Welcome Home! Your laundry room has missed you...

Yuck.  Laundry is like a bad habit.  Just when you think you have it under control, it sneaks up on you.  I think it is laughing behind my back the entire time.  Or you know in the movies when they foreshadow?    "Crystal thinks she is all caught up on everything - HA HA HA - but what she doesn't know is that her nightmare is just beginning..."  

OK - it really wouldn't be THAT dramatic.  But, its funny to think about.  While we were gone to Hotter 'n Hell (Jeff's 100 mile bike ride in Wichata Falls, TX), Aunt Joyce & I decided that if we had someone standing on our sidelines, ringing bells & yelling for us - we would be so inspired & get so much more done.  Just imagine, "Come on Crystal - one more suitcase to unpack - you can do it!  Way to go!"  Well, now that I think about it, my mom used to kind of do that when I was a teenager & it made me want to slap her.  (Sorry mom)  

So we get home, I immediately come in, use the bathroom, then proceed to dump our suitcase worth of wet, sweaty clothes in the washer.  When the girls get home, they are mildly excited to see us.  Lauren runs & hugs me & tells me she missed me so much.  Jaci is slightly less excited.  We've only been gone since Wednesday - so a few more days would have done her good.  ha ha 

So - I'm in the middle of getting my to-do list together:

Laundry - check

Bath for the girls - check

Wash Jaci's hair - put off till tomorrow

Grocery store - put off till tomorrow

So as I'm heating dinner up for the girls (pizza that Gary left over), I hear the sweetest sound in the world, or at least the sweetest question - 

"Mom - can I PLEASE make Lauren's lunch for tomorrow?"  Um - excuse me???  You can make Lauren's lunch every day if you want sweetheart!  Its a well-known fact that I hate making lunches, don't try to analyze - there is no rhyme or reason to my madness.  I will say that its a tiny chore that Jeff & I both hate.  Jaci is growing up so much - I love that she can read on the lunch calendar & see that its corn dog day & she already knows she can buy her lunch tomorrow.

So - I'm looking for Lauren's new lunch box - and where else would it be?  Ah - right where it should be - hanging on Jaci's "classroom" backpack rack, which happens to double as my cross-wall in the living room.  See how Hello Kitty hangs right next to Abby Cadabby?

I crack up & think its good to be home. 

 Gotta get - Lauren is yelling, wanting to know why Jaci is wearing a bra & she doesn't have one.  Oh Lord...

 

1st Grade

First Day of School. Ugh. Now it is officially back to packing lunches, uniforms, waking up extra early, you get the idea. Jaci was mildly excited. She got the teacher she wanted, Mrs. Coleman & she has lots of friends from last year in her class. There is a huge difference between last year & this year. She has grown 3 inches & went from wearing 5s to 7/8. She didn't even want me to walk in with her this morning - just drop her off! I said no way & took her in anyway. My baby is growing up!

ha ha  Jaci insists they have to button all of their buttons up.  Surely not.  I couldn't do that - just looking at her shirt makes me feel like I'm choking!  She also won't wear a belt (even though they are supposed to).  She says its too much to mess with when she has to go to the bathroom.  I'm with her there!  She actually let me french braid her hair this morning.  But as of tomorrow - she will go back to being the pony tail princess.

I'm at home with Lauren this morning.  (She was sad that her school didn't start today - me too!)  We took Jaci to school, then went down Snake Hill to get a donut.  But I forgot they are closed on Mondays!  Lauren said, "Thats ok mommy!"  She has busied herself cutting & gluing paper.  I swear, she could entertain herself for a long time with a glue stick.  We've also done puzzles & played school.  She is watching Diego right now.  Nancy is going to keep her this afternoon, so I'll go in to work then.  

Hope everyone gets back into the swing of things very easily.  Be Sweet!

 

We love the Bolympics!

This just in:  Lauren is the newest fan of the "bolympics."  

I had been working on a longer blog about our crazy evening, but I've been interrupted too many times to continue.  Maybe I'll post it later - maybe not.

Tonight, Jaci was in 'teen pop' mode.  She came out of her room wearing shorts, a purple (training) bra & arm warmers.  Is that what they are called?  Like the leg warmer things that you wear on your arm?  Well - YOU don't wear them & I don't wear them, but you catch my drift.  She was on the couch watching the Teen Choice Awards that I had recorded for her while she was gone.

Lauren had been in our room watching the Olympics with Jeff.  She came running in to the living room & said to Jaci, "Jace - you won't BELIEVE this!  These girls are diving in the water!"  Jaci was so non-chalant (how the heck do you spell that?) and said, "Yeah - I've already seen that when I was in Louisiana."  So Jaci goes back to her teen choice awards & Lauren starts crying.  She is pouting saying that Jaci is being "so rude" & their "bathing suits are beautiful."  So we ended up with a compromise & made Jaci watch the diving part with us (which she totally loved).  Lauren was running around jumping off the couch saying she was diving.  

You never know, she might be an olympic hopeful some day - well, a bolymic hopeful...  

This is the perfect day ever!

According to Lauren, that is.  What does it take to be a perfect day for a 3 year old?  Ironically, I had just been thinking that this has been a perfect day.  Or as perfect as it can get without Publishers Clearing House showing up on my doorstep.

After work, I picked Lauren up from Nancy's.  I was a little late because I passed my old neighbor, Lara, outside & had to go see her twins.  They are already 1 & anytime I think I have it rough, I will reconsider because of her.  Anyway - on the way home, I told Lauren that tomorrow is Saturday.  

Me:  Lauren, you know what tomorrow is?

LG: Yes (her standard answer rather she knows the answer to the question or not)

Me:  Tomorrow is SATURDAY!  You know what that means?

LG:  Yes - what?

Me:  It means I get to stay home all day with you tomorrow?

LG:  ALL DAY?

Me:  Yes!

LG:  (squealing with excitement) YEAH!

We got home & I remembered that our neighbor is having a birthday party for their granddaughter - I forgot to RSVP.  So I call & tell them Jaci is in Louisiana with her grandma & she'll be sad that she missed it.  When I was giving Lauren a bath, I heard lots of noise outside & peeked out the window.  There are about 15 kids about 6 feet from my house in a huge blow-up pool.  They are having a time & all I'm thinking is 'I hope they don't plan on leaving that pool up!'

So I thought I'd be a cool bloggin' momma & type this while Lauren was in the tub.  So I'm sitting on the toilet thinking how great this is working out.  But then she has to poop - so I get her out of the tub, she does her business, etc. & I stick her back in the tub.  I resume my blogging & she resumes making a gigantic mess in the bathroom.  Finally - I decide its not such a good idea & put the computer away.  This is Jeff's beloved Mac Book Pro & I'm pretty sure he would kill me if it gets wet.  So even though a good 1/2 hour passed between paragraphs - I wasn't lolly-gagging.  Just bloggy-gagging.  haha  I'm so lame.  But I might need to trademark that word.

OK - stay on track Crys.  

Before the bath - we had a great dinner.  Lauren helped me 'paint' butter on the shrimp & sprinkle spices, then we broiled it.  Not bad at all for a last minute dinner.  Then we had watermelon from Charity & Justin's garden.  Lauren had juice all over everywhere - from the top of her head, down to her waist.  I was just wishing Grandpa Haney was here.  She kept putting seeds in her mouth just so she could spit them out.

Jaci called me today, just to ask what her email address was - her & Emily were signing up for a neopets website or something.  She said she is having a great time & she has another loose tooth.  She noticed it was loose while she was eating a sausage biscuit that JoBeth made her.  She has really bad luck with sausage biscuits - she was eating one at McDonald's with Unk when she noticed her first loose tooth - and he pulled it that day.  I told her she should go ahead and let Choo Choo pull it.  JoBeth told her when you loose a tooth on vacation, the tooth fairy leaves you double the money.

KK & Unk left today for their 2 week Baltic Sea cruise.  Charity is in Boston.  Jaci, JoBeth & crew are in New Orleans.  We are a traveling bunch!  

Hope y'all have a perfect day ever too.  Be sweet!

A night in the life of the Holsteds

Well, after my zombie-day yesterday - I was surprised that my evening turned out pretty good. Well, as good as it can be with 2 stinky dogs causing me to leave work early & Lauren pooping in her pants & trying to wipe herself & getting poo all the way up to her belly button.

We had dinner last night at the in-laws & in the middle of dinner is when the 'accident' occurred. She was finished eating & in the play room. I hear her call for me - I tell her I'll be there when I get finished eating. Then she yells, "But mom - theres poop in my panties!" Let me tell ya - that will get a mother up fast... I ended up having to stick her in the bathtub. There is nothing like having to clean up poo in the middle of dinner - and every mother that reads this will shake their head & agree with me.

Since Jaci is gone on a trip with DoDo & Choo Choo - Lauren has been enjoying having all my attention. So - I told her last night that she could fall asleep in my bed & I would put her in her bed after she fell asleep. This is something we let Jaci do on a semi-regular basis. But it was Lauren's first time. Now don't think I'm being unfair - Lauren just likes her bed. Anyway - when I told her she could lay down with me - she got so excited. She pulled the covers up to her chin & said, "Mommy - this is SO comfortable!" That brought back lots of memories. My parents bed was the place I got the best sleep. I was always comfortable, the room was cool & I NEVER had bad dreams in their bed. Since there were 2 of us - sleeping with mom & dad only happened on special occasions. Bless their hearts - I can imagine having 2 Laurens & instead of having 1 toe in my belly button - having 2 toes there. Instead of one slap in the face - two slaps - you get the picture.

Well, it will be a while before I let Lauren do that again. After I put her in her bed, she woke up at 11:30, saying she needed to pee. 1:00 asking me to rock her. At 2 I got up to take some meds for a headache. At 3 she woke up again - I made Jeff get up, but she was crying for me. Finally - I go in to her room & she wants me to lay down with her. She has a twin bed, so I suggested going to sleep in Jaci's bed for the rest of the night. After I pulled the covers back - Lauren said, "Jaci doesn't want me to sleep on her sheets." I said, "Who cares - get in bed, close your eyes & mouth & go to sleep." She must have known I meant business because she did just that.

But then I couldn't go to sleep. Jaci can sleep through anything - including our loud house alarm going off. So I wasn't surprised that her stupid window thing clinks like crazy when the fan is on. It has about 10 strips of plastic circles hanging in front of her window. It drove me nuts - I finally got back up and tried to position her Littlest Pet Shop window box in front of it to stop the clink.

This morning when Jeff came in at 6:45 & said he was leaving - Lauren was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. Not me. But strangely - I feel more awake after last night, than I did with my 10+ hours the other night. The human body is strange.

I'd better get busy with my day. I did make my list yesterday of the 7 things on it - I crossed off 5 - so not too bad.

A rebellious brain

My brain is rebelling today. It's in a zombie-like state & doesn't seem to care. (No more lame zombie jokes, Jeff! lol ) I'm trying to force myself to get organized & motivated to do all the things that need to be done today. But instead, I've dealt with interruptions all morning. I've been here 2 1/2 hours & not much has been accomplished. When I walked in to work:
-The ceiling is still leaking
- Crystal, my hearing reporter didn't show up
- Crystal, the security guard didn't show up
- Crystal, do you have a number for...
- Crystal, do we have any batteries
- Crystal - where are those green routing slips?
- Crystal - I've made a mistake with these invoices, which one is right & which one do I delete?
In addition to my phone ringing off the hook - who is going to keep Lauren tomorrow, she won't go poop, how am I going to get her this afternoon, etc.

I wish I knew how to turn my phone off for inside-calls only. It has a different ring for the internal calls, maybe I just won't answer it.

I went to bed last night at 8 & was out around 8:45 - I should feel refreshed, but noooo.... Even the delicious maple tea I got from Courtney wasn't enough to wake me up. I feel like I could stare off into space all day.

My only solution is to make a list. Only because I love crossing things off of one. I keep thinking of the Bible verse that says something about 'the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." Yep - that sums me up. My flesh wants to go back to bed.

I never thought it would come to this... 2nd try

After all, I'm the one who resisted Myspace & Facebook because I didn't have anything interesting to say. And who knows, I still may not have anything interesting to say! I stole this idea from Crystal Pie & her Holsted Boyz blog.

We've had a very busy weekend & it has hit me that summer is pretty much over. Saturday Jaci & I got up, got our junky clothes on, grabbed a rake & a few brooms & headed to her school for the playground clean-up day. Except - in classic-Crystal-style... it was the wrong Saturday. Oops. I hope this is one of those its-the-thought-that-counts things, because I can't go next Saturday.

But - Jaci & I made the best of it. We had already dropped Lauren off at Granny C's - so we went to a few yard sales, then for breakfast at McDonald's. The yard sales were a bust, except for 2 things. 1) I ran into my old neighbor, Lara. 2) I picked up a brand new cranium game for $5.

Later in the afternoon, after Jeff got home from his bike ride, Jaci & I set out to uniform shop. UGH. Last year, at the beginning of kindergarten, Jaci wore a 5 & they were still a little big in the waist. Now - she has outgrown everything. I was hoping at least a few shirts would still work, but they only come to her belly button. The uniforms we got were a size 8! But, this is another area where I'm glad I have another girl - Lauren will be set for life on uniforms.

Jaci & I went to Savers - oh how I love that store. We were there for about 2 1/2 hours. WHY? Because I had a coupon - 'spend $100, get $50 off.' Do you know how hard it is to spend $100 on clothes at Savers? For those who don't know what it is - imagine a clean, well-organized yard sale. All the clothes are donated, so you never know what you will get. This is what we ended up with:

Jaci-
7 shirts
1 pair of shorts

Me-
3 skirts
6 tops
1 pair of shorts
1 pair of Lucky jeans ($4)
1 Ralph Lauren sundress ($7.50)
3 large hot pink storage totes

All for the bargain price of $60!

After Savers, Jaci & I went to KFC/Long John Silvers, then on to the uniform store where I spent $109 on 2 pairs of capri pants, 6 shirts & 1 jumper. Then we went to Target to get school supplies. We were both so exhausted by the time we got home.

Jaci leaves tomorrow to go w/ JoBeth & Choo Choo to Louisiana till next Sunday or Monday. She is so excited because they are driving over to Memphis & riding the train.

OK - well, mommy-duty calls. Lauren wants her Hello Kitty 'lunch thingie' so I'd better find it. This ends my trial run. Which I guess ended up more of a commercial for Savers than anything.

I'll end with what I always tell my girls - Be sweet!