Warning: this is going to be the most-cobbled-together post you have ever read.

I am basically using this post in lieu of a mass email because I have hundreds of emails that are just not going to get returned, and questions that are just not going to get answered, otherwise. So I’ll attempt to throw it all in here instead.

Maybe you haven’t emailed me or are not expecting an answer to anything? Well then, you can stop right here. And those of you wondering “has she even visited my blog lately?” “Why hasn’t she commented, then?” Oh, believe me, I’m trying – if you would all just stop writing and let me just catch up, I really would appreciate it. M’kay? Thanks!

Addie & the Plague
So…thanks for the inquiries, Addie does seem to be doing ok. We had a day very similar to a few weeks ago when she had a few “incidents” and basically just slept the rest of the day away. She isn’t running a fever, and she is insisting that she isn’t hungry, so I’m not pushing it. I did get half a piece of cinnamon toast down her after her three hour nap this afternoon. For some odd reason both of the girls think that the only thing you can eat when you are sick is cinnamon-sugar toast?

And yes, Stacy, we do have mattress pads on the all of the mattresses, EXCEPT for Em’s little trundle bed. For the past week the girls have been having “sleepovers.” J. and I have been joking that we really only need a two bedroom house since they are so keen to share a room. (Well, only half-jokingly!) It started in Addie’s bed over the weekend. We were all in Ad’s bed reading books –

A: “Mama? Will you sleep with me tonight?”
M: “No honey, Mama is sleeping in her bed. Everyone in their own beds.”
A: (BIG sigh.) “Emma? Won’t you sleep with me tonight?”
E: “Of course I will, Baby sis.”

And it was a success! Nice long 12-hour sleeps from both of them. The last few nights they have migrated to Em’s room. So, of course, Murphy’s Law, the one mattress without a pad, that would be the one Addie was on last night. So, new mattress pad. Have definitely added it to the list of things we must get.

And baking soda! It definitely takes the stink out. I used a combo of soda, OxyClean and the Seventh Generation detergent we have been using. I know! I did switch from my beloved Tide and The 7thGen stuff seems to be working really well, is natural with no phosphates. The rest of the house has also been scoured and disinfected, and hopefully nobody else will become infected. I really do NOT want to miss my weekend, but would feel awful if I knew J. was dealing with an entirely sick house. (I do however remember our weekend, Kimmer. We still managed to have a good time, didn’t we!?)

Sporty Em
Good eyes, PapaStan. Em is indeed playing basketball with a soccer ball. We were at the school on Sunday evening for a bit and someone had left the ball there, so she and J. were using it as a stand-in for a basketball. She did however tell me that she is the only girl to play basketball at recess time.

This Saturday is the WonderGirls last game. Whew. I think the novelty of soccer has worn off and she is ready to try the next something new. The girls have promised me that they were going to win the game in my honor since I won’t be there to see it. (One day, Kim!) We shall see.

The Fires
No, the fires are not affecting us, well not directly, at least. A few highways were closed over the weekend, a few friends have been evacuated, and another friend in Santa Barbara actually lost a good portion of his property and studios. Sunday the air quality was so poor that we were actually only at the school park for a little bit, and I had an aching head and tight chest just from the little bit we were out. On Monday Em said that they were only allowed out for recess for a few minutes and the teachers told them “not to run.”  But the smell and the ashes on the cars are a mere inconvenience compared to what so many Southern Californians are going through right now. I feel so badly for all of them.

I did have a complete panic moment last night. I was closing Em’s window and looked out and saw the unmistakeable glow of what could only be a very large fire. It looked like it was maybe half a dozen streets over and I instantly started making a list of what we should be grabbing. (For the record, my first list was Girls, cats, hard drive with all of our 75,000+ photos on it, my camera, and my laptop.) We turned the news on and discovered that it was an apartment fire, a very large fire, and thankfully it was contained within an hour or so. But, that is one of the worst feelings, let me tell you. I hope I don’t ever have that feeling ever again.

Alright this has gone on long enough. And if you suffered through all of this babbling, you at least earn a photo or two for making it through.

More from the park…

Yes, it is Saturday. I don’t usually post anything on the weekends, but it has been a strange week and I haven’t managed to find two consecutive minutes to post anything since Tuesday night, so you get a Chaos week wrap-up, special weekend edition.

So, yeah…what happened this week? The time change, which all-in-all has been a very good adjustment for our happy home. It is dark while the girls are eating, which sets the stage for an early bath and both of them have been in bed and asleep by 7:30. It isn’t that much earlier than before, since they were usually in bed by 8 or 8:15, but it seems so much earlier. And since it is dark, there is no monkey business. Heads hit the pillows, eyes close, see you in the morning.

They have been getting up a little earlier, like 20-30 minutes earlier, so I guess in the end it is all about equal. But daylight at 6am means that Mommy can get a run in before the day starts without fear of falling down and cracking my head open.  (Do I say, “cracking my/your head open” a lot by the way? The other day Addie said to me, “Oh be careful Mommy you don’t want your head to crack up!”)

But generally, the time change has been good for everyone’s attitude (especially Miss Addie-tude!) and the girls have been really, really good. They even endured a very long wait at the hospital with me this week – it was nothing life-threatening but definitely had to be taken care of, and my doctor couldn’t get me in in a timely fashion. Mommy in her infinite wisdom grabbed the girls from school and headed over there. Didn’t have any diversions, snacks, not even pen and paper in my purse. Nice. But we found some pretzels, crackers, juice and entertained ourselves as best we could. I was so very thankful that they were so awesome.

That was Monday, and our week just kind of got carried away with running around and doing the usual stuff.

We had parent-teacher conferences this week for Em. Of course she got a glowing review, she is doing well and Mrs. S. said “I think Emma is going to have a great year. In fact, I don’t think there will ever be a year in her school career that is not good!” It is always fun to hear good things about your kids. I was a little thrown off when she started  talking about how the report cards look. I don’t know why but just hearing that she was getting an actual report card this year – it kind of hit me. “Wow. I have a school-aged child. A kid in real school!” So we’ll look for that report in December, but I have a feeling it will be on target.

Emma has added yet another social obligation to her busy calendar. She and her friend Avery decided they wanted to become Gospel Cherubs, part of the children’s choir at church. (Don’t worry my dear family, I think she may have Daddy’s musical genes, or at least part of them, she sounds better than I do any day of the week.) So they have practice during the week and before Sunday school and this Sunday they get to sing at church. They have little choir robes, even, so cute! I think the church would frown upon me taking photos during mass, but I’ll have to sneak one or two of them before and after. Eeee!

Speaking of photos, the girls got their school pics back. Emma’s you have to buy before you see them, and since I know we need a few photos to document her first official year in school (Ahhh!!) I just bought the little package (which was still crazy expensive – do you know how many prints of photos I could make for that amount??). But it turned out pretty well, even if she forgot to put her sweater back on.

(It looks a little washed out here – I fear my scanner has just about had it, but for reals, it looks pretty good.)

And then Addie’s. Yes. Well, they just take a bunch and you come in and view them and see if you would like to purchase them. When she came home after picture day she had a little brush with her name on it. Uh oh. “Um, Addie, did they brush your hair today before your picture?”

“Yes, Mama! Look like, this…”

And then she proceeded to “brush” her curls. Which only makes them frizz and look all…well, like this –

Gah. Doesn’t even look like her without the curls (not to mention the angelic little hands on the knees!), she just looks so, I don’t know? Old?!

Em also got her soccer photos back, which thankfully were included in her soccer registration fee. Why didn’t somebody warn me that having kids is so expensive?!

Cute. The team photo is cute, too – if you leave off the Assistant Coach on the left side.

Speaking of which, we need to go get ready for Em’s game. I’ll continue the update later. Well, on J. and my end I guess all you need to know is that we are working. J. is working hard and traveling next week, and I have turned in three projects this week and have a HUGE one due the week after next. So to sum it up…just work!

I plan on taking some time to go out and hang around with the girls tomorrow. I haven’t picked up my camera all week, so we’ll see you hopefully with something good on Monday!

Isn’t it astounding to think there are some things our kids will never have the pleasure of knowing or using – like cassette tapes, VCRs, window cranks, live television, pay phones.

We did have the pleasure of playing with a pay phone over the weekend, however. Two, in fact. These old British phonebooths are tucked in a little courtyard near where we had lunch. The girls found them fascinating.

Dueling phonebooths

How cool is this?

You rang?

There is a phone in here…with a cord!

Hello?

Uh…huh. Yep.

Sometimes it is the little things. And this is why I always have my camera with me.