My life is a comic strip

Okay, well, I really have some things to note but I will probably get interrupted. Here goes anyway. This is about going crazy. I have to keep it at bay. Yesterday I sat down on the couch, put my elbows on my knees, plugged my ears, and began rocking back and forth while humming a drone to block out all noise. I started praying. For what, I can't even remember but I'm sure it had something to do with keeping craziness at bay. I sat in this position for approximately 30 to 45 seconds, thinking everything was going on as normal, but when I released my ears and stopped the drone, I looked up only to have three small children staring at me about 6 inches from my face. And Cash was rocking and droning with a big smile on his face. He thought it was a game. My prayers had been quickly answered. I was rescued from near craziness by laughter. It was a close one.

Jackson has been reading Calvin and Hobbes comic books. I ask him to read it out loud to me sometimes to see if he can. His expression and inflection is practically perfect. Obviously he doesn't get all of the humor but he is practicing reading, but hopefully not learning behavior from Calvin.


There is another famous strip where Calvin's mom tells him to go get into the bathtub. He goes into the bathroom and sits in the tub with his clothes on, waiting for his mom to discover his "obedience." She screams from the other side of the house, "I DON'T HEAR ANY WATER RUNNING!" The other day I sent Libby to the back of the house to do or get something. I don't remember what it was, but she got distracted and Jackson looked at me, smiled, and said, "I don't hear any water running!!" And then started laughing.

Jackson seems to be speaking in capital letters with exclamation points at the end these days. Yesterday I was nursing in the living room and Jackson was in time out on his bed. Cash and Libby went in there and a few moments later I hear Jackson, with no breath in between, shouting, "DANGER! DANGER! DANGER! DANGER! DANGER! DOUBLE DANGER! DOUBLE DANGER!" (slight pause) "DANGER! DANGER! DANGER! DANGER!" I finally got a word in and asked what they were doing. "Dumping powder!" So I said, "Then take it from them!" He walked it into the kitchen to put it up high where Cash couldn't reach, saying nothing but giving me an eye roll as if to say, "Here I go again, saving the day." and then went back to his bed.

Another punch line to my comic strip life was the other day when I was made half crazy by some mini-crisis and Jackson told me, "At least you didn't pull all your hair out, Mom."

So I guess that's about it. But just for your information, later that day, after the powder incident, my friend Carey, and her kids, Ellie and Clark came came over to play. She was changing Clark's diaper in Cash's room, and I was changing Penelope in her room. We came out to the living/dining area only to find the entire pathway from the front door to the back door and into the hall COVERED in powder, with Cash holding the container, and three other kids playing in it. What happened to "DANGER DANGER DOUBLE DANGER?" Oh well. I guess you can't rely on a six year old to save the day every time.

This is Today

A lot of crazy things happened today. So, it was a normal day. I'm going to record it for historical purposes. When I am out and about since having a fourth child people say a lot, "Looks like you have your hands full." I just keep thinking about all the families in this world who have small children and their normal is crazy too. But if anyone who reads my blog wonders about my personal chaos, you can read the following. If not, just skip the text and enjoy the photos. I'm just hoping that I'll read this one day and it will help me remember why I can't remember anything.

6-7 a.m. Jimmy gets up
7-8 a.m. Jimmy leaves, Jackson and Libby read books, I get Cash up and make breakfast.
8-9 a.m. We eat, Penelope wakes and I feed her. Meanwhile, the kids are sliding down the stairs into the playroom on our six foot table that is propped up against them. No one breaks any bones, although there is injury and screaming. I get Penelope changed and dressed. I try to get a cute photo of Penelope.

9-10 a.m. I do random chores. I get myself and Libby and Cash dressed. Penelope goes down for nap. We make our way to the school room and try to start doing something educational. Cash dumps an entire container of colored pencils on the floor and I end up putting the pre-schoolers in front of the computer doing ABC's. Libby has to go pee so she makes her way up the table slide/ramp, doesn't make it all the way and pees at the top of the table, only to have her pee slide all the way down the table onto the floor.
10-11 a.m. I clean up pee and decide it's time for the table to become a table again. I send Cash and Libby to the playroom. They play, but pretty soon turn on Sesame Street. Jackson and I look up some things online we've been talking about, do some worksheets, and then he dictates a story to me. My only requirement was that it was fantasy. I got a story about the whole family flying around the house and eating Fruity Pebbles. He was pretty excited about it and after I read it back to him, he began to edit it relentlessly. I finally had to cut him off.
11-12 a.m. I change Cash's poop. We play toys, have snack, clean up, I change Cash again, I fix lunch, and the kids eat while I nurse Penelope.
12-1 p.m. I declare, "RECESS!" and make everyone go outside. I eat lunch and talk to my friend Carey on the phone. When I dialed her number everyone was quietly playing outside. 60 seconds into our conversation, Jackson is asking me for more food and Cash is ticked because Libby won't let him into the pop-up playhouse because he is "the bad guy." I referee. I change Penelope. Jackson follows me, asks to hold her, and keeps an eye on her while I read to Cash.


1-2 p.m. I take Cash to his room to lay him down for nap, Jackson interrupting twice to inform me that "Penelope yawned, Mom." I lay her down for nap. Jackson, Libby, and I do a little school stuff, I e mail Jimmy and then talk to him on the phone, and I give Jackson his afternoon work. We read books. I can't finish the last one because I am falling asleep.
2-3 p.m. I set the buzzer for 30 minutes and Libby and I pass out while Jackson does math. Jackson tries to wake us up when the buzzer beeps but I ask him for five more minutes. I check Jackson's work.
3-4 p.m. I start bread in the bread machine. Jackson, Libby and I make a Little People village in the playroom, but I have things to do. They say, "Mom! You said you would play with us!" and I try to pretend with them but they have much better imaginations and begin to leave me out of the role play. I nurse Penelope when she wakes up.
4-5 p.m. Jackson lifts Cash out of bed. He comes over and kisses Penelope, singing her the Strawberry Shortcake theme song. I have to get up and make the bread. I scrub potatoes too and Jimmy comes home with a rotisserie chicken and some other staples from Sam's. I go outside where everyone is playing and Penelope is swinging, and try to write in my journal. I end up with three people touching me and reading them a book.
5-6 p.m. Penelope lies down for a nap. We eat, have family Bible reading, (this is a recent addition to our day and Cash likes to scream "BIBLE!" at the top of his lungs while Jimmy is trying to read it) clean up, and Libby and Cash play toys in the playroom. Jimmy and I have a conversation, in between Jackson asking questions about how tall Abraham Lincoln was and lying down next to his extended tape measure to compare himself to our tallest president.
6-7 p.m. Jackson and I go for a walk, he on his bike. He asks me for the 10th time today, "Mom? Can I ask you a question?" He wipes out at the exact moment a truck drives by, frightening him and making him cry. We make it up the big hill taking turns walking his bike. Bath time. Jimmy and I take turns gushing over Penelope's cuteness while she plays in her crib. No one wants to get out of the bath so I have to cut them off eventually.
7-8 p.m. Jimmy decides to let Cash sit on the potty after drying him off. He pees a drop so Jackson rewards him with a marshmallow and Jimmy decides to put underwear on him. He grabs a pair of Jackson's underwear and we all have a good laugh watching Cash walk around in Jackson's underwear because they totally fit him. His little love handles were even bending over the waistband. I guess all the size 2 and 3 underwear I saved for him will be going in the garage sale. Meanwhile I'm trying a dress on Libby because she has to wear red, white, and blue to preschool tomorrow. Jimmy tries to get a picture of Cash and (of course) I discover that Cash has peed on the couch. I can't handle it and head for the shower. While in the shower I begin writing this blog in my head. I am so distracted by this that in trying to make the shower a little warmer, I practically scorch myself and end up leaning on the shower curtain for support. So, I fell down in the tub, screaming making Jimmy come and ask me if I was okay. I was, and felt glad that I never did something so stupid when I was pregnant. The kids are watching "Max and Ruby" a DVD from the library that has become a fave. We try to get Libby to go #2 with no success. Snack. Nurse the baby. Put in a load of laundry.

8-9 p.m. BEDTIME!!! Libby gets to stay up and play for a bit because she napped. I eat ice cream while watching American Idol, then start this blog. Penelope cries and I have to get her up.
9-10 p.m. I put Libby to bed, end up nursing Penelope again, and get her back to bed around 10. I put the laundry in the dryer.
10 and beyond. I try to finish this blog even though it is eternally long and Jimmy tells me "it's who you are" I will now try to upload pics and make my guest bed...my parents are coming tomorrow. Maybe if they read this blog they will forgive me for not getting around to scrubbing the mildew out of my shower today.

We do it all again tomorrow. Having my hands full is difficult at times but it is anything but dull. I feel so blessed to have such a full life.

Airplane crash in Tallahassee!!!

Something new something old something crazy. Well, we were playing a game the other night (not a game the game Settlers of Catan) and about 9ish the lights flashed on and off a couple of times. We looked at each other and made brief mention of it and kept playing. Well about twenty minutes later the phone of one our guests rings and her sister tells her that a plane has crashed at the intersection of Tennessee and Ocala. This is about two miles from us. And the flight path goes right over our house to the airport. So were a little excited to say the least. Anyway, turns out it was a single engine prop plane and nobody was injured except the pilot. Just thought I would share the excitement with everyone. Here is a picture. Notice the Albertson's in the background. That is my Albertson's where I shop for the good deals.
I also want to say that this is big news in Tallahassee. Julie commented, and I agree-- I am glad I live in a town where this is the big news.

Penelope Jane at 3 months

Here is Penelope. She is three months old today. I am totally in love with her, she is so sweet and precious. Very quiet and calm. Probably the most quiet of all of us, come to think of it. Everyone around here just wants to kiss her all the time. She is full of the best part about babies--warmth and softness. She has her share of fat rolls but is my smallest baby, still able to wear 3 month clothes. I'm sure all my others were busting out of them by this time. Be healthy, Penelope, but don't grow too fast! We love you!