Time has more value than money now.

Well, I've snagged a few minutes to catch you up. It's been (needless to say), crazy. We got through last weekend, got the tire replaced (although now I'm doubting the reliability of the others-even the new one), and we're on to new things.

We were mired in the liquid diarrhea (try to spell that one on your own) coming from the rear of the littlest Jones, and it just transpired into days... He was pooping solid by Monday night, but more than one day of liquid is just TOO Much. He learned to stand while pooping so that it wasn't touching his skin too much, then he'd scream, "PooPoo Hurts!!" until we showed up to whisk it away (and pray that the germs were gone, scrub our hands/etc.), bury it in the Poopy Can (Diaper Genie), and wait for the next one. We were horribly afraid we'd get it (would we lose 5 pounds?, well, maybe we could try it...) and so we were spraying Lysol, and Clorox bleach-wiping all surfaces. Especially when the poop liquid oozed out. Out of the diaper, out of the pants, out of his socks, out onto sheets, or wherever he sat... ugh. Needless to say, our house is pretty darn clean now. I did more cleaning on Monday than in the past month combined! : O Whew, better lay off. We don't want to set those expectations too high.

Then Tuesday was Mother's Day Out with the usual errand-running with gymnastics afterwards (and the forgetting-of-the-wallet again). I'd been paying my cell phone bill (the $180 one that drafts? off my OLD debit card? that they didn't tell me wasn't working? Yeah, so now it's late?) So, I called in to pay it, and left the wallet on my desk. Then Mary Claire wanted a snack, and I had no money (why carry a purse if there's nothing in it?). Susan graciously paid for her a snack, and again, I'm indebted to her. : ) While I was at gymnastics (not watching), I was hurriedly (is that a word?) cutting Clay's questions out and gluing them to scrapbook paper that would turn into his Friday Vocabulary project. It's been one thing after another this week.
Then, again, with the no brain/wallet. I called Ches to see what was for dinner (Ha!), and I went by Eureka Pizza on Huntsville, and NO Wallet, so drove home. Called them, ordered, gave them debit card number from home, and Ches took the kids to pick the pizzas up. Then I headed out to carpool out to Bunco at Jodie's house. We got lost a few times, and made it a little after seven. I'd been in the car for an hour and 15 minutes. Too long. Then home late, and to bed.

So Wednesday was MDO again, and it was the same, quick errands, phone calls (no new paint on my ceilings yet!), I ran to Moser's in Rogers to get Clay's project on poster board laminated so the questions wouldn't all fall off, and the laminator wasn't hot. How can you run a business that laminates, and not keep it hot? Are teachers low on money too? And aren't laminating? Or is the electricity to keep it on just too much? Please, tell me. She said it'd be ten minutes. I didn't HAVE 10 minutes (I had to pick up the kids in ten minutes-including drive time)! Some days I think I could pay for time. I used to have more time than money, now has it shifted? More kids=less time=essentially less money, but is it less valuable than time now?? I think so.

Then Wednesday night Clay had pre and Mary Claire and I were meeting a group of girl scouts at the Disneynature Earth movie, so Mom came to watch the boys till Ches got home, then Ches took Clay, and Mary Claire and I picked him up. I got them happy meals on the way to get him (they don't make me happy though), and Sis ate hers up (she actually prefers a hamburger and nuggets, and no fries), so I ate her fries, good mom that I am to eat her leftovers, and we went to pick up Clay. He ate nothing, and never did (Ches said he fed him leftover pizza from Tuesday-see previous day of exhaustion).

Then, I was so kaput (think dead-on-my-feet) that I quickly got the kids to bed, and I went to sleep. By 8pm. World Record, I think? I slept till 6:15 the next morning when Mary Claire woke me up asking to watch cartoons in the office. Then she was back at 6:17 when she couldn't get one of the doors to shut due to the big Computer sitting in the way. (It's been there for a good couple of months-waiting to be moved to the attic.)

Then, I got up, got around, as I had a field trip (and so did Mary Claire-hence the Early Wakeup)! The Stick Horse Rodeo at Parsons Arena in Springdale, with all the other first grade students around our city! I made my lunch, and started some laundry (Ethan's poopy sheets, jammies, and blanket among other things), and got the day going. Then made my way to the rodeo grounds, and no kids yet! I called and they'd had to go back for lunches. Mrs. Collier had asked them repeatedly if they all had their lunches, but they were so excited, they couldn't access their brains (common even in adults, me included). So, they were late. It was fine, and they didn't miss anything! I even got to take some pictures of a little girl that goes to a different school, but she's in our gs troop. She was very excited that our girls were coming! : )

Then, long day of fun, and home to crash. Mary Claire had asked me to check her out and take her home with me, but knowing Disney is only a couple weeks away, I hate to add to her missed days. I went home, crashed (for 20 minutes), Ethan woke up, and I got to pick them up as car riders-her favorite, and my symbolic apology for not taking her with me earlier.

Then, I was exhausted (still), so Ches took them to Sonic and to Bethel Heights park, and I rested for about 30 minutes, recharged, and got up to make meatloaf and boil potatoes for mashing-I wanted a real dinner. We had baths, I laid out clothes for today (and made Mary Claire a new bow to match some new clothes-maybe I'll post a pix?), and crashed again. Maybe I'm getting sick again?

Today, back to work: getting ready for Clay's First Communion. I ordered a yummy cake from Rick's Bakery (the Best), and planned dinner. I headed to the grocery store with Ethan, and gathered meat, bread, fruits and veggies. (Ethan has been eating Non-Stop since the poopy thing, so he's had cereal this am, a bag of fruit snacks, an individual pack of Pringles, and just AT THE STORE, he ate two bagels, and a bag of Sun Chips, wanted a banana-but I said no, as sometimes they won't charge me for the missing banana, and I feel bad). When we got home, he had chocolate milk, chicken noodle soup, pretzels, etc. He brought me pudding while the Tru Green man was here (another whole story), but he forgot about it, and I put it away. So, put the groceries away, deal with weird man in purple banging on my door (INSiDE my garage), then at the front door, then rang the doorbell..I pointed to the Baby Sleeping, Please Knock sign, and said I wasn't opening the door. He said he was from Cox, yadda, yadda, yadda. I called them, they didn't know who he was, I called the police, reported Strange Man in LSU shirt, and they were going to check on him. Bizarre.

I lost a bet to Ches over our taxes, so we are going out to dinner at Chili's with all the kids. Should be a blast! Then Clay has First Communion practice (don't ask, I don't know), at 7, then tomorrow, back to work cutting fruits, veggies, and making bbq sauce (as I made the dry rub, and it's "marinating" in dry stuff now), and more cleaning? Nah.

Pictures at 3:30m or 4, group pix at 5, Mass at 6, dinner here afterwards, 7:30? Hopefully, everything will be done and ready. With a Hope and a Prayer. I have Clay's clothes almost ready, and Mary Claire is wearing her Valentine's Dance dress, I have a dress picked out (biggest accomplishment), and Ches a shirt, Ethan's...I'll get it together by drive-away time. Ches thinks his mom is coming early, so I may have to plan accordingly. The kids will probably have to have their baths early in the day (which marks off playing outside, boo...), and I'll have another work-to-the-bone hard day. Maybe Sunday will be better? We have a gs field trip to plant a garden in Fayetteville in the afternoon.

Then next week begins the packing countdown for Disney, and Mary Claire's birthday-she's requesting a sleepover (is she old enough?), and Ches has graduation (just has to escort students), Clay has a bday party on the same day MC does, and it gets faster as we head toward the end of the year! I feel like Calvin on the wagon as he races down the hill and over the cliff into the ravine hoping to time warp. He gets to the bottom, and it's two minutes later into time. I feel that way. I can do 80 things, and it's only been 10 minutes, and I still have 180 more to do! I have to work at warp speed to keep up. I don't know what I'd drop first if push came to shove. Hmmm....

So, see why I haven't had time to write? Yeah, I don't joke when I say I'm busy.