Try underwear again next week?

Ok, sorry.. It should have just been time for a note. (Yesterday) (Or was it day before?)

Suffice it to say that it's been busy, yet again. I've learned about myself. I can handle day-to-day craziness, general business. But when it's over the top, like lots of extra events thrown in, it gets to be too much. I don't know how exactly it happens, but it always does.

Saturday was an awards ceremony for the daisy girl scouts (and those that got to move up to Brownies!!), and I could say more, but not all good, so I'll stop there. (My momma used to tell me if I couldn't say something nice, then I shouldn't say anything at all.) Then I gave a bridal shower with one of my friends yesterday, so I got the groceries and prizes on Saturday right after the awards ceremony, came home, and crashed into bed.

My plan had been for us to go to 4pm Mass on Saturday afternoon, or at least Mary Claire and I would go. Welll, Ches tried to wake me around 3:30 to no avail. He decided to let me sleep since everyone else in the house is sick (except me!) and he thought me getting rest would better help me resist, so No Church Saturday. : ( We had a late dinner, and I made dips and washed fruit, and made game cards, answer sheets, and generally got ready for the party till about 11:30 (early for me!), and went to bed.

I was up by 6:30a (as it's summer now, so why should my kids waste a precious minute in bed?) and began the breakfast/laundry/cleaning frenzy that begins with wet sheets...ick. Then ready for church (kids in bath, me in shower, etc.), off to church, then home to get ready for the shower, then partied with lots of sweet women, then what on Earth for dinner?? I had to run to Harp's for some hot dogs, buns, chips, and strawberries, then home to grill. I'd been so wrapped up in the events I hadn't gotten any food for my family. I immediately fell asleep again on the couch with the kids (absolutely SO unlike me!) yet again.

Monday-chaos. Two babysitters for the kids-one to watch the boys, one to take MC to a Brownie picnic, and me to get proper groceries! And I can say, we've been eating well this week!

I got a grill basket-so cool. You cut up your veggies (I've now done potatoes, onions, and bell peppers/onions for fajitas), put them in the large, flat basket, and grill them! There's a handy handle (heehee) that you attach to turn it over. My grill is getting older and much less dependable, so I have to adjust the temp to get what I want, but it should work better. I also got the Weber How To Grill It cookbook-very comprehensive, except it doesn't tell how exactly how to grill potatoes (and that's one reason I bought it!) But my husband is increasingly tired/busy, and no longer really wants to grill (unless he can get a brand new expensive grill), so I've taken over. It's not that hard, and I love to grill in the summer to keep the kitchen cool. I'll get better at it. : )

Potty Training. Is not for busy, weak souls. We've been at it for a week, and it's going pretty well. Ethan totally will run to the potty chair if he needs to go. He even yelled at me from upstairs, so I'd run get him and run him back down to his 'chair! He is doing well. We had one accident this morning (pee, thank goodness), but that was the first on the carpet. He is still running around naked. We tried to progress to underwear too soon (last Thursday), and he peed in them. It was apparently too much insurance like a diaper/pullup (I hate these!), so we are back to naked. He must have 12 or 13 pees a day and like 5 little poops! I had no idea! : P I'm sure he's taking advantage, as we are rewarding almost all progress with an M&M. If he doesn't remember, I don't give him one. I don't want to encourage anal retentiveness or adult problems! heehee It's hard to know the right thing to do. He's progressing, and very happy with himself, so it's working. Maybe we'll be up to underwear in another week?

Our next big issue is the bed. He wants a big boy bed (and my mom must be ready too, cause she keeps sending me beds on Craig's list!), and has attempted to sleep in Clay's lower bunk, but won't stay. We have a bed, all the bedding (sheets, quilt, bedskirt, pillow sham, etc.) since we thought we were moving him to a big bed back before Christmas! He quit climbing out, so we decided to lay low! I'm all about making my life one ounce easier (and that totally means leaving him in the crib as long as possible!!).

Ok, the sky at this very moment (8:33pm Central Time) has the absolute weirdest glow! It was DARK, rainy, and now it's glowing orange! I mean, creepy! Like the Earth is on fire! Or the western part of the US...
I took pictures, but until I learn to upload the new camera (still working on that...), they'll be stored in a tiny memory device. It's still raining outside, so I couldn't go outside. I took some pix from the window, but in the time it took me to go get my camera, the sun had dropped more, and the glow was less intense! It was already down, but just a lighter orange now.

I promise to at least try to hook up the camera. Oooo...and I have my baby with one of his first poops in the potty, and he looks so proud! : )