Nice Week

You know how moms say, 'If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all.'?  Perhaps that could account for the reason I haven't blogged the last week.

Or probably not, since this blog typically leans to the sarcastic/cynical side anyway.  Perhaps it's just laziness on my part.  Or busyness.  Or neglect.  Or winter stinks and, for the love of peppermint hot chocolate, can't it just end already?! (Okay, that didn't have anything to do with not blogging, I just had to get it off my chest.)

So, let's have a little run-down of events of the past few days, shall we?

• Cinderella had her double ear infections.  And continued to have a cold and act like a bear for a week.  (Was it the ear infections, or is she just 14? was my constant question.)  She bravely stuck through a week of school but visited the Nurse's office at least once a day.
• Other school/bus issues that won't be detailed at this time, but can I just say, Can't kids just be nice?!
• We went to a nice New Beginnings program, that introduced Personal Progress to SW and SB.  They are excited to get started, and I am excited to watch them learn and grow in their relationships with the Savior. What an inspired program!
• We got six inches of snow and school was canceled on Friday.  Again.  Since the last time we had no school for a week, I was pretty much bedridden, I promised the girls that I would take them somewhere.  We went to lunch and the mall with a friend, and had a good time.  (We left the bear home, she didn't want to go.  I'll pretend I wasn't relieved.)
• Saturday, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty had an all day choir convention.   But Cinderella felt too lousy to go, and King felt too lousy to go to the concert, so Snow White and I went to watch Sleeping Beauty and had a fun time.  The twins both loved seeing their former music teachers and principals and it was a lovely concert.  They always do such a great job.  And then we spent nearly $20 for dinner at Steak and Shake.  Blech.  Why do I ever go there?  (I'll give you a hint: Mint Oreo Shakes.) 
• Sunday, King and Sleeping Beauty stayed home from church--they were sick.  SB could barely talk after her long day of singing.
• We had a really fun thunder and lightening storm all night long that left us not only sleep-deprived, but with new lakefront property.  And no school.  Again.  It's fun to live on the lake, but it would be more fun if we had a boat, and if it were summer.  Fortunately, we won't have to see how much fun summer on the lake really would be, as our lake has pretty much receded and we can now drive out of our driveway without wondering if we will drown. 
• King, Sleeping Beauty, and Cinderella braved the driveway lake driving to make it to the doctor, where they found that King had a nasty sinus infection, Cinderella still had ear infections, and Sleeping Beauty had bronchitis.  Since I woke with a monster headache that day, poor Snow White sort of held down the fort and kept putting movies in for everyone to watch, and making sure everyone got the correct antibiotics.  It was a blessing we didn't have school so they could all get some rest.  
• Cinderella came home from school today announcing that she was dreading this year's State Standardized Testing, since one of her teachers told the whole 8th grade that Cinderella had the highest score in the entire school on two of the subjects last year, and how is she supposed to improve on that score?  Too much pressure, she thinks.  I think the pressure might be good for her. 
• I had lunch a couple of times with good friends.  Doesn't time with a good friend make all the other hours of tedium so much easier?
• A laundry monster exploded out of the laundry room and into the dining room.  I'm not really sure why I mention this, as this is not an occurrence specific to this week.  It happens all of the time.  (I think maybe when I typed 'tedium' above, my brain went straight to laundry?)
• Speaking of laundry, I bought my 14-year-old a "dry clean only" dress.  What is wrong with me?!  I don't even buy those for me.  (I'll tell you what is wrong with me:  I have chronic migraines and when I was shopping, I wanted to be home in bed, instead of trying on dresses and carefully reading tags.)  So, now she's not allowed to wear the dress so I won't have to pay to clean it. :)

And that is pretty much our week.  I am wondering if I should have gone the 'don't say anything at all' route.  It certainly would have been much easier on you, dear reader.  Well, to make up for all of the useless drivel, how about a nice quote?  We all have a bright (if still laundry filled) future!

     "The reason I am so confident about your ability to find a bright future in the midst of a challenging world isn’t because I know each of you individually, but because I know that the Lord lives and loves us. He is the real reason each of us has a bright future. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (see Philippians 4:13). Because we are children of our Heavenly Father and because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, I know our futures are bright.

     "Yes, we live in challenging times, but so did Mary, Moroni, and Joseph Smith. We don’t have to be carried along in the current of the times.

     "I know that the Lord lives and loves us. He is the real reason each of us has a bright future."  Paul V. Johnson, "Make Yours a Great Life", Ensign, Jan. 2011, 38–40