Good-bye Summer

You know what happens the last week of July? Summer DIES. Boo for that.

While most of the county is just getting ready for the dog days of summer, we're getting ready to go back to school. I try not to complain, because it's my job and stuff. I should be thankful for my job, and after all, I teach; this is a calling not just a pay check. It is, however, sad to think that this is the last week of sleeping in, not showering until 3, and not really planning anything.

With all that being said, I actually LOVE going back to school. I love school supplies and all things paper related. I love fall, which is not here, but will be in the blink of an eye with all the school stuff that's going on. I love school so much, that I'm excited to be a student again this fall. I'm getting my masters, and I think I'm going to really like having a challenge. I also am teaching some new classes, so that will be fun too.

I'm trying to be a Positive Petunia rather than a Negative Nancy. How's that workin' for me? Am I believable yet?

Kumbaya

As a kid, I packed it up and went to camp every summer. This summer is my kids' first go-round with life on their own... kind of.

This morning, I went to drop of the big girls feeling a bit rough myself, since the baby decided to throw up in her crib. After that, she decided she wanted to jump in my bed, of course, at three A.M, of course! So, lack of sleep, lack of shower, and I realize I have to (GULP) go in! I looked as though I had just thrown on some flip flops and ran out the door because, well... that's exactly what happened.

As I walked up to the camp's main building, I thought to myself, this seemed so big when I went here. I mean, I could probably throw a ball from one end of the campus to the other, lengthwise and I'm not getting called up to the majors any time soon. When I was my kid's age, I remember thinking that it was a good walk to anywhere there. It's odd how perspective changes with age.

In thinking that our perspective changes, I gained some hope. I've been feeling like I'm getting old, as in, "the old grey mare, she ain't what she used to be." But you know, maybe I was never as fast, as athletic, or energetic as I thought I was. Maybe it's not that I'm getting old, but I've realized what I truly am with grown-up eyes.

So, as my kids learn all the great camp songs this week that I learned when I was a kid, I'm going to re-charge my batteries, and tell myself the truth. I never was as fast as I thought, and I'm not as old as I feel.

And there's the floor!

Would you believe that the junk room has a floor. Yeah, that's right, I found it! I found that it is carpeted, and has only one small stain. So the good news is, I can vacuum and walk in there without fears of dying in there and nobody finding me until the neighbor start to complain about the stench. These things happen you know.

I still have some papers to go through, but oh my goodness, I have a whole other room now! My friend, who was not at all attached to my stuff, made easy work of the mess turning the piles into two trash bags, two give away bags, and a huge burn pile. I tell ya, friends are a good thing to have. I'm liking that I have a few!

Clean out the Clutter

I have a junk room. It is in the back of the house, and was purposed originally to be an office/man cave. Instead, it is the room where everything that I don't know what to do with goes... to die. I have off season clothes (in bins, and out of bins), sizes for when we were skinny, not too far from skinny, and now, and papers. If it came in an envelope, I probably have it in that room. If it came ten years ago, fear not, it's in there somewhere. I have toys with which the big kids, my husband and I, are unwilling to part. I have random junk, and lots of it.

I've decided that this is symbolic of my life. I have stuff that I'm not willing to deal with because it's too hard. I have stuff that I'm not willing to show people because, well, it's horrifying! I have places that I'd just rather close the door and ignore for another day.

Well, today is the day people! I'm going in. If you don't see me in the near future, notify the authorities that I was likely eaten by the stuff that could potentially come alive in that room.

I've invited a friend, not a family member to help. I'm showing off my messiness. I'm willing to load up the car and take away whatever needs to go, and there will at some point probably be a fire to purge the rest!

Wish me luck. I'm ready to deal with life.

Pioneer Woman

Today, I spent way more time in an apron than I normally do. I started this morning doing a mad dash around the house so I could let friends past the front porch when they arrived. I then spent the next few hours making lacto-fermented foods. That's right kids, I jarred up some pickles and some sauerkraut, which involved beating cabbage for 10 minutes. Well, let's hope it's worth it, because that meat tenderizer and I became good friends over this cabbage this morning.

Why would I do this? Well my good friend who is way more health ambitious than I, has done it before, I had a truck load of cucumbers from my garden, and we needed to get together, so tada! A pioneer woman day was born!

After my friend and her 3 girls left, I mowed the lawn while the baby was sleeping. I then showered off real quick, got the baby up, and made homemade chocolate chunk cookies, again while wearing an apron. So, for the rest of the day, I'm pretty well done. I've been productive enough!

15 months

In a couple of days, baby D will be fifteen months old. She surprises me with what she knows already. We don't give babies enough credit!

Yesterday she was insisting I hold her, but I had other plans at the moment. I said, "Just a minute. I can't hold you right now, I have to go potty."

She said, "Ut oh!" Ran to the bathroom, and lifted the lid and got out of my way!

So, you think potty training is in my near future?

No?

Yeah, me neither. Too bad!

This is how I feel. No more cute, pink and brown, or happy stripe.

I've had an amazing week. I've had a hard week.

I've seen temples built by human hands. I've seen tombs to mark their end.

I have heard stories of survivors, and seen the unwritten stories that only empty eyes could tell.

I've had a hard life. Many have had it much harder.