Look, I Blogged About Bookshelf Sorting

So here is a blog post about something that should have been boring but totally wasn't (to me), and therefore might not be to tell about? Let's try.

I cleaned off some shelves! I was even crafty in the process! It probably doesn't require that many exclamation points, but I'm not sorry.

I have these old bookshelves in my room that have become a crap magnet, and they got very crammed full of books and old church class notebooks and folders, and piles of schoolwork and art that was too precious to toss (I actually have a discerning eye for that, I promise), and montreat stuff, and sheet music, and a flute, and random memories and lost buttons and extra shoelaces, and things I have been intending to frame, and all our extra Christmas cards and birth announcements from the last decade, and folders full of every portrait session each kid has ever had in their whole lives (YES REALLY, and that includes the every-month-for-the-first-year ones), and cards upon cards upon cards upon cards (I might have a card-buying problem, not that I am admitting that here or anywhere) (I really like them! And again: not sorry). And piled all on top of that were things that needed to be returned or exchanged or didn't fit in the shelves, and anyway it was driving Mark nuts, and me too, so I promised him on my summer list would be tackling its reorganization.

And I did! And it was kind of awesome! Bins and boxes! Reorganizing is fun! (This is a truth I learned from the Berenstain Bears and you all know I'm right.) (More exclamation points.)

So. Before and after pics:

Much better now, yes?

Those bins mostly hold cards. From the top left shelf, in reading order: extra envelopes, sets of boxed cards, stamps/stickers/seals/etc, monogrammed stationery, mini cards, thank you cards, cards from people who love me (in the colorful box), then random occasion cards, birthday cards, holiday greeting cards, and the bottom bins are for kiddie school and art keepsakes -- one per kid, plus an extra for my own random memories. I KNOW it's too many cards, but I love writing and sending them, and I like to have many on hand, and even though it's a little Monica/Friends/everyday/guest/fancy/fancy guest with the towels, I WILL SAY AGAIN NOT SORRY.

Anyway.

Would you like to know some of the random things I found while I was doing this? (This is what great blogging is made of right here, folks.)

My very first drivers license:

Many love notes from Marky, including a crap ton marked "par avion" from when he wrote to me in Europe (weren't we quaint and adorable? say yes).

Two binders full of letters and cards I wrote to him from Germany, which he saved and put together in what turns out to be the best memories of that semester abroad, because he is delightful like that.

This xeroxed song Another Nathan stopped me from recycling after a choir event years and years ago, because it is one of his most favorites and he wanted me to keep it, which I did, and now it makes me teary because just... read that text. Okay then.

A page I apparently made Mark write and sign one day when he said he didn't want to make out, which I'm sure was unheard of because hello, he was 19, and I knew I would want future proof that it happened:

Many many travel books. This is the previously-culled-down stack I moved into this house, and I culled it even further, because they are old and of no use to anyone any more, but some of them are too full of my memories and scribbles to throw away. Mark and I have seen many things together, these books in our backpacks, and some of them are too dear to ever part with, useless or no.

And in other bookshelf-related news, I did a craft, because I wanted a place for my special pens that is mine all mine (those with the colored caps are my beloved Stabilo pens that I always bought in Germany because I didn't know you could get them in the states, until I found them a few weeks ago in a tiny writing shop in Northfield Minnesota, OF ALL PLACES, and anyway they are special), and look! it is pretty  now!

Spraypainting the rings of mason jars and putting your own pens in there to keep them separate from writing utensils to be used by tiny humans: RECOMMEND.

This Week: The Non-Tooth Parts

Well, it has been a hell of a week around here, not just with Charlotte's tooth stuff, but my general sense of overwhelm in trying to balance a super-sad baby on top of my own three kids, while flying solo without Mark. Plus the aforementioned broken a/c. Plus the pool turned green. Plus I have been trying to get ready to go out of town myself for a week, to Montreat for another year of youth conference, which involves the usual laundry and packing, of course, but also in this case packing for Nathan's clubs/camp too, and also prepping a whole week's worth of small group sessions I will be leading twice a day. It's... a lot. My brain is spinning.

So anyway in part of my tearful overwhelmed breakdown on Monday, I passed Ali to a nanny friend for a day, and spent some solid time with just my own three kids before Charlotte's oral surgery appointment, and it was (un)surprisingly lovely.

We went to the library and all stocked up on books. We are big fans of library day around here.

We went to Starbucks and drank coffees.

We went to Zaxby's and ate lunch. In the same booth, I think, as that one fateful snowy day in February.

We took a lunch break together the next day too, and went and got groceries.

And then we spent some time another day having a good old fashioned cleaning party, where my children happily cleaned baseboards and bathrooms and y'all, I don't even know.

(I sure know how to some "time off" don't I?? HA HA NO.)

Soon, my super friend Liz (from Montreat last year!) is flying in from Utah and we are heading to our conference again for a week. We will miss Mark by a few hours (he is coming home tomorrow) but I think he might come visit us there on Monday, when he takes the girls to meet my dad for their summer visit.

There are a lot of logistics and even more lists, and I am already tired, but that will hopefully give way to re-energized soon.

Am glad to get away for a bit.

Random Spring Break Updates

I was having a conversation recently with some teenagers I know, and they were telling me about some kid they knew who got a bad grade and as punishment, since she didn't have a phone to take away, her parents took away her clothes instead. I mean, not all her clothes. Just her cute clothes. So she had to wear jeans and tennis shoes. GASP. Y'all, they were horrified. Jeans! And tennis shoes! Okay this is when I know I have moved into a mom generation because yeah, that still looks totally normal to me. But they were horrified. Appalled. Rallying the troops to bring her different shoes to borrow. They all claimed they would rather have their phones taken away than have to wear jeans! and tennis shoes! to school.

Really? Really??

Okay then. I am clearly a fuddy duddy mom, because I rock some tennis shoes with jeans frequently and without shame.

Also we canceled our cable which has nothing to do with anything except it feels like a giant weight off our shoulders. Also it means we watched the HIMYM finale live like it is still 1998 which was really fun and nostalgic with take-out and excitement and whatever, and then it sucked, and I hated the ending, and it crapped up my mood for a whole evening. Yes, a television show. You can judge me, I don't even care.

So. It is spring break this week. We have been using our staycation time for things like taking Nathan to the dentist, followed promptly by Dunkin Donuts, where Nathan ate a donut with a peep on it (SO GROSS) and drank an iced coffee, much to the judgement of the man working there (who is a little scary anyway) (but it was decaf! and FREE. shut it, dude) and the most lovely part is that we ate outside.

We also spent a morning at a bounce house place, which was very calm and chill and not overrun with children, which I loved. And Mark took the kids to the zoo which they all loved. And we had the carpets steam cleaned this morning because nothing says SPRING BREAK! when you're in your thirties like getting the carpets steam cleaned, right?

The kids were somewhat tired waiting to be allowed back inside after the floors were done. I found this picture on Mark's phone and it made me laugh:

And I found this one which made me grin, because HI BOOLER I LOVE YOUR SMILE:

Oh and also I got a haircut yesterday, which I am feeling sort of meh about, which is why there is no picture. Basically I went into it wanting some highlights, and a trim but not losing a lot of length. Instead, my hair was so super damaged, with burn spots (my hair dryer keeps igniting, which everyone is horrified when I tell them about, but simmer down, I will get a new one soon) and fried ends so high up that we ended up needing to cut off eight inches to get the damaged part (almost) gone. So yeah it is a lot shorter than I was ready for, and it is fine, I know objectively it looks normal and fine or whatever, I have had hair shorter than this many times in my adult life, but I just... wasn't prepared for it this week. I miss my long hair! I am sad! (I will be fine.)

Cleaning Closets, Costumes, and Things That Don't Have Anything to Do With Anything

Well here is some more random miscellaneous blogging, since that is apparently the mood I am in this week. 

I cleaned out Charlotte's closet on Monday (all the closets, actually) and somehow I unearthed a bin of Feelings, including the church bulletin from the day she was baptized, congratulations cards from when Anneliese was born, and a baby blanket embroidered with Nathan's name. (I am a ruthless purger, but the things I do save, I save with organization.) (All the better to make me catch my breath and try not to cry when I am cleaning closets. It's a good system.) 

I am thrilled to set aside boy clothes for Liam and girl clothes for Nick and Barbara's baby on the way (have I said they are having a baby? They are! A baby girl! SQUEE) but still, something about sorting through things for MY last baby feels... different. 

Heavy. Quiet.

But this was not meant to be a melancholy post! So! *brisk clap!* 

In sorting through hand-me-downs from Anneliese, Charlotte did find a new winter hat to obsess over. So that was cute. Maybe the old one will go away now?

we took a selfie in the closet, obviously

In other closet-finds news, I think we are all set for Halloween costumes. And by we I mean the kids, not us, because as someone who doesn't love dressing up, one of the benefits of having kids is that I can dress them up and no one accuses me of not being festive for not being in a costume myself. (Although, truthfully, I'm not really festive. Halloween is not my favorite. It interferes with my birthday! Or something. Costumes annoying blah blah whatever.) (Am a super articulate blogger today.)

Anyway Charlotte will be a skunk like her brother and sister before her. When I pulled the costume out, I saw the price tag still attached (thank you for the $5 Marshall's find, 2007 Marmie!) which means I have never washed it. Maybe I should do that. (Foreshadow alert: I probably won't.) 

And Anneliese picked out a firefighter costume (fighter-fighter!) and insisted she definitely one hundred percent wanted to be that over the racks of princesses and animals and the zillions of other things she has requested to be for Halloween over the last year (a reindeer! Actually Santa! Actually... a princess. Actually Santa Claus Cinderella.* Actually Olivia the Pig! Actually a butterfly. Actually an angry bird. Actually, actually, actually, actually a fighter-fighter!) so I turned on my Very Serious Mommy Eyes and made her swear and promise not to change her mind. And then I purchased it. And THEN (of course!) promptly found an elephant costume in her size in the closet (also from Marmie from Ashley, I remember it now). So that was a fun little crow-eating conversation. (The fighter-fighter went back to Costco. She is thrilled with the elephant. Took a nap in it. Sweated up a storm. In related news, I should probably now wash that one too.) (Foreshadow alert: I probably won't wash that one either.) 

Nathan is going to be a... (wait for it) (you will be shocked) (you will never guess)... dinosaur. Wait. You saw that coming, right? But here is an unexpectedly hella sweet twist: so, Another Nathan's mom made him a dinosaur costume circa like 1989, and said costume still not only still exists but has been shipped here from Iowa (because yes they are that kind and good) and fits our Nathan perfectly. And if you think there is anything cuter than a little boy in glasses wearing a hand-made green stegosaurus costume previously worn by someone he looks up to and adores, YOU WOULD BE WRONG.

So I am officially excited for Halloween (as excited as I ever get, anyway) and my menagerie of adorable children. 

On a related note (kind of) (well it is sort of about house organization so just go with it), Mark is super ready to refresh our fridge pics. Move old ones, add new ones, etc. And I have been meaning to forever, I even made a folder on the computer for pics that would be fun to print and put up. But I just can't make myself do it. I like how these pics have been gradually accumulated. I have come to like the cluttered homey family feel of it. (I never thought I would be this person. Good grief who am I.) 

Eh I will re-do it soon. And the new pictures will make me smile too. And probably I will love having it a little more orderly. This is a very back-burner project, til some day when I suddenly can't take it anymore and I just do it. (That day might be sooner than I think, now that I have blogged about it.)

On a completely unrelated note, Nathan came downstairs this morning clutching his favorite sweater and asking if it was cool enough to wear it, and that's apparently the story of how my six-year-old has somehow morphed into a person who gets excited for sweater weather. 

He will become the one who loves fall as much as his Uncle Brad. I see pumpkin spice lattes in his future. (Oh who am I kidding, he sneaks sips of my coffee already, now.)

Okay I have been writing this post for way too long so I will just end by saying (randomly) (because it doesn't have anything to do with anything, which, as we have established, is the theme of my blogging week) I am having to hold back my Christmas feelings already. I am more excited than I even want to admit, considering it's still October and it wasn't too many weeks ago I was giving the world a bunch of crap for forcing pumpkin beverages on me in the heat of summer. I come from a family who waited til after my parents' and sister's birthdays to put up a tree, never ever before December 12th. We don't rush it. I don't like rushing it. I don't do Christmas before December! Before Advent! Not before Thanksgiving, and definitely not before my birthday. WHAT. But, it is creeping in. The shopping ideas. The festive foods. I don't want to be sick of it when it is actually here so I am forcing it down, but... it is coming. 

*Yeah I don't know either.

And Then the Oven Caught On Fire

So I was very busy over on twitter last night (and in my text thread, even less delicately) bitching about the exhaustion of having to make food for people every few hours every day of my whole life, because I am a terrible person was inexplicably cranky for no reason:

I have had a lovely day, I really have. But I am so sick of thinking about how/when/what to feed people that I could scream.
— Erin Goettsch (@ebum1101) June 27, 2013

(An ongoing woe, not just today. "Who eats next? What will I feed them?" is a line of thinking I cannot EVER escape from and I'm OVER IT.)
— Erin Goettsch (@ebum1101) June 27, 2013

Yes, I am a full-time caregiver who is frustrated by people needing food and beverage. Yes I hear myself. I will save you the eye roll.
— Erin Goettsch (@ebum1101) June 27, 2013

And even though the twitterverse was actually sort of kind and validating (it isn't just me! everyone hates this! the never-endingness really is exhausting!), I managed to suck it up and make a dinner plan and was working on cooking it, when the oven caught on fire.

Wait wait let me say it again because I think you missed it. MY OVEN CAUGHT ON FIRE.

!!!!!

I preheated it, and then I heard a pop, and when I looked behind me the oven seemed... oddly bright. BECAUSE IT WAS ON FIRE.

I guess the heating mechanism ignited somehow. Because of grease on it? Because it is old? Because twitter bitching and karma and Jesus and something? I don't know. But it was on fire.

Oddly we never really panicked. The flames were small and totally contained in the oven, so Mark and I sort of chatted about what we should do, before we did anything. (Some of you are out there rolling your eyes at us and nodding knowingly.)

We tried turning off the oven and when it didn't die down on it own (haaa die down, in a super hot oven, we are cute), Mark busted out the fire extinguisher. Which we keep on the counter. Because amongst other adorable nerdy qualities, he puffy-heart loves safety rules. (And today I say, thank goodness.)

But even after two attempts with the fire extinguisher (yes, yes, I did take a picture on the second go), it still wouldn't quite die down, so then we did get totally nervous. Mostly about the gas line to the stove right above it. Yiiiiiikes.

Also we had cut the power to the house, and the alarm was going off, so between the noise and the dark and the sight/smell of smoke and extinguisher chemicals everywhere, we suddenly had two terrified crying children peering at us through the stair bannister.

Anyway after take three with the extinguisher, the flames were gone, and our biggest problems were the sobbing children and the layer of extinguisher foam/powder covering everything, and when I say everything I mean everything. We did a crap top of laundry, scrubbed out the cracks in the couch, washed every counter and wall and dish (of course I had left all manner of cabinets and things open, including the microwave, right now my mom is thinking CLASSIC ERIN), swept and mopped and swept and mopped, repeat times inifinity. And just when you think you have it all, you realize you have to clean out inside your toaster. Oh and mop again. And oh for the love, clean off that bottle of wine, stat.

(The kids calmed down. Nathan's Rex, who got caught in the extinguisher crossfire, emerged from the washing machine unscathed and unsmelly. But the cleaning will be in process for some time. Mark actually vacuumed out the oven a bit today. In case you didn't know that's a thing husbands do after kitchen fires. Apparently.)

The important thing is we're all safe, what could have been a disaster was very not, and Anneliese thinks Daddy is a firefighter now. Oh and also we got chinese takeout for dinner.

Loud and clear, universe. Loud and clear.

5 and 10 Things: Irritating and Impressive

So. A few weeks of bloggety hiatus. Want to know how our January is going? Let's just jump right in:

Things kinda irritating me:

1.) The broken B key on my computer makes me want a whole new laptop.
2.) Really really early mornings. Over it.
3.) Especially when they involve a three-year old who thinks chapstick is for wall art.
4.) My wheezy cough that has made it hurt to breathe for the last week.
5.) The weird weather. First I hated the mugginess, then decided it was okay and I actually liked being warm, then it got really cold and rainy and threatened heavy snow, then no real snow. Not that my sweet southern kids weren't thrilled anyway:

"Mommy mommy it snowed! Can we build a snowman?"
#northcarolina

Things kinda impressive to me:

1.) The childrens museum downtown, where we are now members (thanks Nick and Barbara)!
2.) Charlotte walking around everywhere, already.
3.) My new neon coral shoelaces, fashion inspiration from a certain predictable five-year-old. (Neon coral is maybe my new favorite thing.) (They're more neon in real life than this pic. No camera can appropriately capture the neon coral goodness.)

4.) The play set out back. Gifted by Opa and Oma, erected by Mark and a few coworkers, loved by all in this house.

5.) Rex, gifted by Another Nathan. I love anything my kid loves this much.

6.) Mark, who took all three kids to the zoo last Saturday so I could sleep off a church youth lock-in.

7.) Spicy chocolate with popping candy inside. Y'all, find this and purchase it. Stat.

8.) Target's selection of adorable winter sweaters on clearance.

9.) Birthday treats for Another Nathan. I made red cupcakes (from a mix), then our friend Macy made an awesome Iowa cake (she's super talented).

10.) Myself, for finally getting it up to blog again. Praise me and make me feel like I was missed mmmkay?

Thursday Miscellany

Eight quick takes:

1. I thought that turning Charlotte around in her car seat would help me keep her awake during our 1pm car rides to get Nathan from school. Um, it has not. (These dozes regularly ruin afternoon naptime, in case you were curious.)

2. Nathan has started packing his own lunch for school. He climbs up on a stool, makes a sandwich or bagel, gets some grapes or string cheese or applesauce or whatever else he wants to bring, fills his water bottle, and always remembers an icepak from the freezer, a spoon from the drawer, and exactly half a paper towel. He is either a control freak or he's stumbling into newfound independence (if it's the former, don't tell me). And I am either a really terrible mommy or a really awesome one (if it's the former, don't tell me).

3. I got new glasses. Tell me they are cute and trendy.

4. We got the fliers for this year's Awkward School Photos. Oh goody, now they come with a fake magazine cover. Something I've always never wanted or needed! And even if it were a good idea (it isn't), this one isn't even well done. Laugh at it with me, please.

5. Are y'all watching Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood yet? It's the newest incarnation of Mister Rogers, a re-imagining of his land of make-believe. It's sweet and smart and it will bring back memories. Tell your kids and tell your DVRs. I wouldn't lead you wrong on this, friends. Daniel Tiger is where it's at.

6. After a string of hard weeks, Anneliese is suddenly having a good one. She's sweet and kind and helpful and, well, delightful. If it manifests like this, I'm happy for her to make a liar out what I told the internet last week.

7. For anyone keeping score at home, it's been three-plus weeks and Mulch Mountain is indeed still standing strong in our front yard. Oh and it's still steaming. I don't care how much heat is generated from the wood-chipping process... that ain't right. Our mulch is creeping me out, y'all.

8. We bought our house again yesterday. Yay?

We Used to Have Trees. Now We Have Mulch.

Remember when that tree crashed in our driveway and street earlier this summer?  We finally had the other half of it removed. Along with a giant dead tree from the backyard, and a slew of giant limbs from a giant oak looming precariously over our guest house.

(Aaaaaaand I just realized I somehow don't have any pictures of the house with the tree in front of it. Really Erin? A whole year in this house and no pictures from that angle? Really? Fail. Luckily I am an excellent internet stalker, even to stalk myself, so here is the Google streetview of our house, obviously taken before the tree came down:)

And here is the house during the work:

Anyway it was quite the project. A work crew showed up at 7:30am on Wednesday and worked until dinnertime. The kids were fascinated (and a little bit terrified.)

It was loud. And grindy. And involved multiple trucks. And saws.

Ask me how I felt about all the noise. 

But the good news is... we no longer cringe with every gust of wind, that a tree is about to crash into our house or our cars or our guest house or our neighbors' house. And our backyard has enough clear space to finally put a swingset in. And the pool now has a lot more afternoon sun. (Just in time for fall! Woo hoo?)

And, thanks (?) to Mark asking them to leave us our ground-up chipped up trees, we now have... mulch. Mulch for days. For years. (We will never use all this mulch.) (Read: someone please come take this mulch.)

(Also: what's the over/under on how many weekends til Mark and Nick are over dealing with spreading all this around, one wheelbarrow at a time? Now taking bets. Winner gets to climb to the top of the mulch mountain and stake their family flag. Yknow, to class it up.)

The work in the backyard we have been wanting and needing, but y'all -- losing that beautiful tree in the front yard was painful. Painful. So because we kind of hate our new bare space, someone help us figure out to plant to replace our tree. Something that grows not-too-slowly, will be big enough to de-naked our front yard but won't get so big it's scary, and has pretty colors in the fall. No oak (too slow, too big), no boxelder (I have bug issues), no bradford pear (too stinky). Some kind of maple? Plant nerds, help us!

And I hope this is the last tree-drama blog post I ever write.

Friday the Thirteenth: Marker Edition

I've been waiting a few weeks to write this post, because it involves very naughty children who have been scheduled to visit grandparents, and I wanted said visits to still happen. But now that they are safely nestled in Huntersville (and Mark and I are safely out of town for a few days in Williamsburg - yay! and thank you!) I can safely let this go to post, without fear that they will be uninvited. Because... too late now!

HA HA SUCKAS. (Just kidding. Again, thank you.)

Um, but seriously. We had an Incident. With markers. It's exactly what you imagine it was.

One morning, Friday July 13th in case you're keeping track at home, after being upstairs in Charlotte's room, I came downstairs and found marker drawings everywhere. On the walls, on the window seat, on the window glass itself. And two very guilty-looking markered-up faces looking anywhere but at me.

I was furious. Hot angry tears, spinning in circles, almost without direction for my frustration.

First with Anneliese for coloring where she wasn't allowed (who does that? she knows better! Nathan would never do that! she's sooooo naughty!)...

Then with Nathan for giving her the markers (they both know she's not allowed to have them, and they had been put out of her reach, but apparently he can't say no when she asked for them anyway? and yes I recognize it's not fair for me to expect him to manage her rule-following BUT STILL)...

Then with Nathan again, because oh what's this? it's his preschool-scrawled name on the window. What the what! My compliant Rule Follower oldest child has this naughty streak too?

Later, after lots of deep breaths, a round of cell phone pictures (we are going to show daddy what you did!!! ugh words I never thought I'd utter) and a probably-over-their-heads lecture (daddy works hard to earn money to pay for this house and you would draw on it?? NO), I asked them why they broke the rules. Nathan bit his lip and nervously told me Anneliese did it, not him.

!!!!!!!

And then my heart shattered into a million pieces.

I know that this is something of a rite of passage -- kid steals markers, kid writes on walls, kid blames it on sibling. I know, I know, it's "normal" or whatever. I know it happens, all kids have lied to get out of trouble, and I'm not dumb enough to think this will be the last time. But to me, it's a Very Big Deal. All I could think was, MY BABY JUST LIED TO ME.

Am I raising a kid who's that scared of being punished? Am I that mean? Am I so angry that he's scared to tell me what happened?  And then, eventually, from the darker corners of my brain, what did I do to make him too scared to trust me with the truth?

(Ugh. We all have our emotional insecurities, and that's one of my worst.)

I felt blindsided and hurt and kind of... lost. He just would not admit it! Even when I told him I knew, and told him how terrible it is to lie, he stood his ground! What do you do with that? I can't make him tell me the truth!

(Come to think of it, this might be a parenting rite of passage too. I was lost, I tell you. LOST.)

In the absence of knowing what else to say or do, I got practical. Well, as practical as I ever am when I am emotional. I pulled out the magic eraser for Nathan, and some baby wipes for Anneliese, and I sat in the desk chair and cried and watched them scrub the walls. At first they complained that it wasn't coming off, and so I told them to scrub harder, and eventually they resigned themselves to it. My Miss Hannigan moment, except instead of being gleeful I was upset too.

It was a tensely quiet hour or so, just scrubbing and whimpering.

Marker babies are crying. And mean mommy is mean.

But eventually the drawings (mostly) came up, and while I was racking my brain about how to handle the lying, Nathan decided on his own to fess up, and apologize to boot. So, I guess that's a good thing? Because he admitted it on his own, and I didn't want that in itself to be met with a negative consequence, I just let the scrubbing be punishment enough. I didn't cancel his birthday party after all (yes, I was tempted, yes, I know it would've been too harsh, but I WAS LOST).

Anneliese is pretty much unfazed by most disciplinary consequences (time out? spanking? losing priveleges? eh), so I threw down the gauntlet and told her I'd take Hattie away (!) if she colored on the house again. It pained me, horribly. You don't take away a child's lovey! I know that, I do! But it's the only thing she's attached to, the only thing that matters, the only thing that would get her attention. It was my trump card and I played it. She panicked a little which told me she understood, though. I felt like a horrible mommy, but I was sending them to naptime with clean walls and a lie confession, so I thought I had handled it mostly okay?

But then the next day I found this:

and realized the horrible tearful angry scrubby whimpery morning before had been all for naught. AND I SOBBED AS IF I HAD NEVER SOBBED BEFORE.

(Know what is even more permanent than permanent marker? Pink highlighter. Which apparently I had missed in the previous day's Official Marker Roundup, oh my god fail so hard.)

The second-time offender was Anneliese (duh). And ugggggh I hated it but I had to follow through, so I made her bring me Hattie (and Jingle!) and they spent the day on the mantle in the living room. Where she could see them every time she walked through the room. Which caused lots of tears. Oh it was a terrible Hattie-free day. Lots of crying. I need something to hhhhhhug! Hattie is for to share!!

And hoo boy. I was mad at Anneliese for coloring on the couch, especially the second time, mad at her for punishing the rest of us by extending her misery at being punished, and mad at myself for being too mean, or mat at myself for feeling guilty about being too mean, or something.

Sad face. Times infinity.

But after that day, no more marker incidents. And as far as we know, no more lying. I don't really believe it's because I handled it well -- I mean, I know naughtiness will happen again, and I don't feel any better equipped with how to handle it. I still feel VERY VERY LOST.

These kids! And their dang free will!

In related, backdated news: hey mom and dad, remember that time I lost that ring under the new house and then lied about it? OH MY GOD I'M SO SORRY I PUT YOU THROUGH THAT.

Oh, and yeah Nathan and Anneliese probably won't color your houses this week. Um, good luck?

Your Tree Falls in the Street. If you Don't Blog it, Did it Really Happen?

Hey remember that night a huge ass tree fell in our front yard and blocked our driveway and part of our street, and took down a bunch of lines with it so Mark called 911 while I was kinda giggly from being tipsy on box wine? 

Yeah.

What possessed me to take these pics in complete darkness, I don't know (see: tipsy on box wine) but I'm glad I did, because after many attempts at brightening them, you can KIND OF see what happened.

from across the street, looking up our driveway

from the top of our driveway, looking at the street

the tree (and downed lines), from over the hood of Mark's car

Things to know:

1.) Everyone is fine THANK GOD. (Including house and cars.)

2.) A tree crashing in the yard is a lot louder than your daughter falling out of bed (which was our first thought about the sound, um no).

3.) Even louder than the tree falling is the sound of a truck and crew with chainsaws and wood-chippers AT TWO A.M. under the blue flashing lights of a cop car. (Still classin up the neighborhood.) 

Boxelder Nightmare

So the newest homeowner adventure we've been battling recently is the discovery that we're cohabiting with a bunch of boxelder bugs. And by bunch, I mean like... tens of thousands of boxelder bugs.  Do you know boxelder bugs?  I didn't know them til we moved here.  They look like this:

like roaches. with red trim. oh and they fly.
all togther now: *ew*

You might remember from Nathan's tick story that I'm not in love with bugs. That they make me cry.  And throw up.  And feel all panicky inside (and out). I'm a smart rational confident adult, but I do not do bugs.

We had noticed them outside the house sometimes, but didn't pay them any particular notice. Just another of the bajillions of bugs that crawl on our planet that I try not to think about too much.  Then a few weeks ago I saw one on Charlotte's bedroom wall and (calmly, I swear) asked Mark to kill it. But then we saw another.  And another. And pretty soon we had killed about forty. It was not a good start to date night.

Several days, several google hours, and one visit from our pest people later, we had more info.  Boxelder bugs, attracted to boxelder trees (note to self: find all boxelder trees in our neighborhood and cut them down), don't bite or eat plants, love warmth and sunshine. 

So they're mostly harmless except that as the weather gets cooler and they have a hard time finding their warmth and sunshine outside, they think they should move into our house to get it.

HA HA NO.

Our pest people brought a big truck and motor and spray system and ladders and attacked the house with poison.  They were liberal in the application. I told them I was more freaked out by the bugs than the chemicals.  I might or might not have stood outside crying and saying die mother f-ers while they were spraying.  (Not my finest housewife moment.) (Bugs bring out the worst best of my profanity abilities.)

(I also might or might not have spent an afternoon huddled in the kids' bathroom with two terrified children and one hungry baby after bugs were spotted in all their bedrooms and naptime just wasn't happening.  That day we were four out of four for people at our house crying.  Not my finest mommy moment.)

Charlotte's bedroom window. This is the stuff of horror films.

So basically they swarm around the southwest side of our house (the bonus room downstairs and Charlotte's room upstairs), where there is lots of sun in the afternoon.  And then come nightfall, they apparently find ways into the house to keep warm.  Dormer closets, crawl spaces, window frames, our baby's bedroom. Their numbers do seem smaller now, but I'm not sure whether that's because the spray was effective or they're just staying in the house walls now.

Excuse me while I throw up.  Again.

Street Construction

So when we brought Charlotte home from the hospital last week, we were greeted by lots of road equipment.  Blocking our driveway.  Awesome.

(They actually tried to detour us around the block, and Mark had to pull up and talk to the traffic guard person to convince him we live here and to let us through. Um, totally not parking a block away and walking my new daughter home for the first time.)

This construction has been working its way down our street for a few weeks now (replacing a water main or something), so we knew it would land in front of us eventually. But here's the thing.  It's now been in front of our house for a week.  I don't understand how it could move along at a steady clip and then just stop.  In front of our house. For a week.

I'm over it.

Yes, the kids think the steamrollers and backhoes and dump trucks are fun and interesting.  But that cuteness lasted about half an hour, and then the constant crashing and digging (whatever jackhammer they're using literally shakes our house) and beeping OH THE BEEPING has begun to make me insane.  (Read: irritable.)  My nerves are totally shot.

This is no longer a cute anecdote for Charlotte's baby book.  It's an incredibly obnoxious reality where one machine goes back and forth and back and forth over a ten-yard stretch, BEEPING  on every one of those backs, and then moves fifteen feet and does the same thing for another hour.

I cannot take it any more.

I do not understand how they're not done!  At least with the twenty yard that lie directly in front of my house and driveway.  MOVE. ON.

Ugggggggggh.

This post brought to you by my raging post-partum hormones and mood swings.  You're welcome.

Cheer-Up Smiles

It's Monday evening and I am going on vacation tomorrow.  That sentence should have a lot more exclamation points, because we have some fun stuff (and surprises for Mark!) planned and it's going to be a much-wanted and much-needed getaway for the two of us.  But I am honestly so tired after so many long nights in a row, that I can't get myself worked up for it just yet.  I should be in pre-vacation excitement mode, but instead all I can think about is a clean quiet hotel room, and sleep. 

Today has been full of all the usual things mommies do on the day before a trip.  Finishing laundry.  Packing.  Sending kiddie instructions to grandparents.  Cleaning the house and sheets and dishes so we don't come home to a disaster.  Cleaning the old house for some showings this week.  Running to the store for yogurt and milk so that we can have breakfast the morning after we get back (other than that, we've pretty well eaten the fridge down to nothing).  Oh, and thinking through the logistics of having two different sets of workers here doing some plumbing and drywall repairs* while we're gone. 

Basically, a frantic effort to get things crossed off a list while we're all sleep-deprived and grumpy already.  Today hasn't been my favorite.

But then there's this smile.  And I'm not sure if you've done the math, but I live with this smile.  Get to see it every day.  Up close and personal.  And I'm not sure there's a Mood (even mine, even today) that can't be cured by enough of this:

Your daily Anneliese: the perfected art of the cheer-you-up smile

So despite my somewhat frustrating day, I am going to bask in the aftermath of sweet baby grins, the completion of a long to-do list, the simple fun of freshly-painted hot pink toenails, and try to get myself in vacation mode!!

*what? still not enough home improvement? you know it.