Some things don't change

I am counting down the days till school starts! Sarah starts on September 2nd, and Kate starts kindergarten one week later. So, in honor of the two girls I love, but am slightly tired of this summer (sounds meaner than it is), I would like to dedicate this post to a couple of funny things they said over the weekend.

I love the olympics, and I've been parked on my bed watching them all week. It's something I've enjoyed ever since the 1984 olympics in LA when Mary Lou got a perfect 10. (Aside) What the heck? What have they done with the perfect 10 anyway? 15's? 16's? How am I supposed to know how good they're doing? Scandalous. Anyway, so I'm parked on my bed . . . . (the tv in the living room suddenly stopped working 2 days ago. Time for the flat screen!). Kate comes running in my room with her blanket and a smile on her face. "Hey mom, can I sit and watch with you and Abigail?" I thought it would be a perfect opportunity for a little "middle child" time. As she plopped down beside me, she bonked her head on the wall. I asked her if she was ok, and she said, "my head is sensitive to walls." Yep. And my toes are sensitive to bricks. My nose is sensitive to punches. My fingers are sensitive to car doors. My legs are sensitive to dog bites. That girl makes me laugh.

Then Sarah made it even funnier! Later that night, I was sharing Kate's funny with Neal and Sarah. Sarah impressed us all with her quick wit when she said, "Yeah, and Dad's head is sensitive to hair!" Good one Sarah. Good one.

On another note, Kate has learned what the f-word is. Don't worry. She's not saying it. But, she learned that flipping the birdie meant the same thing as the f-word. Well, occasionally I've been catching her practicing. It's when she's all by herself, she'll just practice putting the middle finger straight up in the air. When I call her on it, she just says, "I was doing the peace sign! I promise!" She even tried doing it with her toes! She reminds me of myself. Pretty scary. Well, Kate figured out that when babies are asleep, their little fingers are very relaxed and pliable. You guessed it. I hear Sarah yell, "MOM! Kate's making Abby flip the birdie!" To which Kate replies, "I was making her do the peace sign! I promise!" Pretty offensive peace sign if you ask me.

Once upon a time . . . .

Once upon a time, instead of blogging at 4:30, I was making dinner. A dinner that was planned out on my weekly shopping trip, which I dutifully took every Monday morning. Well, it's Thursday now, and it's been weeks since I've had an actual shopping trip with a list. Now, it's 4:30, I have no idea what we're having for dinner, it's dang hot out so I don't want to go to the store in the afternoon. That's when all the northeast salem loverlies come out to play. Actually, they're all around at any time of day, but it seems to be worse the later it gets. Neal and I were at the Winco a few Saturdays back and witnessed a fight in the parking lot between two lovely ladies who have probably seen the back of a police car more than once.

Last night for mutual, we met early and headed up to Silver Falls State Park for a hike. It was so nice to get out and get moving! It felt so good to actually use my muscles and get my heart rate up. Ahhhhh, I've missed exercise. My hips hurt like the devil today, but maybe they're just falling back into place after the baby. Probably not. They seem to get a little more "motherly" with each kid. I just need to figure out a time when I can get back into the old gym routine. Somehow my old routine of spinning at 5:45 am doesn't seem possible on the sleep I'm getting. But the a.m. workout is the only one I can consistently stick with. If I don't get it done before the day starts, I just don't get it done. If Abby makes like her two sisters, she should give me a 6 hour sleep stretch at about 6 weeks. That's only one and a half more weeks! We'll see, but somehow I don't think it's going to happen. I'd better figure out the exercise routine before I need to start training for the marathon in June!

Good times

I was taking a picture of the baby (I do that a lot these days), and my memory card said it was full. "Hmmmm." I thought. " I don't remember taking that many pictures." Apparently I didn't. Kate got a hold of the camera and filled it up with all sorts of random. It's pretty entertaining to see what she snapped. Here's just a sampling. It looks like Sarah was pretty bugged at the photographer. She looks like a star who's fed-up with the paparazzi and is about to get charged with battery.








We had a good trip to Idaho last weekend. Unfortunately it was for a funeral, but we made the most of it. On the way, we stopped in Boardman, Oregon and ate at a "roach coach." It was really good. Just a little - ok, alot - dingy. I kept thinking, "I hope we don't get sick!" We made memories though. On the way back, we paced Neal's parents in their 18 wheeler. It was great because Sarah and Kate rode with them in the giant sleeper with a kitchen and bathroom, and Neal and I got peace and quiet with a sleeping baby. Abigail slept the entire time, both there and back! It was heaven.












The baby is growing like a weed!! I can't believe she's 4 weeks old today. Wow. I think she's twice her size (she seems like it anyway). Yesterday we ventured back to church for the first time. I forgot what it was like to spend the entire time out in the lobby. I also forgot how comfy the chairs are out there. What have I been missing these last few years? Boy, there's a whole lot of stuff I've forgotten about being a new parent.

SERENITY NOW!!!

Dang sista! I swear I'm going to lose my mind! Is it the 3rd kid, or my age, or the fact that I'm a control freak and had EVERYTHING under control unto the Abs was born? Now I have NO control. I swear, if I don't find my "new normal," I just might be committed.

Luckily I have a great husband who is picking up the slack and smiling at me in a loving way when I look at him with my crazy eyes. And, luckily school starts soon for Sarah and Kate. And, luckily little Abby is dang cute and smells like heaven. Except when she poops on my bed in the middle of the night.