Friday, May 15, 2009

If Wendy Starts to Vacuum

I just had an, "If You Give A Mouse A Cookie", afternoon. If you've never read this cute children's story you should.

Here is the Wendy version of the story -

After vacuuming the floor, I need to empty it. The kitchen trash can was full, of course, so I pulled out the bag, dumped the vacuum cannister contents, and headed out the door. While walking to the trash can, I notice Charlie has flies bothering him, so I spray him with some bug repellent. Charlie hates the bug repellent and tries to rub it off on his carpet. I notice the carpet is dirty and so I start to sweep it. While sweeping the carpet I notice the entire carport is dirty. I decide that the hose is the tool for this job. While walking through the yard to fetch the hose, the flies seem to be coming from the area in the yard Charlie uses as a bathroom. All the piles were picked up earlier, but it still smells bad over there. I get the hose and start spraying down the stink. While standing there with the hose I decide to go ahead and water the rest of the grass on that side of the house. I gradually find myself in the back of the house spraying off the trampoline. Charlie barks, and I remember the carport so I head back to spray it down. Spraying down the steps to the door I look up and notice the exterior of the house is dirty. I spray it off. All the dirty water lands on my washing machine and dryer. Luckily I have it covered with a clear plastic shower curtain. So, I take off the shower curtain, and put it in the washing machine. Not wanting to wash it alone, I throw in a few other items. Ok, back to the carport. It is now wet, and muddy. I pick up the broom again and begin to sweep. I sweep all the gook into the yard and put the broom away. I really need to rake up the big stuff from the carport that is now in the yard. The rake is usually right next to the broom, but is missing. I commence looking for my missing rake. All the while Charlie is looking for a dry place to lie down, but at least the flies are gone. It occurs to me to look in the shed for the rake. I need the key to shed, so I go in the kitchen to get it. There I see the trash can, without a bag, and the vacuum waiting to be put away, and remember what started this crazy afternoon. I found the rake in the shed, but decided to leave it there, and go back to the kitchen and finish what I started. The raking can wait for another day.

I am sure there needs to be a paragraph break or two in that narative, but I if you read it straight through, without a pause, you will have a better feeling of how the experience went for me.

I just looked at my feet. They are pretty dirty from all that playing in the water. I am going to go take a shower. Wonder what adventures await in there ...

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Of Slugs and Sluggishness

The best way I can describe how I am feeling today is sluggish. I've been feeling kind of yucky, with a slight fever, no big deal, just enough to take the wind out of my sails. The last week went by so fast, my head is still spinning. It was a good week, with lots of things accomplished. The weekend has been pleasant. I spent most of Saturday out shopping with Ryker and Quincie. Ryker needed a suit. Prom is next week, graduation in a month, then off to BYUH. The passing of time is freaking me out. I want to scream "stop!" and hold on to each passing moment just a little longer.

I'd like to go back and live the last 18 years over again. It was just so much fun, I want to do it again. I've been on an awesome roller coaster and now as the ride starts to slow, I just want to get back in line and do it again. I love our life now, it wasn't better then, or better now, it's all been great. I love being a mom, and I especially love being a mom to Ryker and Quincie. They are the best kids ever. They don't fight and argue with each other. I have never heard them yell unkind things at each other and they have never been in a physical fight. They are both obedient and respectful. They are good, kind, smart, interesting, and fun people. I am blessed to be their mom.

I have a long list of things to do in the next few days, weeks, and months. Graduation is in a month. Between now and then there is prom, a graduation party, and my mom comes to visit. I haven't seen my mom in a couple of years. We are all so excited! I want to have that week while she is here as free as possible to do fun stuff. I need to mail out the graduation announcements and party invitations. That didn't happen today like I had planned. I've been doing my imitation of a slug all day - moving slowly with my only motivation to move at all being the quest for food.

Work is really busy right now and I am very thankful for that. I have been learning lots of new things, which is both exciting, and frustrating. It will be nice when these new skills are old hat and the work comes easier. My brain has been stretching lately, and that's a good thing.

We are planning to move when our lease is up in August. We need a different house. We need a fenced yard for the dogs to play in, a garage for Carl's truck and tools, at least one more bathroom, and some personal space for me. Right now my office is the corner between the back door and the kitchen table. It's a nice little corner, but it is hard to shut my office door and concentrate. It's a little too soon to start seriously looking, but the thought of moving is ever present and colors many of my daily choices. For example, the yard ....

I want to leave it looking nice, but I am not going to plant any more flowers or vegetables directly in the ground. My latest tomato experiment is in a big pot that will easily come with us. It has a nice cluster of green tomatoes that should be ripe in another week or so. I've given up on the slugs. They win. Let them eat my marigolds. I just can't imagine marigold leaves being that tasty, but then again, I am only a slug in attitude, not in appetite.