also a book for the kids in the "You wouldn't want to" series, You Wouldn't Want to Live without a Toilet

2:30

Make a meal for a lady of bedrest and walk it over

3:30 

email, ARP phone calls, ARP prep, blog the day.

3:45 

Bus, backpacks, books, homework, friends, chore supervision

5:00 

Start dinner, homework, flip through new library books

5:30

Dinner, mad flurry of ideas on how to keep the kids happy for two bedtime hours while I'm gone. Had a good discussion with Will about his temper and not letting it control him.  Guaranteed that I would take him with me to sit in the foyer if he did not master his language. Packed up to leave.

7:15 

Drive to church, miraculously the High Council Room door was left unlocked so I could get in to set up; my substitute still has the key. Prayed, realized I left step 4 and other materials at home, hollered a quick hello and goodbye to the arrivals.

7:30

Happily surprised the kids locked all the doors behind me.  Grabbed materials sitting on the kitchen table.

7:35 Support group

9:15 

Home again.  Kids are in pajamas playing legos.  Thanked Carter profusely at being such a good babysitter, thanked Will for not hollering at his sister, thanked Brianna for getting ready for bed. Changed my clothes, dispensed benadryl for a runny nose, tucked everyone in. 

9:45

Cleaned kitchen, had a snack, read my book, called Charlie, washed my hair, answered support group texts, got exciting call from Char.  He will be going to Mobile World Congress in Barcelona again this year and I could go too if we pay for my flight.  Checked school schedule, mid-winter break doesn't match up.  

11:30 

Drifted off to sleep thinking of child-swap schemes for March 2-5.

My Days: Monday

When I was a newly wed living in a basement apartment I used to wonder what that mother did ALL DAY long while her kids were at school. Tom recently posed the same question to me.  

I decided to track my days of running the household. Partly because I never thought I would fill up 6 solid hours of time without kids and partly because life speeds by without many mile markers.Here it is:

Monday. 

4 am.

 Kiss Charlie goodbye.
7:30 am 

Brianna crawls into bed with me to snuggle
7:45-8:50 

Get up. Make breakfast. Scrambled eggs and cereal.  Get boys up,  make 3 lunches.  Today Brianna is eating something other than bread.  I boil some water for her thermos to keep her hot dog warm.  We have a little serving of ketchup left over from Ivars from my birthday last year.  Score! Look for thermometer for Brianna, control bickering amongst the kidlets, get dressed, family scripture study, family prayer, remind Brianna and Carter to get dressed (again), scramble looking for coats and rain boots, take home folders, library books, homework. Grab umbrella-it's pouring rain- head out to bus stop.
9:00

Breathe big sigh in peace and quiet. Send text, blog, dishes, breakfast and lunch clean up.

A rather clean kitchen.  My lucky day.

9:30 

Start dishwasher.  Listen to Taylor Swift while I reorganize the cupboard and clean out the junk drawer.  

11:30

Finished junk drawer, cupboard, and spatula drawer wahoo! Talked to Katie for 40 minutes.

11:45 

Talked to Charlie, warmed up leftovers.  Gagged.  Added milk to the rest of the slightly crunchy rice to slowly cook for rice pudding. Googled small bathroom storage. Ate a PB sandwich. Measured bathroom space.

12:45

let double batch of cheese herb scones rise while I cleaned the living spaces.

1:15 

Tried to iron some water damaged sheet music.  Didn't help much.  Katie called again and we complained about our poorly designed bathrooms.  Snapped some pics to prove mine is worse.

3:00 

Back from Covington.  Search for size 11 tap shoes unsuccessful.  Bought 30 disgusting live crickets for the frogs.  Stocked up at Costco. Talked to Charlie again and rearranged chest freezer to fit all the food.

3:45 

Finished rolling out scones and opened 2 weeks worth of mail while listening to a short bio of B. Franklin.  Its not very interesting. Out to the bus stop.

4:00

Checked the kids' backpacks, hugged and chatted with kids,fried scones (burned two fingers), prepared potatoes for dinner, updated addresses from Christmas card folks. Unloaded the dishwasher. Realized the scones were still doughy on the inside. Popped them on a sheet in the oven.  Genius, right? Less oil + simultaneous cooking= awesome.  Only not so awesome.  Still doughy and spilled half of them on the bottom of the oven when I tried to pull them out. Vowed never to make scones again.

4:30 

Blogged! What a time consumer!

5:00

Dinner.  Rotisserie Chicken, Melting potatoes, reject scones, carrots, milk.

5:30

read a book for 20 minutes

6:00

FHE.  We played the board game Life.  I'm running out of patience for it and I've only played it 3 times.

7:30 

bed time routine begins.  We all chat with Charlie.  I clear the table and strip the carcass of meat.  Load the dishwasher. 

8:55

Stories read, backs scratched, prayers said, hugs and kisses, lights out.

9:00 

Finish cleaning the kitchen, check email, squash the bugs infecting my lemon tree.

10:00 

Shower, read, bed.