The latest

I am what some may have called a "fair-weather blogger." I don't deny it.

The problem is, I never think I have anything to say. So this will probably be another post about nothing.

So, I heard NieNie makes $600,000 a month from blogging. Seriously?! That's just crazy. I would feel totally awesome if I somehow made say, $100 a month from blogging.

Yesterday I got a paper cut on my eyeball. I felt that the situation was pretty serious for about 20 minutes, as the tears involuntarily streamed down the one cheek, and then when I checked it out in the mirror and could see a very fine cut right across my pupil. I thought about going to the eye doctor, but you know, being uninsured I have to really weigh the pros and cons of those decisions. Sometimes it is totally foolhardy not to go in, but lots of times people just panic and go. And if you are insured, that's okay. And you don't even think twice about it. But you do think twice if you are paying out of pocket (which, incidentally, is still way, way, WAY cheaper than paying for insurance out of pocket, even if I spent like 2 to 3 thousand dollars a year on doctor visits(our average per year is more like $200)--which is why we just have a sort of "catastrophe" insurance with a high deductible, which we have never had to use. Anyhow, I just closed my eyes and laid on the couch while Beth watched a movie for a couple hours after it happened, while the boys were sleeping. And it bothered me a little for the rest of the day, but when I woke up this morning it felt normal.

Right now Josh is in the "look, Mom!" stage. I bet I hear that phrase come out of his lips oh....... maybe one to two hundred times a day. It is my knee-jerk reaction when I hear "look, Mom!" to turn my head quickly and watch the throwing of the paper airplane, or the balancing of a quarter on a finger/toy train, or a jump, or a tower of blocks. It's almost as if the child is taking my head and turning it in the direction of the attraction (and away from whatever I am focusing on at the moment). The bear will be 4 years old next month. Oh, he is a good one. I think I got my easiest child and then my hardest child in rapid succession. And I won't name any names. And the "hard" child is loved ever so dearly, and is in probably the peak of childhood cuteness right now.

Beth is increasing in reading fluency. She is great at it. I think I will start shopping for a violin and (hopefully) start teaching her lessons. Anything I do will be better than nothing, for now.

So, James thinks I should start doing book reviews on the blog. I read some. I wouldn't say a lot (right now), but I do like to read, and I do like to write (usually about nothing, sometimes about something). But it seems like it might be boring to read book reviews, and maybe you all wouldn't care for that. I'm not sure I would care for it.

I am trying to do little things to be a better parent right now. I feel like I am probably an average mother right now, and I am trying to improve that. There is a scarcity of patience around here, especially in the mornings. And a few things that have been helping are as follows:

-Not serving breakfast until everyone is dressed and beds are made (with the exception of myself, of course. I get to wallow around in my pajamas with greasy hair until 11:00. I'm so lucky.)

-Trying really hard to truly prioritize the needs of the kids above my own. This is tricky. I know that my needs need to be met. I often feel that if I can just meet a few of my basic needs, I'm a much happier Mom and better able to fulfill the kids' needs. On the other hand, if I put off taking care of myself and first fulfill the kids' needs, they are happy to let me go take care of myself afterward. Somebody has to be an adult here, and it probably won't be them. So I try really hard not to think about anything I want to do in the morning (shower, read my scriptures, exercise, get on the computer, read, etc.) until after the kids are fed, dressed, dishes are done, house is tidy, and we have had family scriptures and story (or "school") time, which includes practicing reading with Beth). I have found that if I let the kids just coast on auto-pilot in the morning while I do what I want, I end up impatient with them while I am trying to focus on myself. They are crying and fighting. They are bored. And by the time I finish taking care of myself--not even feeling refreshed afterward, and feeling like my kids are a pain in the neck--the kids are unhappy, and I am unhappy. The new routine has been working pretty well, though it is still a challenge to totally put off my own needs for the first 3 hours of the day. And I do allow myself the liberty of using the bathroom.

(What's the deal with all the parenthesis? I can't spit out what I want to say without interrupting myself in the middle of every sentence?)

I am currently reading "City Boy" by Herman Wouk. So good. I laugh out loud on every page. It is about a 12-year old boy named Herbie Bookbinder. He is fat, he is Jewish, and he is in love with the beautiful Lucille Glass of class 7-3B. He loves to eat, he loves to read, and he hates Lenny Krieger the class bully. Sounds a little juvenile now that I write it out, but it is written with a greater perspective on youth, and the writer's wit and word choice is unparalleled.

I made these today. Whoa, doggy. They were good.

Oh. I probably never mentioned why I haven't been blogging much. And, although this shouldn't really seem like a valid reason, well, it is the reason.

In August, we had some new tenants move into our basement:
Oh, and um....

and.....

and last, but not least:

Our friends the Jensens. Could fate have smiled more brightly upon us (and frowned so sourly upon them)?!

We have been friends with Nels and Suzy since before we were married. Nels and James are business partners: they started Williamsburg Academy together. The Jensens have been in Austin, Texas for the last year while Nels was attending Acton School of Business. Then they decided to move back here so that James and Nels could continue to build Williamsburg. Since we didn't know, and indeed never know, what the finances for the business are going to look like until we know what enrollment looks like just before the beginning of the semester in the fall, we decided to play it safe and bunk up together for a while until Williamsburg can support us all a little bit better (we are seeing a fragment of light at the end of the tunnel, and things look hopeful for fall of this year). Our basement is a 2-bed 1-bath rental. Just like upstairs, except with no windows, and with wood paneling and popcorn ceilings. :)

So while there are definite drawbacks to the situation (mostly for the cramped Jensen family), there have been a multitude of movie/game nights, Ben & Jerry's, and sewing projects. And when James and Nels travel together for business, Suzy and I keep each other company. And it is soooo nice. In fact, they are traveling now, and Suzy and I are going to sew a skirt tonight. And get some frozen yogurt from the health food store.

So the reason I haven't been blogging as much is because I usually always have a friend around to talk to. To share my troubles and joys, laughter and tears..... well, usually just laughter.

And, looks like this is going to be another semi-coherent, disjointed blog post which will end abruptly because my baby is waking up from his nap and crying.

Cheers.