What? Wednesday?

Is it really Wednesday already? Tomorrow I will take Justin to the Tri-Cities (or one of them anyway, I guess I'll find out which one tomorrow) so he can have LASIK eye surgery. I know.... ewww! They even have a viewing area. Blech. Yes, I will have a book with me.

But which book shall I take? I've been reading kind of a weird genre of books lately. I'm not embarrassed by my book choices, per se. I guess it's sort of a guilty pleasure. I suppose paranormal romance could be the category. I've always liked ghosty stories, but now I seem to have made the leap to vampires, half-demons, werewolves, guardians of the Goblet of Eternal Life, dragons and their slayers, etc etc. Actually, I think Justin is the one who is embarrassed! One of the books in my "to be read" pile has a manly, naked chest on the front. Maybe that's the book I should take tomorrow! Actually, I'll probably still be trudging my way through Love and Other Near-Death Experiences. This author was recommended on the website of Christopher Moore (absolutely the funniest author ever) as one to read while waiting (impatiently) for another Christopher Moore book to be published. It's a good book, but I've been in a rut of quick, funny, weird, romantic books so it's hard to read a "real" book. Hmmm....how many authors could I offend with that statement? Um, none since they don't read this blog.

The WASL is over so I go back to helping in Emma's "class" on Wednesday mornings. I'm not really in the classroom, I usually make copies, grade papers, or work one-on-one with students who need more help. This means most of the kids in Emma's class know me, but I can't put names with their faces most of the time. Audrey's classmates on the other hand....I definitely know them!

Audrey lost another tooth. She finally fulfilled her dream of having Mr. White pull it. Well, it sounds like "flick" is more accurate than "pull".

I'd better start getting ready if I'm going to make it to Emma's class at 8:30. I'm also hoping to put in an hour or so at the library. Otherwise I won't be in until Monday or Tuesday and my basket will definitely be full! I've barcoded all the adult and teen paperbacks and yesterday I started on the children's paperbacks. The end is in sight! I also need to make sure I have enough time at home to straighten up before Justin's mom comes this afternoon. She'll be here to take care of the girls and get them to school tomorrow so Justin and I can leave in time. There's just nobody here that I feel I know well enough to ask for help with this. But you know back home I'd have no trouble! (this is where Kristi and Nancy sigh with relief that we aren't there right now)

Always read something that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it. ~P.J. O'Rourke

(I don't think that'll happen with me)

Just another entry

Take a look at the date on this photo. What's with snow in April????

The snow is gone and today we have rain. Wow, it could almost feel like we're back "on the coast". Except for the lack of trees.

Last weekend we went to an auction. I bought a Bunco Party for 20 couples. I don't even know 20 couples around here! I'll definitely need to import some when the time comes for the party. It's one of those things that sound like it would be a lot of fun, but then when I really start thinking about it (after I buy it of course) it doesn't look quite as good.... Where could I host an event with that many people? We would need some tables. And who the heck could I invite? And what would we do with the kids while it's going on if we have it here? Oh well. It's not like I have to figure it out right away.

Emma and I had a difficult morning. Audrey got up first and was in the tub. I finally roused Emma and told her to get her clothes together, brush her teeth, etc while Audrey finished and then she could take a shower. Of course I had a screaming urge to use the bathroom, so wasn't around to supervise. I came out and Emma is lying on the couch with the flashing Rudolph nose on (Justin found it in the pocket of the coat he's wearing in the picture---wonder when he last wore it) (the jacket, not the nose). I started pulling the nose off her and the strap must have caught on her earring and she started yelling that it hurt. She took it the rest of the way off and it went (further) downhill after that. Tears, yelling, "you're mean", "I want to go back to Bay View so I don't have to get up at 6" --um, you didn't get up at six it was after 6:40-- "well, in the sixes", begging for forgiveness, hugs and I love yous on the porch. Hopefully she'll feel better.

So a couple of weekends ago I had a breakdown. I have no idea what triggered it, but Justin found me in the back of the closet curled up on shoes. As you can imagine, it freaked him out considerably. Also our two friends who were over are now afraid to come back to our house. Of course Justin tried to talk to me about it the next day. He knows me better than that. Even if I knew what was wrong I probably wouldn't tell him. Because that would make it too real. And once something is said to another person I know that someone else knows, and I then have to try and go through life knowing that someone else knows something negative about me and I have to wonder how much that will color their perception of me and whether or not that knowledge will come back to bite me. This is why I chose to not confront or talk about a problem I have with somebody directly to that person. If we don't talk about it, I can assume that they are over it or were never bothered by it in the first place. Right? Completely screwed up thinking, I know. But it's the only thought I have.

Anyway, the other day it dawned on me that a large part of why I behaved the way I did was hormonal. There still must have been something to trigger it, but I haven't remembered that. (And no, I'm not trying to.) I miss the days when I was on The Pill. My body just chugging right along. Then after Justin had the Big V I stopped taking them. And I discovered ovulation. And it hurt!! Well, it no longer hurts, but looking back over the past few months I realized that my "PMS" feelings occur during ovulation. Not always to that awful extent Thank God, but at least I can warn Justin ahead of time.

OK, so has there been anything good lately? I guess I'm just feeling bogged down in the bad stuff right now. I really should blog when I have something good happen. How many times have I thought, "ooh, I need to write about that in my blog" and then by the time I do, I've forgotten what it wanted to share.

We went to a movie last Sunday. Nim's Island. It was pretty good. There was a lot of information and character development in the beginning. And then it felt like the director decided that they needed to hurry up and end the movie because it's a kid's film and they can only hold their attention for so long. So the end seemed a bit abrupt. But by then Audrey was squirming in my lap and saying she wanted to go home so it was OK to end. We very rarely go to movies. The last one we saw with the girls was The Game Plan, I went to a movie with a friend a while ago (I haven't done that in nearly 20 years---I've never really had the "let's go to a movie" friendship I guess), and I have no clue what the last movie was that Justin and I saw in the theater. There are a few out or coming soon that look good. Maybe I can convince Justin to take me to one. Ooh, maybe this weekend! I'll have to see. Wish me luck.

I got a call last night asking if I would help serve lunch at school today. Normally lunch is served by 3rd and 4th graders, but since they are taking the WASL this week the parents are stepping in. I signed up to help tomorrow, but was also a fill-in last Wednesday. I should probably work on taking a shower and getting dressed. But my robe is just so darn comfy! I don't need to be there until 11. Plenty of time!

No matter where you go or what you do, you live your entire life within the confines of your head. ~Terry Josephson

Spring Break pictures 4

Is this a Bad Mommy Moment?? A stormy morning. But the last morning, so we have to let the girls boogie board. Right? What an amazing sky and surf!

Audrey rides the wave!

And she rides it a bit farther.

And all the way to the end!!!

Spring Break pictures 3

This doesn't need a caption, does it?

A boy and his dog.

The Crab!!! The Crab who likes to buy souvenirs. Really really really likes to buy them....

OK, and so Mom likes a big sale at the Claire's Outlet in Lincoln City. But who can pass up a purple fancy mask for 50 cents????

Spring Break pictures 2

See that second house up the hill? The brown-looking one above the one with the green roof? That's where we stayed! Umm...angle down to the right to the base of the trail we took to the beach.

Remember the kid-sized wet suits I mentioned? Here are the girls wearing them. Justin didn't have a wet suit, but did have his rubber boots on. So when Audrey "almost drownded six times" he was there at the ready to get her.

I have the camera. Therefore, I get to take pictures of the weird stuff I draw in the sand. I just need to figure out how to turn this kind of drawing into my tattoo. Help.

Why is it that we visit the tidepools on the chilliest day of our vacation?? Well, the chilliest other than the last day that is. We had fun checking out all the cool creatures in the tidepools. Mostly anenomes---green and a couple of pinkish-purple. Also a couple sea stars and a sea urchin among the mussels. Lots of wet feet and fur.

Spring Break pictures 1

We bought the kites at Costco a while ago. It was driving the girls crazy that we were "saving" them for our vacation. Justin put them all together. We eased our way down the trail to the beach to fly the kites. We had lift-off!

And less than ten minutes later Justin and I are holdng the kite strings because the girls are bored.

See this rock climbing?? That is exactly why Joy held the camera all week! Hmm...climb the slippery rocks or stand on the beach with a camera in my pocket. Yep. I know which one I'm choosing.

Audrey had a great time wading in the surf. Up to her ankles. In her shoes. Hey!! That's my hat!

OK. So it's not exactly an artsy fartsy shot, but I just really like this picture of Emma drawing in the wet sand.


I'm pretty sure I can't post too terribly many pictures at a time. So I'll do four at a time until I feel I'm done. Is that OK with everyone?

Break's over

We're home! We had an absolutely wonderful trip to the Oregon Coast. I uploaded my (188) pictures yesterday, so I'm hoping to take the time today to go through them and post some on this blog. We'll see if it happens today....

Hi-lights:

the girls boogie-boarding (the house we rented had kid sized wet suits)
tide pools
generally deserted beaches
the aquarium in Newport (and running into our neighbors there!! bizarre!)
no internet access & hardly any work calls for Justin
just finally getting to spend a lot of time all together as a family


Now I need to get ready to head to school, then grocery shop. We have no food! Audrey's wigging out without her milk! Then pick up the girls from school and take Emma to piano lessons. I might find enough time to post pictures..... But don't hold me to that!