So we've established that...

I am not an overly sentimental person...and that I am not so good on the whole update-my-blog-on-a-regular-basis-thing. I'll work on it, I promise. I don't promise that improvement will be made...because honestly, I have commitment issues and I don't want to set myself up for failure here.

Hmmm...hmmmm...hmmm... there are so many things that I would like to blog about...and then, I think..."no, that might offend so-and-so", or "what would so-and-so think if I wrote such-and-such". Seriously, the list of things/people that I find irritating is growing by the day...and while blogging about those things might make me feel better, it probably wouldn't make the situation better. Does that make sense?

Like when someone that you barely know makes up blatant lies about you in their little minds, then spews those little lies like they're the gospel truth to acquaintances and mutual friends, then has the nerve to act like their wittle feelings are hurt when you really have nothing to say to them and therefore avoid conversation...those kinds of people really tend to bring out the best in me.

Then, there's the friendly gentleman that was driving 60 in the fast lane of a 70mph stretch of bypass, that decided he would speed up and slow down, speed up and slow down for 4 miles to keep me from passing...only to flip me the naughty-finger when I was finally able to gun-it and pass him. Him, I loved...and because of that love, I am proud to say that I was able to refrain from reciprocating his crude sign language.

Now, that I have those little things off my chest, maybe I'll be able to move on to more chipper posts in the near future. Until then, please check out the 306 blog...I am allllllmost completely caught up...and there is nary a negative thought or comment to be found.

I'm not an overly sentimental person,

I'm just not. I'm fine with taking a trip without the kids. Mark and I can go out of town for a week and it usually takes us until day 5 or 6 to say "wow, I miss the kids". It doesn't bother me if my kids want to sleep over at Granny's for the weekend, and I'm fine when it comes time to send them off on their first day of school.

Please, don't get me wrong, I really LOVE my kids...I just don't NEED to be around them 24/7. And, I promise, they don't NEED to be around me 24/7, just ask 'em.

I know people who are not like me in this respect...and I think it's great that they are different from me...really, it's what make the world go 'round.

All of that to say...I am feeling sad and sappy today. Cammie started kindergarten this morning. (Our school district is a bit weird...she goes for half a day today, one half day next week, and then full time the following week).

I am blaming my sappy-sadness on the fact that not only did my baby start kindergarten this year, but Hannah started middle school and Forrest started high school.

This melancholy feeling I have must have been brought on by triple milestones, right? I think I will allow myself to wallow in this sea of sappiness...because I'm sure it won't last long...and it sure is nice to be in a quiet house again.

I know I'm behind

on the photo blog. Of course, you and I both new that it was bound to happen. I tried really hard to keep my delinquent posts to a week or less...alas I am officially off the wagon.

Actually, I have pictures for every day. Pictures that were taken on the assigned day...and then left to simmer on the memory card.

I could make excuses for my lack of punctual posts...and most of them are pretty good and definitely true...but, really do you want to hear my excuses? No. I didn't think so.

Oh, what the heck...I'll throw in a few just to make this post longer and maybe more interesting.

Well besides the obvious two: procrastinating and perfectionism there are these (in no particular order):

1. I went out of town with a friend and lacked Internet service.

2. I decided to consign and use Saint Vickie to tag everything...but I couldn't find anyone that I could pay to climb into the recesses of my attic and pull down the 4 over sized Rubbermaid containers and the rod with approximately 6' of hanging clothes upon it...so I had to do it...gasp... myself.

3. All of those clothes had to be dug through to make sure that I was able to part with them.

4. My sister called in an IOU and I spent a day helping her with her new scrap room. (Just because I had fun doing it doesn't mean that it can't count as an excuse).

5. Forrest had two major projects due today (yes, on the first day of school), and they both required mucho (there's my Spanish kicking in again) parental assistance. Seriously, his tumbleweed project cost me at least 40 hours and that is not an exaggeration. It also caused my OCD to kick in which caused me to spend countless more hours researching family ancestors.

And, that is more than enough excuses...because the bottom line is...I haven't made time to upload the pics and get them posted. BUT, I plan to...tomorrow.

"To sell or not sell"...that is the question

How many consignment sales do you think I have participated in? Not bought things at, sold things in?

How many times do you think I have spent hour upon hour checking outgrown dresses, skirts and shirts for "stains", "piling", "wash wear" or "pin holes"? Then, ironing each of the things that met with approval... making sure to put matching items on the same hanger to sell as "an outfit" because, we all know that "outfits" sell better than say a lone skirt.

Speaking of hangers...how many time do you think I have placed my selected items on hangers facing all the same way, safety pinning my carefully crafted 3x5 index cards on the specified shoulder for maximum ease of reading?

Speaking of those carefully crafted 3x5 index cards...how many times do you think I have filled them out noting manufacturer, size, price, approximate times worn and ND in bold red ink?

I'll cut to the chase. I'm sure most of you that know me are banking on "ZERO"... and you will be surprised to find that I have actually participated in such an undertaking...ONCE, yes ONE time.

Ironing, that was your first clue that it wouldn't happen more than once.

The one time that I did manage to summon the gumption to consign, I made $200.00. All of my clothes sold except for one outfit. Not too bad if I do say so myself.

So, why not consign more often you ask? Did I mention that I had to iron?

No, seriously. I decided to NEVER consign again because (1) It was easier to give the stuff away or (2) sell it to people I know. (3) I spent $256 at the sale bringing me to net -$56 and (4) I had to iron.

Oh, and I need at least a month to mentally prepare for numbers 1 through 4. Usually, when I think about consigning, it's as I am standing in line waiting to pay for the clothes I am buying at the consignment sale.

But (yes, I know that it is improper grammar to begin a sentence with the word "but", but I don't care), I am thinking that I may consign this year.

What's changed, you ask?

Well, for one thing, I thought about it before I was standing in line with fall clothes to pay for. For another thing, I have a TON of stuff to sell and 4 girls to buy for and also because my friend Brea has kept in the forefront of my mind by mentioning her huge consignment sale on her blog several times.

Now, if I can just factor in the cost of having the dry cleaner iron all of it into my selling price, I will be in business.

sigh...

Well, to be honest, I had a whole post typed out...then deleted it because every sentence contained the word "sucks"...and really, it doesn't matter how many times I use the word, it won't change anything and it doesn't make me feel better either.

My grandma has lung cancer in addition to Alzheimer's, and the prognosis isn't very good. The next few months are going to be incredibly hard on our family.

If you think of us, please, pray for us.

Ummm...good question.

We have a nosey child.

I know, I know, with our *perfect* parenting, it's hard to believe that one of our offspring would have undesirable traits. Trust me, it baffles me too.

(For those of you that don't know me very well, those last two sentences are dripping with sarcasm).

Anyhoo, Chloe is, well, interested...yes, that's a nice way to say it...she's "interested". She also has a knack for quietly inserting herself next to adults who are in conversation. In fact, this is probably the only time that she is quiet.

Most of the time, I shoo her away while repeating..."Chloe. Stop being nosey, it's rude. We are having an adult conversation, go play". I think I need to record that on a little tape and press play each time...it would save me A LOT of time.

There are times when she manages to "fly under the radar" so to speak, and actually over hears most of the conversation.

Case in point... A few weeks ago, I was talking with a friend at church. My friend is currently trying to get pregnant. Nothing was said that Chloe shouldn't hear, and so, on this rare occasion, she was not shooed away.

Yesterday, I was on the way to my favorite dry cleaner. Forrest, Chloe and Cammie were in the car with me. The kids had been quiet for a complete five minute stretch, which is nothing short of a miracle.

Chloe eventually breaks the silence... "Mommy"? (She says this at least one million, six hundred, seventy-two thousand, four hundred and eighty-three times per day).

Me: "Yes, Chloe"?

Chloe: "How do you try to get pregnant"?

Forrest: snickers loudly and says under his breath "yeah, mom...how do you try to get pregnant"?

Me: "You pray and ask Jesus to put a baby in your tummy".

Chloe: "Oh".

Forrest: " You are good. How do you do that...technically tell the truth without actually saying anything? You didn't even have time to think".

Me: sly grin, basking in the awe of my first born son

Tumbleweeds...

You know that whole "divorce is not a good thing" mentioned in the bible? God definitely new what He was talking about.

In all of His infinite wisdom, He new that even though His grace and mercy would see His children through such situations, it could not make drafting a family tree any easier.

Forrest has homework due the first day of school. One of those assignments requires him (translation: us) to create a family tree covering 4 generations. At first, this sounded like an interesting and somewhat fun project.

Until we actually began thinking it through.

Then, we (translation: I) was presented with dilemmas...as in more than one dilemma.

Dilemma numero uno (see, my Spanish classes are paying off): Which "father" do we use? Forrest cleared that up rather quickly and decided that we should use both Brandon and Mark.

Hurdle cleared, we move on. Now, in order to incorporate all of Forrest's siblings, Mark's ex-wife got added to the family tree. It's getting more and more interesting by the minute.

Okay, so far we have Forrest at the bottom of the tree. We have the "mother" blank filled in and we have the "father" blank filled in...twice. We have a broken line to account for Mark's first marriage thus allowing us to account for all siblings.

Now, we move on to Forrest's grandparents. Of course there is my mom. Easy enough. My dad...not so easy. Let's see...I'm not exactly sure who my biological dad is...so, do I put a large "?" in that blank?

Then, I think "I should just use my step-dad because he did in fact raise me". Now if I do that, then do I change my maiden name to my step-dad's last name...and if I do that...wouldn't that be lying? Of course he has to be on the tree somehow, because we have to account for my sister, Forrest's only maternal aunt.

Okay, a headache is forming, let's move on to someone else. How about Brandon's side. His mom (Forrest's paternal grandmother) is easy enough. Insert more broken lines to indicate her two marriages that produced children in order to show Forrest's aunts and uncles, which means more broken lines to account for a remarriage and the children that came with it to account for cousins.

My headache is getting worse.

Did I mention that we also need dates of birth, death if applicable, marriage, divorce, and remarriage?

We are barely through generation two and Forrest's Family Tree looks more like Forrest's Family Tumbleweed.