Today in Numbers

Seven:  The number of lights I had to turn off this morning after the girls ran out the door for the bus.  Am thinking of getting neon colored light switches for all rooms.  Do they make those?  It seems like I should know this.

One:  The number of times King has been to Lowes today.  Which is way less than any of the previous four days, so we're making progress. 

Four:  Major things that must still be done in the kitchen.  Back splash tile (tiler comes today--yay!), wire garbage disposal and change out outlets and switches to white (which is why I should know what other colors are available--I only spent 15 minutes in that isle trying to decide what color the outlets now installed at the end of my counter should be), put in microwave(sometime after the tile), and the floor (which may be a while.  King is pretty much maxed out on the stress level for the moment.  I'm thinking we'll wait a month for his sanity to return or save so we can pay someone to lay the floor.  King is, after all, a college professor, and not a kitchen making expert and has other work to do.  Poor guy, the timing for all this has been atrocious for his sanity.)

Two:  The number of rolls of toilet paper sitting on the girls' bathroom counter.  Any guesses as to what is on that toilet paper holder?  Yep, an empty roll.  Time for (another) lesson on how to change that roll.

Eight:  The number of days Cinderella has managed to get up in time to be ready for early morning seminary.  We won't count the one time she slept through her alarm since the first day of school she got up at 12:30 a.m. and 5:30 a.m.  I'm so proud of her for being such a trooper while I slumber in my bed.  She even gives us a "ten minutes until you have to get up and drive me" wake-up call.

Three:  The number of baskets of clean laundry I should be folding instead of writing this post.

Seven:  The number of days until King leaves to see the Ole' Miss and BYU football game in Mississippi.  He's so excited, and I'm glad he'll have a chance to get away.

Fourteen:  The number of days until I leave to see my friend Lindsay in New York and then go on a cruise to Northern New England and Canada with my parents.  (I should tell you the story of how I managed to be able to invite myself on this cruise sometime.  Or how I was talked into going, really.) I am very excited.  Am I the only one that feels like poor King got the short end of the stick in the September vacation department?  Poor guy.  He's the BEST.

Two:  The number of pain pills I have already taken this morning.  Which is sort of my max for today, and it's 11 a.m.  Yikes.  I've had a pretty good streak on the headache scale as of late, but, the last two days?  Not so much.  Ugh.  I think it always hurts worse when you've had it good for a while, doesn't it?

A Bazillion:  The number of times I have thanked Heavenly Father in the last few days for the blessings He's blessed me with.  So many blessings.  But forefront on my mind this second--the opportunity to have the resources to finally fix our kitchen, the wonderful husband I have, and the three awesome brothers and dad who have limitless amounts of knowledge when it comes to all of the electrical and plumbing questions we've had.  Take for instance...

Five:  The number of times I called my brother Nate yesterday from under my kitchen sink so he could help me with plumbing.  No joke.  He's awesome.  He didn't even think I was stupid (even though I am when it comes to Teflon and Pipe Dope(that's not a drug) ) and he is so smart.  And nice.  And even called our plumbing supply place in town to see if they carried stuff we needed. 

Twenty-seven:  The number of minutes I have been typing instead of working.  Must get to those baskets of laundry and possibly move the kitchen from the living room back into the kitchen.  But, wouldn't want to rush into something like that, now, would I?  I mean, it's been so fun running from room to room trying to find utensils to make dinner.  

Word of Advice

Don't remodel your kitchen the first week of school.  And the first week your husband needs to go back to work after working from home all summer. 

The cabinets are in, and they look great.  The counter is in, and it looks great.  The dishwasher also looks lovely, but does not work yet.  It's not that we don't love the results, it's that it is taking too long to get results.  Today marks one week since we have had an oven, stove, or water in our kitchen, and it looks like it's going to be at least a couple of more days until the water is working correctly. 

Cinderella thinks our house smells like Lowes.  It should, we've got half the store here, it feels like. Speaking of, if you'll excuse me, I must head to Lowes to pick up our back splash tile.  This better be the only time today.  If I have to go to Lowes four times today like I did yesterday, I just might scream.  

First Day

Well, by all accounts, it was a fine first day of school. 

Don't they look so grown up?!

Cinderella made it to all of her classes, wasn't late once, never got lost, and had a friend or two to eat lunch with.  She even likes a couple of her teachers.  Especially Social Studies.  She's already planning a two-week bout with pneumonia when it's time for swimming in Gym Class.  High school could grow on her, she thinks.

Snow White loves half of her teachers and can't wait to actually do a project in art.  She has lots of friends in lots of her classes and lunch hour with her best friends.  This year, for the first time, they split the grades for lunch according to the teacher you have, and she got lucky.

Sleeping Beauty misses having Snow White in her lunch hour; SB got the short end of the stick, she thinks.  She has a few friends in her lunch hour, but none of her really close friends.  She does like most of her classes, though.  Except gym.  She never likes gym, she tells me.  (Who does in middle school?  I never did.  Ick.)

One funny thing--Cinderella decided that to prepare her body for the early hour of seminary, she should get up at 5:30, even though the bus doesn't come until 8:00.  She set her alarm for 5:30, and we all went to bed.  At 12:40 a.m., I hear the girls' shower.  What in the world?  She had thought she heard her alarm and was taking her morning shower.  I checked her alarm--still set for 5:30.  I have no idea what happened.  But, she went back to bed and still got up at 5:30 and watched TV for a while to wake up.  (What is on at that hour in the morning?)  It was quite funny, and will be something to remember always about her very first day of high school. 

The girls brought home a list of supplies their teachers require that were not on the supply list we had.  So, it was off to the store to buy some binders and gym shorts, and more stuff for lunches.  Apparently, even though it's quite lame to bring your lunch to school, that is way better than eating the gross food at school.  Which is fine with me--except for the whining that there is never anything good to take for lunch. 

So, we're back to the normal grind.  Didn't take long to make it feel like business as usual. 

Ready or Not

School starts tomorrow.  The girls are ready.  I am ready.  But I am not ready.  I am looking forward to structure, some home-alone time (I need it!) and to the things the girls will learn and enjoy.  I am not looking forward to homework, deadlines, and early mornings.

This year, mornings will be earlier than ever before, despite school starting an hour later than it has in the past (8:40!)  We'll be up by 5:30, thanks to Cinderella's participation in Early Morning Seminary, a 50-minute scripture study class she will attend at 6:10 a.m.  This year they are studying the Old Testament.  I'm excited for her.  She'll learn so much and have a chance to deepen her relationship with her Savior and her testimony of the Gospel.  Thankfully, one of her teachers lives a few blocks from us and has graciously offered to take Cinderella to the church on the days she teaches.  That will make it nice for us (well, King, who (let's not pretend otherwise) will be the one to take Cinderella on the days her teacher doesn't) and our morning routine.  

In honor of our first day of school, as tradition expects, we went to our favorite ice cream place.  The girls got the same ice cream shakes they always get, even though there are one hundred choices, and we talked about the school year and the new chore schedule.  (yipee!)  It's a fun way to end the summer and kick off the new school year.

We've got school supplies and new backpacks, and much needed new shoes.  So I think tonight, after they receive special Father's Priesthood Blessings, we will be all set to go back to school.  Or they will.  I'm still not so sure.  Ready or not, here it comes. 

Freak Out Day (Just a Bit)

So, really, registering your high school girl isn't so bad.  It's pretty fun.  Unless you think about how fast the last four years have gone, and then you start to hyperventilate a little because before you know it, she will be in college.  And also you should really not look around at the other students, half of which are practically fully grown men!!!(Okay, young boys...but really big young boys!)--who will be looking at and conversing with your baby girl.  Maybe.  But hopefully not, because she is just your baby girl, right? 

Oh, and at the pediatrician today, the twins got a full explanation of how horrible warts are.  The down there kind.  Disgusting.  And traumatizing.  And a little more of an answer than they wanted when they asked what one of the shots on the list of shots to choose from was all about.  But I suppose if you ask a nurse these kinds of questions, you should be prepared for a detailed answer.  They know that now. And I'm pretty sure they are done asking questions.  Or thinking about engaging in...um...relations.  Which is just fine by me.

So I was pretty much having one of those, "Holy Toledo, how on earth did I manage to get old enough to have children who are being educated on STDs...or one in high school...or almost in college?!?!?!  I am living someone else's life, right?!"

But then the girls fought like little toddlers and acted selfish, and silly, and downright ridiculously juvenile during Family Home Evening, and all was right in the world again.

Phew. 

Content

Yikes--it's been a long time since I posted.  I guess we're just trying to enjoy the last couple of weeks of summer.  And I've been recovering from vacation.  Doesn't the recovery take about as long as the vacation?  I think so.

I had a great time in Utah.  I saw some extended family and friends, but the bulk of the time was spent with my sisters and parents.  Which was nice.  

My niece, showing off her new posing skills.

My nephews, holding still just barely long enough for a picture.

My brother, holding his baby girl.

After our trip to the BYU Bookstore

It was perfect, actually.  Now that I think about it, I had no energy for anything else.  And, while I would have loved to see more family and friends, it was nice to enjoy the time I had with my family. 

I just wish I lived closer to them. 

Ah, well.  Life goes on.  We are blessed to live in a place we love and to have a secure job and wonderful church family.  And unlimited long distance so I can call my family.  :)

Well, I'm off to check on the girls at the pool.  Have I said buying a pool membership was the best money ever spent?  I have?  Well, it's worth repeating.  Best.  Investment. Ever. 

You all have a good week!