C-c-cold

It's another weekend of negatives. Once again, we have not hit 0 in three days. It's hardest on Zach because he loves to go outside, but I can't let that sensitive skin get damaged.

The surprise for Johnny went over great! A friend gave us a coupon to the Best Western here in town; it included free dunner and breakfast and a free stay in the jaccuzi suite. It was so nice.

This weekend also held some tragedy. My grandma died on Saturday morning. She had been in the ICU for a couple days and my mom was there holding her hand. It's especially sad because Saturday was my parents' 28th anniversary. The rest of my family headed up to MD today. I wish I could go.

We're all set for Christmas. I can't believe how fast December has flown. We'll be in MT before we know it.

Honey, I'm home!

It's a typical day for me, the June Cleaver wanna-be. It is currently 10:00 am and I have already made the bed, cleaned the bedroom, started dinner in the crockpot, changed three diapers (including a poopey one), nursed the baby, done my French lesson and done the breakfast dishes. I would continue my 50s homemaker prowess and go clean the bathroom and primp, but I currently have a sleeping infant in one arm. That will have to be remedied, because I haven't even washed my face yet.

I had a headache all night, so I didnt sleep as deeply as I have been lately. This meant dreams, and lots of them. Each time I woke up to nurse Gabey a new dream started when I fell back asleep. The last was an entertaining story, but the first two were incredibly unpleasant. I'm glad I'm not a prophetess.

I seriously need to get ahold of Heather. I need a good, long girl-talk. Too many boys in my life! :)

Heat Wave!!

It's 7 degrees outside! Time to go swimming! HA!
Seriously though, today was the first time in three days it's been above zero. We bought an extra space heater and covered the windows with plastic. The ice on the inside of the front windows finally melted this morning (also the first time in three days).

Christmas is only 8 days away!! That doesn't even seem possible. Two weeks until 2009. In 3 days my parent will have been married for 28 years. My babies will be 3 months and 16 months. Time goes way too fast. Can you believe I'll be celebrating my 3rd wedding anniversary in 1 1/2 months?

My weekly Wal Mart trip is tomorrow. That's always an exciting event. It's a lot of fun to see how miserly I can be with my grocery shopping. $26 is my record. I save my receipts and make a game of how much I can drop my monthly expenses. I keep a neat, nerdy little notebook of all my weekly spending. Yes, I am a homeschooler.

I LOVE JOHNNY!!

Cotton Carnage

My traumatizing moment of the week took place a couple days ago and I finally have time to share it with you, my beloved readers. The saddest part of this story is the fact that it took my frazzled, baby-diminished brain to even notice the carnage right before my eyes. I could have infected my entire family with the plague.
The story begins calmly enough; I was preparing dinner for my dear family. Dinner is generally prepared on autopilot as I am constantly distracted by a million other things, like laundry, hungry infants, and toddlers trying to commit homocide by tripping me every time I take a step. So, on autopilot I grabbed an oven mitt from the utensil drawer, served up plates, yelled at Zach for throwing BBQ covered meatballs on the floor, washed Zach's face, nursed the baby and attacked the mound of dinner dishes. Through all of this I didn't once notice the pile of death in my kitchen drawer. It wasn't until I wiped down the counters and opened the drawer to put away the oven mitt that I saw it: It was a mouse. A dead mouse. A dead mouse lieing on a mound of cotton. A dead mouse lieing on a mound of cotton that had exploded out its backside because it ate a hole in my oven mitt.
I was livid. I bathed the babies, whom I had carried after wearing a mitt out of this drawer, threw away everything cotton out of that drawer (mitts, hot pads, etc.), scalded all the utensils, bleached out the drawer itself, and rushed to Wal Mart to buy more traps and poison.
I thought I had eliminated the evils vermin a month ago. It's on, Devil Mice. You, your children and your children's children will suffer my wrath. There will be no mercy and I will take no prisoners. It is ON.

On an equally unpleasant note, we will have a high of -5 on Sunday.

I want to go home and go to the beach.

I hate this state. Who decided to admit it to the Union anyway? Retards.

Thank you, childbirth

Upon looking at detailed clothing size charts I now realize why my clothes just don't seem to fit right.
I have a size 0 waist, size 2 hips, & (drum roll please) a flippin' size 8 bust!
That would explain why my fitted shirts are too short. Granted, I would look amazing in a swimsuit right now, but that doesn't really help me in Wyoming in December. I can't wait to stop breastfeeding!

Oh, Christmas Tree

Johnny and his dad braved the elements yesterday to go into the mountains and cut a Christmas tree. They certainly found a winner. It sits in my in-laws living room cheerily brightening the room and usurping the corner where the entire stuffed body of Igor, the very dead mountain sheep once occupied. Thank God.
I got to decorate the tree, which is one of my favorite parts of Christmas. We don't have a tree at our house this year because the last thing I need is an entire tree full of sticky sap and breakable baubles dangling right at Zachary's fingertips.
It's snowing today, and quite cold. I've felt overwhelmingly busy today and I still have to work on a Christmas present, fold laundry, cook dinner and go to the gym. I only have time to write now because I'm doing it one-handed while Gabriel nurses and Zach naps.
I've been able to snatch some time here and there to read a horrifying yet fascinating book. It's called "Infidel" and is written by Aayan Hirsi Ali. It describes her life growing up as a Muslim woman in Somalia, Saudi Arabia, and Kenya. It is not for the faint of heart. The most horrifying part is the detailed description of female circumcision and sewing. I nearly vomited. But this book will certainly make you appreciate being a Christian in America.
I have a surprise cooked up for Johnny next Friday. Can't wait!

He Does Not Come in Peace

As I sit bed, nursing Gabriel and recovering from Zach's first real tantrum, I recall Johnny's joking analysis of our oldest child's head size, "I come in peace!" It may be funny, but this morning it was certainly not true. Zach literally screamed for 20 minutes straight. Not only did he scream, he kicked, struggled, and thrashed around so much that he smacked his head on a stair. Why? Because I forbade him to play with the TV remote, he got angry and hit his brother, got spanked for hitting his brother and the drama began.

I am exhausted. Thank God for naptime.

On a happier note, the boys had wonderful check-ups yesterday. Although healthy as a horse, poor little Zachy only weighs 20 lbs. That lands him in the 3rd percentile for weight, but he landed a strapping 74th percentile for head size.
Gabriel grew 2 1/2" coming out to 22 inches. What a man! He also weighs 9 lbs. 13 oz. He's growing like a weed.

That's all for now...gotta grab a quick shower while the rascals nap.