I got started late this morning.  I meet the sister in law 4 days a week to run/walk.  5:45 always comes too early, no matter what time I go to bed.  I walked across the house to pee in the guest bathroom, so I wouldn't wake the baby, open the door, out runs the dog, turn on the light, and there's 3 piles of poop and one of them I just smeared across the floor with the bottom of the door.... oh, and I'm standing in a streak of it.  I go to make a cup of coffee with one sock on, and the coffee maker didn't make this morning.  But, when my husband woke up and cleaned up all the poop, my day instantly got better... and it's been good ever since.  The kids slept in.  The baby is already down for her first nap.  It's going to be in the high 70's and I've figured out a way to pin my bangs so that you can't tell I have bangs. 

My sister in law made me tear up this morning.  We've been having an ongoing discussion about the fear most people have of praying in front of people.  We both suffer from it, but really want to over come it.  She attends a weekly biblestudy with some ladies.  I guess someone different prays every week, and none of them want to.  So last night was her turn and she had knots in her stomach all night and can't even remember what the study was about.  It came time to pray, and she told those ladies how afraid she was and that she thought they all should take turns praying one after the other.  So not only did she face her fears, she took all the women in her group by the hand and helped them face theirs and also helped them step out for God.  God  has done such amazing things in her in the last year or so.  I am so excited to see what's next for her. 

I have a new food processor.  I don't know why I thought I needed one.  Oh, that's right, someone I know got one, so..... I'm working on that, ok!   I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it.  It looks amazing on the counter.  It matches my appliances.  I thought that maybe there are certain recipies that can only be made with a food processor... besides hummus.  I guess I should do some recipie research now that I've bought it. 

And there you have it.  Feel free to laugh at the gap over my left eyebrow, or at the way it totally looks like a wig. 

Oh say can you seeeeee myyyy eyes, if you can then my hairs to short!  Down to here, down to there..... 

And I'm singing again today??  Huh.  That's the song, "Hair".  Original, yes, I know.  Speaking of hair, I let my husband cut mine on sunday.  Oh yes I did!  Why in sam hill would I let my husband, who is a contractor and works with big stuff like hammers and boards, do something as delicate as take scissors to my hair?  Well, that's a good question, and the answer would take way too much explaining on the complexities of my psyche, and I'm doing you a huge favor by not "going there."  The beauty of the situation is that my terrible new hair do has been a wonderful source of laughter for me and for him.  He actually busted out laughing WHILE he was cutting my bangs.  I knew then that I'd done it again-  screwed my hair all up.  But to give you an idea of how awesome my husband is, he shaved a big ole handle bar mustache and will strike a "blue steel" pose in the middle of the kitchen when I least expect it.  (Blue steel is a reference to the movie, "Zoolander", haven't seen it?  Well you should.)  We look like total nut jobs!!  And I'm loving it!  When I want to look normal, I throw some bobby pins in them there bangs and go about my day!  The whole point was to cover my aging forehead (yes I know tanning causes wrinkles and if I didn't lay in the sun I could still have a smoother and younger looking forehead, but why would I want to look old and pale when I'm young, just to look young and pale when I'm old?) .  So I cut my hair and pin it back with bobby pins.....  because I think it makes me look younger:)

Monday, Monday, la la, la la la la, can't trust that day, la, la, la ,la ,la ,la.   I really like that song.  Don't know it?  Well, you should.  Now that I think about it, maybe I don't have the words right... aren't I cool... anyway, today is really good so far.  The girls have been doing their work all morning and are getting ready for a break.  Baby girl is sleeping like a log and May is upstairs watching Mickey Mouse.  I'm in the market for a strawberry jam recipie that will make you slap people.  I've found a couple on the internet, but I've never made it and I'm not sure what would work best.   Strawberries, sugar and lemon juice... it can't be that easy!!!  If it is great, but I"m sure there has to be more to it. 

My sister in law and I ran the 5k on SAturday morning and we are both still so sore.  I was so surprised at how well we did.  We had been running only 4 minutes at a time while training, but on race day, we both ran almost the entire time.... and we can barely move now.  None the less, I'm still glad we did it.  My beautiful mother in law was there.  My father in law asked me if I was putting Oct (5yr.) in kindergarten next year!!???!!  Of course I immediately go on the defense and explain that she's actually already done with kindergarten and will be starting 1st grade soon and the age requirements for public school won't allow for her to  be placed in 1st grade.  And besides, I say, I'm homeschooling April, I might as well homeschool Oct.  I'm so angry at myself for not looking him in the face and giving him a simple, No.   I could complain about this more, but I've learned a lesson, so moving on.

This cold snap can kiss my butt!  I have been enjoying the 80 degree days and sunny weather.  I've even laid out in the sun a few times (it's my face, if I want to wrinkle it so what!) .  I have concluded that I'm addicted to laying in the sun when the weather gets warm.  I've done it my whole life and I've tried to stop now that I'm in my 30's.  I can't.  I will occasionally put on sunscreen and lay out, but it feels like getting a bath with clothes on.  I have pale skin and reddish hair, so I'm not sure what I'm hoping to accomplish by tanning.  I will be tan for a couple days, then it fades to white again.  I tried spray tanning a couple years ago.  I liked it pretty good.  But, I look back at some pictures I have of myself, and it's hilarious!  Even my lips are tan.  The worst thing is that no one told me how crazy I looked.  I looked like the old lady in "There's Something about Mary".  I'm not kidding.  I also noticed that my armpits would be super white compared to the rest of my body.  I should try and post a pic.  Maybe I'll do that.  Anyway, now that the weather is cold all week, I'm back to my winter recipies for one more week.  I'll make chilli and maybe put on a roast later this week.  I have chicken thighs laid out for tonight.  I wish I had some frozen dumplings and biscuits....

I wish I could be "radical" and not vaccinate my kids.  I can't help but have the fleeting thought that I'm witnessing the onslaught of autism as they shoot my baby up with vaccines.  One by mouth and 4 shots in the leg.  I also think that in a few years they will realize that they don't need so many and then I will kick myself for not going against the times and saying no to vaccines.  BUT, on the other hand, I'm on baby #4, and all of my other children are fine.  They've all been injected with the necessary shots that the people in charge say they need.  I dread having to turn my back and hear my daughter scream her head off as she's jabbed in the leg 4 times.  It breaks my heart.  I know the diseases she could contract would break my heart even more, so I only vent in type and save my breath for more valid complaints.

We have ball again tonight.  Mad(9yr) won her softball game last night while Oct ate some gross concession stand food and picked wedgies the whole time.  I think I'm one of those mom's who yell instructions to their kids from the sidelines.  Oh how I hate when other people do that.  I caught myself 3 different times yelling instructions to her.  Not all bad, but none the less.  Also, I'm one of the mom's that will say, "Good Job", for EVERYTHING.  One of the girls strikes out,  "Good Job!"  "That was a nice swing!"  Dropped balls, "Good Job!  Great Try!"  I feel the coach shooting me with her death ray eyeballs.  I'm aware of it and I'm working on toning it down a bit.  Work in Progress.

I don't know why I get so anxious and negative about things... the ball game was a blast.  May (3yr son) and Oct(5yr Daughter) were covered from head to toe in clay, but they played good and hard.  Because it was Sunday, no one was at the park, so it was just us.  The kids played on an empty field beside ours.  They pretended to be horses(?) and ran the bases over and over and over.  They both fell asleep on the way home. 

My husband has a contracting buisness.  He has 4 brothers and all of them have worked with him through the years.  Right now, 2 of them are working with him.  When they have too much work, he subs it out to another crew.  This crew is mostly made up of  family members from a different family.  ANyway, my sister in law, whom I LOVE, got the idea to have us play a softball game against them.  I was not really looking forward to having to hang with people I don't know and  with people who smoke and who I judge to be rough around the edges.... I'm just being honest.  It usually takes a bit for me to get the mentality that I am supposed to try to be a reflection of love for them.  For alot of people, the name of Jesus is synonomous with "judgment" and hypocrisy.  That is my fault. Actually, I just kicked my smoking habit a little over a year ago.   I give the judgment vibe all the time.  Jesus doesn't deserve to be presented in that way.  I just want to love on people and make them feel special.  I'm looking forward to developing relationships.

Well, Monday is here again.  Of course I didn't go through all of our books yesterday.  It was late afternoon when we made it home.  Chris made grilled cheese.  He can be such a domestic goddess when he wants:)  That man can hang with the best cases of OCD when it comes to organizing and cleaning.  I'm being sarcastic, so if you have OCD, cool, so does my husband.  Anyway, I'm excited to see what is in store this week.  Spring Break is over.  We have softball and t-ball tonight.  It was nice having last week off, but it's good to get back to normal.  It is freakishly quiet in my house.  I just laid the baby down, and the other 3 were just in the kitchen, but I'm thinking they have snuck upstairs to try and delay the start of work.  They try it every morning.  If they are quiet and not fighting, I usually slack and milk it for all its worth... I loves me some quiet time. 

We are packing up to go play softball.  Only 2 of my fam will be able to play, and that includes my husband.  I will be holed-up outside the fence with our other 3 children, one of whom is 2months old...and it's been raining all day.  Our son will scream the whole time for Daddy and my 5yrold daughter will complain about having to breathe.  I know it sounds like I'm complaining, but I'd be *****ing more if we stayed at home.  My poor husband... he can't win!

We did drag ourselves out of bed early enough to be dressed and at church 35 miles away by 9am.  It's shocking to most that we are able to do that.  My sexy beast of a husband is quite the task master and has some how managed to "take the power back" and whip us into shape.  He wakes us all up and weekends are his time to fix the breakfast, and I sooo love that. 

I'm looking forward to going through our stacks and stacks and stacks of homeschooling books this afternoon.  I am in need of inspiration.  I ususally need a shot in the arm 3 times a year when it comes to schooling the kids.  I've decided that next year I'm going to try a more internet based curriculum with my older daughter.  I'm tired of the deadly looks when she's not wanting to do assignments.  If the computer is telling her to do it, then I'm off the hook... right?  That's what I'm hoping for.  I know it sounds quite immature, but I'm tired of butting heads with her.  I need a year off:) 

Time to leave for the game.  I need to throw on a bra and do some breathing exercises to prepare myself for the fun I"m in store for.   We'll end up sitting in the truck watching Thomas for the millionth time which will stress my husband out because he'll feel bad for having fun while I'm in the truck and he won't have fun and I'll get hot and crank the truck , therefore killing the environment and making me feel like an ass for driving a Sherman Tank instead of a minivan....