Yes, I know it's been something like 3 weeks since I've blogged anything.  I blame everything else for it.  That sounds good.  It certainly hasn't been boredom that has kept me from writing. 

 

Somewhere in those three or so weeks, I turned 34 (ugh), celebrated with my family, and splurged on new clothes from Old Navy with my birthday money.  You seriously just can't beat their sales, and upon telling my family I really wanted clothes (sweaters, specifically) for my birthday, people promptly handed me sweet (or funny--thanks, Kev) cards with cash.  :)  My family believes that if you want something for your birthday or Christmas, that's what you should have. Generally, this makes things easier, and it makes the person getting the gift very, very happy.  There has been some complaint over the years--that it ruins the surprise, it isn't any fun to not have to try to come up with something wonderful, whatever...I agree, and I don't.  I love dreaming up just the right gift for someone, and watching her face as she opens the gift.  I love the excitement, and the surprise, and the magic that happens on Christmas morning when my kids wake up to the goodies in their stockings and the packages under the tree.  But I also love knowing that what I'm giving someone is exactly what they wanted.  And, you know, there comes a point where that "finding the right gift thing" gets difficult--my parents, for instance.  What do you buy your parents for Christmas?  They have everything they need, and they're in a place in their lives now where if they want something, they generally go get it.  Makes gift-buying rather frustrating!  So, we ask each other.  And if we can do it, we do.  If we can't do it alone, we all go in together on it.  And if it takes Christmas and Birthday, well, we've been known to do that as well. 

 

Somewhere in there, I took the kids to Rochester for a visit to the Children's Museum with our friends the Halls.  We zoomed back and were an hour late to gymnastics (oops). 

 

Somewhere in there, we went to the Binghamton Zoo and the Science and Discovery Center and Chuck E. Cheese (because, for Pete's sake, if you're already there, you might as well do all three.  They're all basically on the same street.  And we don't have anything nearly as cool here, of course).  Seth had a day off, which we definitely weren't expecting, but were sure glad to have.  And of which we took complete advantage.   Pictures later.

 

Somewhere in there, Seth was out of town for two out of three of those weeks.  He even missed my birthday, and made it home barely in time for my party.  Gotta love up-in-the-air schedules.  And kind of being a single mom.  Not really, of course, but kind of.

 

Somehow, we have stayed caught up with school, we've gone to gymnastics every other day (except for the day I had the stomach flu...oh, dear), we've had play dates, overnight guests, I've baked cakes, I've watched almost all of those stupid shows I said I wouldn't keep up with (only I've watched them with the fast-forward-through-the-commercials-and-any-stupid-parts option), I've even made the kids clean their rooms.  By themselves.  More than once.  Which is like complete torture.  Repeatedly. 

 

Oh, and the 75th anniversary of our church.  It was fun, but involved.  Like 24-hours-of-cake-baking-and-decorating involved.   Not all together (yeah, because I had the stomach flu somewhere in the middle there).   Cake for 500.  Plus the extra-long rehearsal for the extra worship service, and worship team on Sunday morning, and a solo I got to sing that my friend Amy wrote.  :)  Very fun.  Very busy.  Plus a cake for a friend also ready for Sunday. 

 

Hmm.  Can't figure out why I've been falling back asleep every morning this week after showering and getting the kids around.  Homeschooling is such a blessing...we've schooled in the afternoons instead of the mornings, and we've gotten everything done, and the kids have had a welcomed break from the regular school routine, and have sat down for school ready to work after playing for a couple of hours.  Still, gotta figure out why I can't stay awake in the mornings.  Even after 7 or 8 hours of sleep. 

 

I promise I will try not to go so long between posts.  I will try.  :)  Hard to make this something to remember my life by if I don't ever write!!

 

 

Last week, the television which had been largely relied upon for Modern Mrvels episodes, reruns of Mythbusters, the history of the machine gun shows, and Survivorman (Oh, and High School Musical 2 and Hannah Montana) became my resting place.  Well, the couch on the other side of the room became my resting place.  Or the carpet in front of it whileI paint my toenails or plan for school or make jewelry or something.  Because I can't just sit there.  For goodness sake, doing one thing at a time...is that even possible??

 

So, Tuesdays it's House.  Except that last Tuesday, the cable was out.  Have you tried to find episodes of House online?  Not easy, let me tell you.  And Wednesdays...well, Private Practice, of course.  And I did watch Bionic Woman last week.  Don't ask me why.  A mistake I won't make again.  And Thursdays, Grey's Anatomy and ER.  Do I seriously think I'm going to have time to keep up with all of these shows long term?  Umm, no.  I'll keep recording them on the dvr for a while...and then eventually I won't have time to watch a couple of them and I'll have six episodes sitting on the dvr eating valuable space (space which is only valuable because my kids insist on recording sixty-seven episodes of Hannah Montana or Kim Possible or Diego or whatever is their current obsesion), and then eventually I'll erase all of those and stop recording them.  Or maybe, a couple of nights when Seth falls asleep at 8:45, I'll watch a couple of episodes and get caught up.  Right. 

 

Oh, and backing up a bit, jewelry making.  Have you tried it? It looks kind of fun.  My mom and my sister-in-law and I shopped for two hours finding just the right beads and connectors and wire and crimp beads and tools and organizers last Sunday.  Then we came home and spent two hours fighting with said crimp beads and connectors and tools.  :)  And eventually, while the kids played with elastic and pony beads, the bracelets turned out really nicely (I think) and I'm addicted.  Officially. 

 

And as I said to my friends the other day, "What I need is another hobby."  Yeah.  Definitely.